Bucs win third straight, beat the Rangers 5-4.

Vázquez gets revenge on Gallo, Pirates nip Rangers 5-4
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Felipe Vázquez doesn’t let his failures linger. That wouldn’t help the Pittsburgh Pirates closer be any good at his job. Still, he wanted another shot at Texas slugger Joey Gallo. Getting touched for a 467-foot home run will do that.
So when setup man Kyle Crick hit a batter with two outs in the eighth on Tuesday night and the Pirates nursing a one-run lead, Vázquez knew if everything went right, he’d see Gallo as the last man up.
The outcome this time was different. Far different. Three pitches. Three strikes. The last two both clocked at 101 mph, followed by a fist pump, a smile and the obligatory jab to catcher Francisco Cervelli’s chest in celebration after the Pirates escaped with a 5-4 win.
“My turn,” Vázquez said after picking up his 10th save. “He got me once. He’s not going to get me twice. I knew as soon as Crick hit that guy, I was like, ‘Yeah.’ I wanted him to be up for sure. I wanted to get a little revenge in here.”
Gallo’s moon shot in the 11th last Tuesday didn’t spoil Pittsburgh’s 6-4 win, and the hard-throwing All-Star tried to play it off in the aftermath, tweeting he thought it might go “500 feet.”
“You’ve got to have fun,” Vázquez said. “You cannot get frustrated. At least me. I’m a closer. I can’t get frustrated. I cannot carry all that to my next start.”
Vázquez’s emphatic strikeout ended the only perfect inning for Pittsburgh’s bullpen. The Pirates relied on spot starter Steven Brault and six relievers to win for the fifth time in six games. Brault lasted four innings while filling in for injured Chris Archer. Michael Feliz (1-0) pitched a scoreless fifth and the Pirates survived to improve to 16-5 in their last 21 interleague games.
“It’s a night we were tough enough,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “We had enough pitches.”
POLANCO PRODUCES
Pittsburgh right fielder Gregory Polanco sent a two-run shot to the first row of seats in right-center off Adrian Sampson (0-2) in the fifth, his first since dislocating his left shoulder in an awkward slide last September.
Polanco underwent surgery shortly after mangling his shoulder on Sept. 4. He returned a bit earlier than expected and is still working to rediscover the power that led him to hit a career-high 23 home runs in 2018. He entered Tuesday hitting .250 with one RBI in 10 games and spent the pregame focusing on using his lower body more to compensate for a left shoulder he admitted is still “weak.”
Polanco singled in his first at-bat — before getting caught stealing at second, though his slide was just fine — and lined out to right in the third. In the fifth, he turned on a pitch from Sampson to put Pittsburgh ahead 5-2.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be like right away because obviously this is not 100 percent,” Polanco said while touching his shoulder. “This is still weak. But, you know, it’s getting there. It’s getting there.”
HOT HUNTER
Hunter Pence drove in all four runs for Texas, doubling twice and adding his fourth home run. The rest of the Rangers went 2 for 27. Texas stranded eight runners and went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. Manager Chris Woodward could start giving Pence more opportunities going forward. The 36-year-old is now hitting .333 with 17 RBIs while serving as part of an outfield rotation.
“We definitely need to find a way to get him in there more often,” Woodward said. “He deserves playing time. He really does. Obviously, I think everybody is taking notice.”
LECLERC BOUNCES BACK
The Rangers took José Leclerc out of the closer’s role last week after he blew a save against the Pirates. He threw a shutout inning of relief in Toronto over the weekend and allowed just one baserunner in two innings of work on Tuesday.
“To see José get two scoreless, it’s really cool to see him having success,” Woodward said. “I feel pretty confident that not too long from now, he’s going to be back in his role that he had.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Archer (right thumb inflammation) did some flat-ground work on Tuesday but remains out indefinitely. … RHP Keone Kela sat out his second straight game with right shoulder soreness.
UP NEXT
Rangers: Shelby Miller (1-2, 7.99 ERA) has allowed four runs in each of his last five starts heading into Wednesday’s series finale. He took the loss against Pittsburgh last week, surrendering four runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Pirates: Nick Kingham (1-0, 6.39) makes his first start of the season, filling in for Archer. Kingham went 5-7 with a 5.32 ERA in 15 starts as a rookie in 2018.
