Category: Sports

Pirates trade pitcher Chase Shugart to Phillies for infielder Francisco Loreto

(Photo Courtesy of KDKA-TV, CBS Pittsburgh, Posted on Facebook on January 13th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Philadelphia Phillies acquired Chase Shugart in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday, days after the Buccos designated the right-handed pitcher for assignment. In exchange for Shugart, the Phillies sent 18-year-old infielder Francisco Loreto to Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old Shugart made 35 appearances with the Pirates last season and allowed 17 earned runs in 45 innings with 31 strikeouts, 17 walks and 126 ERA+, and right-handed batters hit an average of .198 against him. Loreto signed with the Phillies as an amateur free agent in January of 2024, and in 47 games last season for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Phillies, he slashed .237/.332/.396.

Monaca Borough receives $250K grant for improvements and rehabilitation of the Washington Avenue basketball and tennis courts

(File Photo of the Welcome to Monaca Sign)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Monaca Borough, PA) Monaca Borough Manager David Kramer posted on Facebook yesterday that Monaca Borough received a grant of $250,000 on Monday through the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This funding will be for both the rehabilitation and the improvements of the Washington Avenue basketball and tennis courts. Those basketball courts, their hoops and storm drainage will be repaired, and those two tennis courts will be turned into four pickleball courts. 

Kucherov scores deciding shootout goal as Lightning beat Penguins 2-1 for 11th straight win

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) blocks a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins’ Rickard Rakell during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored the deciding goal in the shootout and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on Tuesday night for their 11th straight win.

J.J. Moser scored in regulation and Andrei Vasilevskiy had 26 saves for the Lightning, who have not lost since a 2-1 defeat at home against Los Angeles on Dec. 18. Three of their wins during the streak have come after regulation.

The Lightning moved into first place in the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings, who lost 3-0 at Boston. The 11-game win streak matched the longest in franchise history, accomplished previously from Jan. 29 to Feb. 17, 2020.

Evgeni Malkin scored for the Penguins and Arturs Silovs had 30 saves. Pittsburgh lost its third straight (0-2-1) since a six-game win streak.

Gage Goncalves scored for Tampa Bay in the second round of the tiebreaker, and Egor Chinakov tied it for Pittsburgh on their attempt in the third round. Kucherov then won it for the Lightning.

Moser gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead with 5:47 remaining in the third period. Yanni Gourde brought the puck up the right side and put a shot at Silovs that the goalie caught against his pad. However, the puck rolled out and lay in front and Moser skated up and knocked it in.

Malkin tied it with 2:16 left as he fired it past Vasilevskiy from the inside edge of the right circle for his 10th of the season.

The game was scoreless through the first two periods. The Lightning outshot the Penguins 10-8 in the first period that saw the Penguins have two power plays. Each team had nine shots on goal in the second with the Lightning getting two power plays and the Penguins one.

Up next

Lightning: At St. Louis on Friday night in the fourth of a five-game homestand.

Penguins: Host Philadelphia on Thursday night in the second of a three-game homestand.

 

Mike Tomlin steps down after 19 seasons as coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. The Bengals won 19-17. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Write

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Mike Tomlin era with the Pittsburgh Steelers is over. The longest tenured head coach in major American professional sports stepped down Tuesday after yet another quick playoff exit. The announcement came a day after the end of Tomlin’s 19th season in Pittsburgh. Tomlin won a Super Bowl and went to another during his first four seasons with the Steelers before the club settled into a familiar and frustrating pattern of solid if not always spectacular play followed by a playoff cameo that ended with the Steelers on the wrong side of a blowout. Tomlin went 193-112-2 in Pittsburgh but lost each of his last seven playoff games.

Steelers will select 21st in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL Draft, hosted in Pittsburgh

(Credit for Photo: Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus, Posted on Facebook on January 13th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The city of Pittsburgh will host the 2026 NFL Draft on the North Shore in 100 days. The Pittsburgh Steelers will officially have the 21st pick in the first round after their loss last night to the Houston Texans in their 2025 AFC Wild Card Game at Acrisure Stadium. The 2026 NFL Draft will be held from April 23rd-25th, 2026.

Penguins sign versatile forward Blake Lizotte to 3-year contract extension

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Blake Lizotte (46) celebrates his goal with Noel Acciari during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Blake Lizotte is now part of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ long-term plan.

The Penguins signed the veteran forward to a three-year contract extension on Monday. The deal, which runs through the 2028-29 season, carries an average annual value of $2.25 million.

The 28-year-old Lizotte has been one of the brightest spots on one of the NHL’s most surprising teams. A dependable penalty killer, Lizotte also has five goals and five assists in 35 games this season with Pittsburgh, which began the year with modest expectations but finds itself firmly in the mix to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

Lizotte, who signed a two-year agreement with the Penguins in the summer of 2024, tied a career-high with 11 goals last season. His 16 goals since joining Pittsburgh rank fifth on the team over that period.

