Category: Sports

Surging Cubs Race Past Reeling Pirates 8-0 To Spoil Touted Prospect Henry Davis’ MLB Debut

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Chicago Cubs believe they’re starting to turn things around. The bounces that went against them for much of a miserable six-week stretch are now going their way.

The whims of Mother Nature included, apparently.

Drew Smyly gave up three hits in five innings, Mike Tauchman hit a two-run single during a brief downpour and the surging Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-0 on Monday night to spoil the major-league debut of former top pick Henry Davis.

Smyly (7-4) worked around five walks to win his second straight start following a three-game losing streak. He also watched from the safety of the dugout during the top of the second when the skies opened at the same time his teammates were beginning to get to Pirates rookie starter Osvaldo Bido (0-1).

Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs as the rain intensified. Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin went out to talk to Bido, with several Pittsburgh players appearing to plead with the umpires to stop the game until the weather cleared.

Instead, they played on, and Tauchman followed by lacing a single through the raindrops into center field to score Christopher Morel and Yan Gomes. Nico Hoerner’s single to center scored Miles Mastrobuoni and the Cubs led 3-0.

And while Bido settled down — retiring 12 of 13 at one point — to strike out seven in six innings in his second major-league start, his bobble in the rain made sure the Cubs had all the offense Smyly and three relievers would require.

“I definitely got the better half of that rain,” Smyly said. “I mean, their guy had to kind of wear it. It looked pretty heavy for a little bit.”

By the time Smyly went out for the bottom of the second, the skies had cleared and Chicago was firmly in control even on a night when Smyly didn’t have his best stuff. The 34-year-old left-hander tied a career-high with five walks, set nine years ago while pitching for Detroit.

Still, he didn’t need to be sharp to take advantage of a Pittsburgh offense that is struggling to generate much of anything. The Pirates managed just five hits — one of them a double by Davis in his first major-league at-bat — and left the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings when the game was still in doubt.

Pittsburgh has dropped seven straight, four of them to the Cubs.

Chicago, meanwhile, has won eight of 10 to nudge back into a muddled NL Central race.

“There’s a lot of veterans on our team and they realize it’s a marathon, it’s a long race,” Smyly said. “You’re going to have slumps, you’re going to have stretches that things aren’t going your way. But it’s been really nice to see how we turned it around.”

Having Tauchman delivering at the top of the lineup helps. A day after hitting his first home run for the Cubs, Tauchman went 3 for 5 and drove in three runs. Tauchman is hitting .387 (12 for 31) since being moved to the leadoff spot.

“Our offense has started going (because of) his presence up there,” Chicago manager David Ross said. “Just a calm bat. He’s got some experience. He, you know, feels like he controls the strike zone really well, works the count and you know, he’s a smart base runner.”

Slumping Pirates Calling Up 2021 Top Draft Pick Catcher Henry Davis From The Minors

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up heralded prospect Henry Davis. the top pick in the 2021 draft, to help the team that has lost six straight games and tumbled from the top spot in the NL Central.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said after Sunday’s 5-2 loss to division-leading Milwaukee that Davis, who has played catcher and outfield, will join the team at PNC Park on Monday for the start of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.

“I’m excited,” Shelton said. “He deserves to be here. I think he’s shown that. We’ll probably talk more about it (Monday). Our two catchers will be staying, so we’ll be using him in different ways.”

The 23-year-old Davis is being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis, where he batted .286 with a homer in 10 games. The 6-foot, 220-pound Davis opened the season at Double-A Altoona, where he batted .284 with 10 home runs.

He is hitting .284 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs in 51 combined games Double-A and Triple-A this season.

The Pirates opened the season with a division-leading 19-9 record in April. They enter the week with a record of 34-36, 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Brewers (37-34) and a half-game behind second-place Cincinnati (37-35).

The Riverside Panthers Are King Of The Hill They Defeat Camp Hill 4-0 In State PIAA Class 3 Championship!

Christian Lucarelli Struck out the first Camp Hill batter  and ended with 2 strikeouts in the bottom of the 7th, and they took him out with the last batter that they would send to the plate as Mitch Garvin came in to face the last batter and get the out as Lucarelli got hugs from his team, and when the dust cleared the Panthers were undefeated and Kings on the mountain with their 5th WPIAL Championship. In the first inning   Camp Hill’s batter would hit a long fly ball that would bounce against the fence for a one out double, they put the next batter on with a free pass to first, then next batter gets a base on balls loading the bases and the next guy up popped it up to third for the second out, and then they hit a ground ball to Evan Burry and he threw it to Sean Hayes to get out of the top of the first. that’s the biggest threat that Riverside faced from Camp Hill other Than their great pitching  from their starter  Luke Parise who ended up striking out a bunch of Panthers. In the bottom of the 4th Ashton Schlosser draws a walk with one out and Bo Fornataro hits a ball to shortstop and they throw to second for the fielders choice. Then on a 2 and one count Bo Fornataro broke for second and went in head first to get under the tag and the panthers had a man on second with  Hunter Garvin up and he hits a ball into the out field and  Dan Oliastro wind mills Bo Fornataro around third for the Panthers first run. That was it until the bottom of the 6th when the Panthers scored 3 more with 2 coming off a Mitch Garvin double  and the fans go nuts they score 3 runs on three hits to win in State College they are the champs. The game was broadcast here by Mike Azadian and Bruce Frey on 99.3 FM 95.7 FM 1230WBVP/1460WMBA and around the World on Beaver County Radio .Com.

p90

\

Happ’s homer, 4 RBIs lead Cubs over Pirates 11-3 after rain delay

Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ runs the bases and is congratulated by third base coach Willie Harris after his three-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Luis Ortiz during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

CHICAGO (AP) — Ian Happ hit a three-run, first-inning drive for his first home run since May 5, Christopher Morel added a three run homer in the eighth and the Chicago Cubs routed the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-3. Happ had four RBIs and scored three runs for the Cubs, who outhit the Pirates 14-7. Jack Suwinski had a pair of solo homers for the Pirates, who have lost four of six after a six-game winning streak. Suwinski has four homers in his last four games and a team-high 15.