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Marte hits 3 run walk-off Blast as the Bucs top the A’s in 13 innings

Marte hits 3-run homer in 13th, Pirates rally past A’s 5-3
By CHRIS MUELLER Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Starling Marte hit a game-ending three-run homer in the 13th inning, rallying the Pittsburgh Pirates past Oakland 5-3 on Sunday after the Athletics scored twice in the top of the inning.
Cole Tucker started Pittsburgh’s comeback with a one-out single off Fernando Rodney (0-2). Jung Ho Kang walked and Adam Frazier drove in Tucker with a single before Marte drilled a ball out to center.
Tyler Lyons (1-0) got the win despite struggling in his Pirates debut. After pitching a 1-2-3 12th, he walked the first two batters in the 13th and allowed an RBI single to Kendrys Morales and a run-scoring double to Stephen Piscotty before getting pitcher Yusmeiro Petit to hit into an inning-ending double play.
A’s slugger Khris Davis, last year’s major league home run leader, left in the second inning with a left hip bruise after crashing into the left field wall chasing a popup.
The Pirates improved to 6-2 in extra-inning games and 6-1 in interleague play. They are above .500 at 16-15 for the first time since April 25.
Pittsburgh starter Jordan Lyles gave up one run and five hits over 6 2/3 innings. Lyles looked more like the pitcher that began the season tossing 11 scoreless innings in his first two home starts and less like the one holding a 6.00 ERA over his previous two outings.
The teams were tied 1-1 going into extras. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second when Josh Bell doubled and scored on Colin Moran’s sacrifice fly. A’s pinch-hitter Robbie Grossman tied it in the seventh with a single.
Lyles faced a jam in the fifth after he walked three consecutive batters with two outs but forced Ramon Laureano to ground into a forceout at second.
The Pirates had a golden opportunity with runners on first and third with zero outs in the sixth but couldn’t capitalize as Gregory Polanco flied out, Bell struck out and Melky Cabrera lined out to end the inning.
Oakland starter Frankie Montas allowed a run and five hits over six innings. He struck out five while lowering his ERA to 2.75.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Keone Kela was not available to pitch after exiting Saturday’s game with right shoulder tightness. General manager Neal Huntington said Kela will be evaluated Monday.
UP NEXT
Athletics: The A’s return home for a three-game series against Cincinnati on Tuesday, where Mike Fiers (2-3, 6.81) will take the mound coming off a solid seven-inning outing against Toronto on April 26.
Pirates: Steven Brault will get the start Tuesday against Texas in place of Jameson Taillion, who was ruled out for a month Saturday with an elbow flexor tendon strain. This season, Brault has an 8.31 ERA with 11 strikeouts over 8 2/3 innings of work out of the bullpen.
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Newman’s go-ahead triple rallies Pirates by A’s 6-4

Newman’s go-ahead triple rallies Pirates by A’s 6-4
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kevin Newman expected to be part of a platoon at shortstop with Erik Gonzalez when he made the Pittsburgh Pirates out of spring training. A cut to the middle finger of his right hand a month ago sent Newman to the injured list instead.
Gonzalez soon joined Newman on the injured list with a broken collarbone and the arrival of top prospect Cole Tucker during their absence forced the Pirates to re-evaluate how they wanted to use Newman when he returned.
When Pittsburgh welcomed Newman back on Friday, manager Clint Hurdle told him to be ready for whatever. Whatever arrived on Saturday, when Newman ripped the go-ahead triple in the seventh inning to lift the Pirates to a 6-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
Newman came on in the sixth as a pinch runner during an aggressive sequence in which Hurdle burned three of his four bench players in an effort to erase a one-run deficit. While the moves didn’t work at first — the Pirates left the bases loaded — it set the stage for Newman to step to the plate in the seventh and give the Pirates a welcome win on the day it lost ace Jameson Taillon for a least a month with a strained right (throwing) elbow.
“Obviously, we’ve had a lot of guys go down with injuries, so it’s going to take everybody and everything we all got to win and we know that,” Newman said.
Newman’s first at-bat since April 8 came with runners on the corners and two outs in the seventh against J.B. Wendelken (0-1). Newman fouled off the first pitch and then sent a laser to the right-field corner that rolled around long enough for Bryan Reynolds to score all the way from first to give Pittsburgh the lead.
“It was just unfortunate he got up under it and pushed it on down the line,” Wendelken said. “Not much I can do about it. It was just a good pitch and a good piece of hitting.”
Francisco Cervelli followed with an RBI single to lift the Pirates to their third win in four games.