The Penguins have thrived this season when Lizotte is in the lineup. Pittsburgh is 20-9-6 with Lizotte available and went 1-5-3 when he missed time in December with an upper-body injury.

Dave Giusti, star closer for Pirates’ 1971 World Series champions, dies at 86

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pitcher Dave Giusti, a member of the 1971 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates, takes part in a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the championship season before of a baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 17, 2021. (AP)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Dave Giusti, the star closing pitcher on the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates World Series winning team, died yesterday at the age of 86. The right-handed pitcher had a sinking palmball as his signature pitch, and in the all-time rankings for Pirates pitchers, he ranks third in saves with 133, seventh in ERA with 2.92 and eighth in games with 410. From 1970-1975, Giusti led all major league pitchers in saves with 127, when he earned one All-Star appearance in 1973 and finished in the top 10 of National League Cy Young Award voting three times (1970, 1973 and 1974). He led the National League with 30 saves in 1971, when he pitched 10 2/3 scoreless innings in the postseason and earned the save in the Game 4 World Series win over the Baltimore Orioles. Giusti starting 130 games with the Houston Colt 45s from 1962-68 and 12 for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969, and had a career record of 100-93 and a 3.60 ERA in 15 seasons. The Pirates traded Giusti to the Oakland Athletics as part of a 10-player deal which brought back second baseman Phil Garner, who was a key player for their 1979 World Series champions. He retired after splitting the 1977 season between the Athletics and the Chicago Cubs, and made Mt. Lebanon his home after his playing career. Giusti then worked as a corporate sales manager for American Express and also served as an officer with the Pirates Alumni Association since its inception.

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato to Host Steelers Pep Rally Before their 2025 AFC Wild Card Game Against the Texans

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt is introduced prior to an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Allegheny County, PA) Allegheny County Executive Sarah Inamorato will host a pep rally for the Pittsburgh Steelers at noon on Monday, January 12th before their game in this year’s AFC Wild Card Game against the Houston Texans set for 8 p.m. that same night at Acrisure Stadium. According to a recent release from Allegheny County, here are the details about this event:

  • Steelers Pep Rally prior to Monday night’s playoff game. Rally is open to the public; all are welcome to join.

WHEN: Noon, Monday, January 12, 2026

WHERE: Courtyard inside the County Courthouse. Public entrances on Fifth and Forbes between Ross and Grant.

WHO: 

  • County Executive Sara Innamorato
  • Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor
  • Steelers Legend Brett Keisel
  • More special guests

Pittsburgh Steelers Surprise a Local Flag Football Leader with Tickets to Super Bowl LX

(Photo Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Flag Football League, Posted on Facebook on January 11th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Coraopolis, PA) The Pittsburgh Steelers surprised local community leader Chris Curd yesterday with tickets to Super Bowl LX, which will take place in Santa Clara, California on February 8th, 2026. Super Bowl XLIII champion and Steelers legend Matt Spaeth surprised Curd with the tickets at Montour Sports Complex in Coraopolis that day during a series of youth flag football games that took place there. Curd has played a vital role in expanding the access to flag football for thousands of youth across Western Pennsylvania as the founder of both the Pittsburgh Flag Football League and the PA Flag Football Foundation. 

Joonas Korpisalo stops 27 shots in Bruins’ 1st shutout of the season and 1-0 win over Penguins

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Boston Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) makes a glove-save as teammate Henri Jokiharju (20) and Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Justin Brazeau (16) watch during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

BOSTON (AP) — Joonas Korpisalo made 27 saves for his first shutout of the season and the eighth of his career, Viktor Arvidsson scored and the Boston Bruins beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 on Sunday.

The Bruins won for the fifth time in six games despite going 0 for 6 on the power play a day after beating the Rangers 10-2. It was Boston’s first shutout this season.

Coming off a loss at home against Calgary on Saturday that halted their season-high six game winning streak, the Penguins were shut out for the fourth time this season. Stuart Skinner stopped 17 shots.

Unlike Boston’s game a day before, this one was limited in high-quality scoring chances and didn’t have any whacky moments like when the Bruins were awarded a reviewed goal when most of the opponents were in their locker room at the end of the opening period.

Arvidsson’s goal came 11 minutes into the first when he had two shots at a rebound, outworking defenseman Erik Karlsson before lifting a backhander past Skinner from the edge of the crease.

The Penguins made a surge late in the second, with Korpisalo’s best save coming as he quickly slid across the crease to make a glove stop on Sidney Crosby’s backhander from the right circle.

Bruins forward Morgan Geekie, their leading goal scorer, missed the game due to a family matter. He left Saturday’s game after the opening period.

Pittsburgh’s Kevin Hayes played in his 800th career NHL game.

Linesman Matt MacPherson worked his 1,000th career NHL game and was honored with a brief pregame ceremony. Each team’s captain presented him with a signed jersey with his name and No. 1000 on the back.

Up next

Penguins: Host Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Bruins: Host Detroit on Tuesday in the fourth of a five-game homestand.