The Riverside Panthers Win 8-5 Over Punxsutawney In A Wild One They Go To Penn State!!!

On an overcast chilly June afternoon at Slippery Rock University ‘s Jack Critchfield Park, in front of a full house . The Chucks  in their red and white and Riverside in their black with green lettering  uniforms with the  wind blowing from left to right as Mike Azadian and Bruce Frey were set to call the game here on Beaver County Radio all anybody knew was that this was probably going to be a good game. And that it was with the Punxsutawney Chucks getting their first runner on with an E-6 recorded then the next pitch was hit into shallow right field and then the Chucks hit a ball deep into right field to put runners at second and third then the next batter Carter Savage belted the ball into center Field and they had runners on the corners with one out, the next batter struck out and the next  walked  to load the bases,  then Zeik Barnet comes up and hits a ball into center field that brought 2 more runs in, that was all for Ronnie Harper as coach Dan Oliastro came out to mound and called for his pitching ace Christian Lucarelli Who was already walking out from the bull pen. Lucarelli was able to stop the rally and to the relief of all the Riverside faithful the inning was over. But the Panthers bats were quiet in the first inning and in the next few innings as the next inning Dinger the Chucks lead off hitter hit a dinger that bounced over the fence for a book rule double but the panthers pitching held off the attack and no runs were scored, But the panthers still have not advanced a runner past second base and the bats were still pretty quiet, in the top of the third Christian Lucarelli retired the side with just 8 pitches and you would have to think that things were about to change with the Chucks getting 3 runs on 4 hits so far and the Panthers 0 runs on 3 hits. In the 5th inning Evan Burry makes a great catch on a very hard hit ground ball into the hole and a great throw and catch by Mitch Garvin at first to get the out, and Lucarelli strikes their #4 batter out and gets the next batter out to go to the bottom of the fifth, Could anybody get on for the Panthers and Drake Fox comes up and hits one at the shortstop and he bobbles the ball and the Panthers have the lead off batter on with nobody out(could it get better) yes it could then Darren McDade gets a hit to put runners on the corners and the Riverside fans came to life you could here the excitement ringing through the air as for the first time in this game they had something to cheer about. With bases loaded Sean Hayes lines into the outfield to bring in 2 runs with runners on first and second Riversides Evan Burry with 2 strikes gets a clutch hit to bring in the tying run as the crowd goes wild. In the top of the 6th the Chucks had 2 runners on and the Panthers Christian Lucarelli went into the stretch and paused to look around and noticed the runners leaning stepped off looked at second and tossed it to first to pick off the runner and end the inning. In the bottom of the 6th Mitch Garvin puts down a nice bunt to get runners to second and third and Darren McDade hits a 2 run double Sam Barber hits a triple and Sean Hayes had 2 runs batted in before it was all over the Panthers had a 8 to 3 lead going into the top of the 7th inning.  the Chucks managed a couple of runs but with 2 outs and the tying run on deck they hit a hard shot down the first base line and as Mike Azadian who was on the call said as Mitch Garvin jumped up and caught the ball that’s was probably the highest he’s ever jumped, it was a great game and a great win for the Riverside Panthers and it was Broadcast right here on 99.3 FM 95.7 FM 1230WBVP/1460WMBA   and around the world on Beaver County Radio .com

Riverside Crushes Fairview 9 to 3 To Advance To Semi Finals In State Playoffs!!!

The Riverside Panthers got out to a fast start scoring 4 times in the bottom of the first, Riverside had a couple of runs on and a double by Hunter Garvin and  then his brother Mitch Garvin comes up with bases loaded and hit a sacrifice fly to bring the third run in and then the next batter followed up with another sac fly to give Riverside a 4 to nothing lead. In the bottom of the third Hunter Garvin gets a single and then Mitch Garvin comes up and hits a ball into left field to put runners on first and second, then Drake fox hits a ground ball fielders choice at second puts runners on the corners for Riverside and they decide to send the runner half way down they had him trapped but a low toss to first got away and the runner on third scored. Riverside will play Monday time or place or who they  hasn’t been decided yet stay tuned to Beaver County Radio for details. The game was Broadcast right here on 95.7FM 99.3FM and 1230 WBVP/and 1460 WMBA by Bruce Frye and Mike Azadian and around the world on Beaver County Radio.com.

Bills’ Damar Hamlin takes next step in recovery by practicing fully 6 months since cardiac arrest

Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin (3) practices with the NFL football team Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/John Wawrow)

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — With a helmet on, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin took part in team drills in a practice open to reporters for the first time in six months since having a near-death experience during a game. Hamlin appeared upbeat by waving to the cameras pointed at him during pre-practice stretching drills. Soon after, he served as a punt protector in several special team periods before taking the field with the defense. General manager Brandon Beane said Hamlin practiced fully for the first time in a session closed to reporters last week. Hamlin was cleared to resume playing in mid-April, and had previously been limited to taking part in individual drills and the stretching portions of practice.