“It definitely gives me a lot of confidence,” Newman said. “I like to be the guy that comes up in that situation. I want to come through for my teammates.”
Josh Bell homered twice for Pittsburgh, taking Oakland starter Chris Bassitt deep in both the second and third innings for the first two-home run game of the first baseman’s career. Bell already has eight homers on the season, a number he didn’t reach in 2018 until mid-August. Reynolds finished with two hits to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, tying Polanco for the longest by a Pittsburgh player to start their career since 1901.
Michael Feliz (1-0) picked up the win in relief after coming on in the seventh when Keone Kela exited with discomfort in his right shoulder after giving up a leadoff double to Oakland rookie Skye Bolt. Felipe Vazquez worked around a two-out single by Marcus Semien to collect his ninth save.
“There’s going to be more guys going down throughout the year,” said Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams, who gave up four runs in six innings. “Hopefully not as many as going on right now, but for guys to step up like JB did tonight and Kevin coming off the DL and having a big hit for us, it’s huge.”
OAKLAND ACHES
Kris Davis, Kendry Morales and Matt Chapman all had two hits apiece for the Athletics, but Oakland fell to 1-7 on its current nine-game road trip when Chris Bassitt and three relievers couldn’t hold an early lead.
The A’s, who had a season-high 14 runs Friday night to end a six-game losing streak, jumped on Williams early. Davis and Stephen Piscotty sandwiched RBI singles around a run-scoring triple by Morales to give Oakland a quick 3-0 advantage in the first.
Bassitt, however, gave up home runs to Bell in both the second and third and needed 97 pitches to get through five innings. Wendelken’s bumpy seventh in which he gave up three runs on four hits boosted his ERA to 5.85.
“He’s going through a rough patch,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said of Wendelken. “Still, we have a lot of faith in him.”
ROTATION JUMBLE
With Taillon and Chris Archer both on the injured list, the Pirates will turn to relievers Steven Brault and Nick Kingham to start during a brief two-game interleague series with Texas next week.
TRAINER’S ROOM
A’s: OF Nick Martini (right knee sprain) will run the bases Tuesday and will then go out for a rehab assignment barring a setback. … RHP Sean Manaea (left shoulder surgery) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday. … RHP Jharel Cotton (Tommy John surgery) remains in extended spring training and could work three innings in his next appearance.
UP NEXT
A’s: Wrap up a nine-game road trip Sunday when they send Frankie Montas (4-2, 2.97 ERA) to the hill. Montas allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings in a loss to Boston last Monday.
Pirates: Jordan Lyles (2-1, 2.42) lasted just four innings in his previous start, when he gave up two runs on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts in a no-decision against Texas.
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A’s rip Pirates 14-1!!

Phegley drives in 8, A’s rip Pirates 14-1 to end 6-game skid
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Oakland Athletics have been playing baseball for nearly 120 years. No catcher in team history has ever put together a game quite like the one Josh Phegley did in a 14-1 romp over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
Five at-bats. Four hits. Two doubles. A single. All capped off by a long solo shot to left field in the ninth that served as the finishing touch on an eight-RBI performance as the A’s emphatically snapped a six-game losing streak.
Phegley’s eight RBIs set a single-game record for an Oakland catcher and marked the first time any A’s player reached eight in a game Eric Chavez did it on Aug. 30, 2001, against Baltimore.
“Really fun baseball,” Phegley said after his season RBI total jumped from 13 to 21. “I feel like you can’t do something like that if the guys in front of you aren’t getting on base. I’ve had games where I’ve had three, four hits but never with that many guys on. The timing was good. We needed a win and everyone pretty much exploded offensively.”
Oakland set season highs in both runs and hits (16) to win for just the fifth time in 18 games away from O.Co Coliseum and nearly match its entire 15-run total during a skid the dropped the A’s to last in the American League West. Even pitcher Brett Anderson (4-2) got in on the act. He singled twice in addition to allowing just one run in six innings to pick up his first victory since April 9.
“Running bases is still terrifying,” Anderson said. “Especially the first one when I had to go to second. I blacked out basically. But I’ll take the two hits.”
The A’s certainly needed them. Oakland came in hitting just .205 over their last 14 games to extend their wildly uneven start before jumping on Pittsburgh’s Joe Musgrove (1-3) early and then continuing to add on against four relievers.
“I feel like everyone was firing and that’s kind of what we’re used to and what we expect out of ourselves,” Phegley said.
Pittsburgh rookie left fielder Bryan Reynolds singled to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, the second-longest by a Pirate to start his career since 1901, trailing only an 11-game streak by Gregory Polanco in 2014. It wasn’t nearly enough on a night the A’s used a rare visit to Pittsburgh to end a seven-game road losing streak.
MUSGROVE MISFIRES
Musgrove hadn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his first five starts — all of which lasted at least six innings — but didn’t make it out of the third. Some sloppy defense behind him didn’t help. Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang had a pair of errors during a four-run outburst in the second highlighted by Phegley’s three-run double. Oakland tacked on two more in the third, with Musgrove exiting after walking in a run that pushed Oakland’s advantage to 7-2.
“We did not play good defense,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “That’s all I got. At the end of the day, we didn’t handle the ball really well.”
Musgrove was charged with five earned runs on six hits over 2 2/3 innings as his ERA jumped from 1.54 to 2.63. Reliever Nick Kingham fared no better, allowing four runs in 2 1/3, three of the runs coming home on a rope to the left-field wall by Phegley in the fourth that pushed his RBI total to seven.
Phegley wasn’t done. He sent Richard Rodriguez’s pitch to the deserted bleachers in left field in the ninth for his fourth home run to become the first Pittsburgh opponent to knock in eight runs against the Pirates since Ken Reitz did it for the St. Louis Cardinals on June 28, 1977.
Asked what could be done to neutralize Phegley, Musgrove shrugged.
“Not much,” Musgrove said. “He hit good pitches. He had a good night tonight. He saw everyone pretty well, swung the bat well. I don’t think there’s anything we need to do different or need to panic.”
SKYE’S ZONE
Oakland outfield prospect Skye Bolt made his major league debut in the seventh when he popped out to first as a pinch hitter. He remained in the game in center field and later struck out in the ninth. The fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft — named by his father Mike because the elder Bolt wanted to give his son a name that “popped” — joined the A’s after hitting .325 with six home runs for Triple-A Las Vegas.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: C Jose Osuna (neck) was recalled from his rehabilitation assignment, reinstated from the 10-day injured list and assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis. …
UP NEXT
A’s: Chris Bassitt (1-0, 0.75 ERA) has allowed one run over 12 innings in his first two starts.
Pirates: Trevor Williams (1-1, 3.38) takes the mound Saturday looking to rebound after giving up five in six innings in a no decision against the Dodgers last weekend.
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Reynolds keeps rookie run going as Pirates top Rangers 7-5

Reynolds keeps rookie run going as Pirates top Rangers 7-5
By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Sports Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rookie Bryan Reynolds is closing in on teammate Gregory Polanco for a little piece of Pittsburgh Pirates history.
Polanco is enjoying the view.
Reynolds kept up his impressive start, hitting a three-run double as the Pirates completed a two-game sweep in Texas by topping the Rangers 7-5 on Wednesday.
A day after his first career home run put the Pirates ahead in the 11th inning of a 6-4 win that ended an eight-game losing streak, Reynolds extended his career-opening hitting streak to nine games with a liner over left fielder Joey Gallo’s head in the fourth.
A 24-year-old outfielder acquired in the trade that sent Andrew McCutchen to San Francisco before the 2018 season, Reynolds joined Polanco as the only Pirates since 1900 with a hit in each of their first nine games in the big leagues. Polanco debuted with an 11-game streak in 2014.
“It’s fun. It happened to me,” said Polanco, who had an RBI double to help keep the Pirates in front. “It’s humbling. It’s just like playing the game. You don’t think about nothing. You just play the game.”
All four of Reynolds’ RBIs in the majors came in the two games against the Rangers. He’s hitting .414.
“That’s every kid’s dream, to play in the majors, and very few people get that opportunity,” Reynolds said. “I’m lucky enough and blessed enough to have that opportunity, so I’m just trying to enjoy it.”
The Rangers hit three homers, starting with the 11th of the season from Gallo on a 114 mph liner off the fencing of the foul pole in right. On Tuesday, Gallo set a club record with 10 home runs before May 1.
Danny Santana led off the seventh with his third, also off Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon. Shin-Soo Choo pulled the Rangers within 6-5 on a two-run shot against reliever Richard Rodriguez later in the inning. His fourth homer landed just beyond the wall in right over a leaping Melky Cabrera.
After an RBI single from Elias Diaz for a two-run lead, Kyle Crick pitched a perfect eighth and Felipe Vazquez made it 2 for 2 on saves in the series, getting his eighth in eight chances by striking out Choo and pinch-hitter Hunter Pence with the tying run at second in the ninth.
FOR STARTERS
Taillon (2-3) won for the second time in three starts, allowing five hits and four runs — three earned — with five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Shelby Miller gave up exactly four runs in a fifth straight start after cruising through the first three innings. Five of six hitters reached against the Texas right-hander in the fourth, capped by Reynolds’ one-out double. Miller (1-2) allowed four hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings.
STRUGGLING AND SUBBED OUT
Rougned Odor was 0 for 4 to drop to 2 for 24 since his return from a right knee sprain when manager Chris Woodward decided on a righty-lefty matchup by using Pence against the hard-throwing lefty Vazquez. The lefty-hitting Odor’s average is down to .136.
“It hurts to have to do that because I feel like he’s going to be one of our foundational players,” Woodward said. “And he knows that. I had a good talk with him before the game. It’s not that I’ve lost any trust in him.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: C Francisco Cervelli was out of the lineup a day after getting hit by a pitch on his left wrist. The club said there was no fracture, and it appeared unlikely he was headed for the injured list. … RHP Chris Archer hasn’t thrown since experiencing right thumb inflammation that put him on the IL on Monday, a day after his most recent start. The club anticipates him being ready when he’s eligible to return.
Rangers: LHP Drew Smyly (left arm nerve tightness) reported no discomfort after throwing 37 pitches in a simulated game. Barring a setback, he could start Sunday against Toronto. … RHP Owen White, a second-round pick in last year’s draft, was scheduled for Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (1-2, 2.06 ERA) is set for his seventh appearance and sixth start Friday at home against Oakland. He worked at least six innings in each of his first five starts.
Rangers: LHP Mike Minor (3-2, 2.88) is 3-1 with a 1.75 ERA is his past five starts and ranks fourth among AL pitchers with opponents hitting .179 against him. He is one of three big leaguers with four starts of at least seven innings each.
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Pirates end 8-game skid with 2 11th-inning HRs to beat Texas

Pirates end 8-game skid with 2 11th-inning HRs to beat Texas
By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — When Bryan Reynolds led off the 11th inning with his first career homer, everybody on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bench erupted in celebration. They were all quiet by time the rookie rounded the bases and got back to the dugout.
“We were all like so quick to hop up and jump up and down, then someone said (silent treatment) and we all knew why,” said Josh Bell, who came home and tied the score against the Texas Rangers with a two-run double in the ninth.
Reynolds put the Pirates ahead with his blast to the hill in center field off Jesse Chavez (0-1), and Starling Marte then added a two-run homer as the Pirates ended their eight-game losing streak with a 6-4 win Tuesday night.
“I kind of blanked out, and then I realized what was going on,” Reynolds said.
The Pirates were scoreless until getting three-run ninth off closer Jose Leclerc that Reynolds started with a double.
“Puts a big smile on your face. I mean, he had a double off the glove to keep the hitting streak alive and then he puts an exclamation point on the end of his night,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “Marte puts an exclamation point on the end of his night for a guy that’s been out 10, 11 days, hadn’t seen any live pitching. … But for Reynolds, what a charge. His first RBI. First home run. Off a veteran pitcher, a good pitcher. Pretty swing.”
Reynolds has hit safely in all eight of his games since his big league debut April 20, when the outfielder was called up the same day Marte was put on the injured list with bruises to his abdominal wall and ribs.
Marte played his first game since he was involved in a full-speed collision with shortstop Erik Gonzalez on April 19 that sent both players to the injured list — Gonzalez broke his collarbone and is on the 60-day injured list.
Kyle Crick (1-1), who was born in nearby Fort Worth and lives in Sherman about 90 miles north, pitched a perfect 10th. Felipe Vazquez worked the 11th for his seventh save after allowing Joey Gallo’s leadoff homer — his 10th being a 467-foot drive into the second deck of seats in right field.
Pittsburgh had three consecutive hits off Leclerc to start to the ninth, including Adam Frazier’s RBI single for their first run. Leclerc then struck out two before Bell, who was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and grew up a Rangers fan, tied the game at 3 with a two-run double driven the opposite way into the left-center gap.
“That was huge, I felt that support from my friends and family,” Bell said. “To be able to come through and pull through for the team right there, I can’t ask for much more.”
It was the second blown save in seven chances this season for Leclerc, who became the Rangers’ closer after Keone Kela was traded to Pittsburgh last July. Kela pitched a scoreless ninth for the Pirates.
Manager Chris Woodward said there would be a discussion about Leclerc’s role moving forward, and that he could pitch in some non-save and lower-pressure situations.
“Obviously with a young guy, you don’t want to kill the kid’s confidence,” Woodward said. “I would love to just keep giving him the ball, but I do have to be mindful where his mental state. He wants the ball, but he also doesn’t want to feel like he’s letting his teammates down. It’s a tough situation for him.”
SOFT RUNS
Asdrúbal Cabrera blooped a two-run single to right in the fourth — MLB stats registered the exit velocity off the bat at 59 mph — to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. They went ahead 3-0 in the eighth on Gallo’s third walk, which came after a passed ball on a strikeout and two other walks had loaded the bases.
STILL LOOKING FOR NO. 1
Rangers starter Adrian Sampson was denied his first big league victory after 5 2/3 scoreless innings. The right-hander struck out five without a walk, and hit a batter, in his 13th career appearance (eighth start) since his big league debut for Seattle in 2016. He was a fifth-round pick by the Pirates in 2012.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: C Francisco Cervelli was hit on his left wrist by a pitch in the second inning. He initially remained in the game, but two pitches later left the game. He was examined by Rangers team physician Dr Keith Meister, and the Pirates expect an update Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (1-3, 4.06) is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in his three road starts this year.
Rangers RHP Shelby Miller (1-1, 7.52) has allowed exactly four runs in each of his last four starts. He is 2-7 with a 4.88 ERA in 10 career starts against Pittsburgh.
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Starling HR
Gallo HR
HR leading off 11th
Cabrera

NFL draft draws record numbers in Nashville and on TV

NFL draft draws record numbers in Nashville and on TV
By The Associated Press undefined
The NFL draft drew record numbers both on site and on television.
The league said Monday that more than 600,000 attended over the three days in Nashville, easily eclipsing the 250,000 that came to watch two years ago in Philadelphia.
Nielsen reports that the draft on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network averaged 6.1 million viewers at any given time over the three days. The draft averaged 5.5 million viewers last year, which was the first time all seven rounds were on broadcast television.
The average numbers were up despite the ratings for Thursday’s first round being flat. The combined average for the three networks was 11.1 million, which was down from last year’s 11.2 million. The ABC broadcast averaged 4.5 million, which was up 21 percent from last year’s 3.7 million that watched on Fox.
“By every metric — from the hundreds of thousands of fans who filled the streets of Nashville to the record-breaking ratings and viewership — this event was an unqualified success,” Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president for club business and league events, said in an email.
Next year’s draft is slated to take place in Las Vegas and will be the first significant event hosted by the Raiders in their new home city. The Raiders will play their final season in Oakland this year before moving to Nevada.
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Browns plan to sign Scottish punter as free agent

AP source: Browns plan to sign Scottish punter as free agent
By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press the Cleveland Browns are signing undrafted Scottish free agent punter Jamie Gillan from Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The Browns brought Gillan in for a workout before the NFL draft. They plan to sign him later this week and have him in camp to compete with starting punter Britton Colquitt, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday because Gillan still must pass a physical before signing.
Gillan caught Cleveland’s attention — and other teams’ as well — after averaging 43.4 yards per punt last season. He was born in England and played rugby growing up in Scotland before his father, a member of the Royal Armed Forces, was transferred to the United States. He’s been dubbed “The Scottish Hammer.”
Colquitt was a Pro Bowl alternate last season, averaging 45.4 yards per kick and setting a team record with 32 punts inside the 20.
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Ex-Raiders, Seahawks kicker Sebastian Janikowski retiring

Ex-Raiders, Seahawks kicker Sebastian Janikowski retiring
By The Associated Press undefined
Former Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks kicker Sebastian Janikowski is set to retire after an 18-year career.
Janikowski spent 17 seasons with Oakland before kicking last season with Seattle after signing a one-year deal. Janikowski’s agent, Paul Healy, confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday that his client intends to retire. Janikowski, 41, told ESPN over the weekend he didn’t believe his body could handle kicking in the NFL anymore.
The Raiders took Janikowski with the 17th overall pick in the 2000 draft out of Florida State. Nicknamed “Seabass,” Janikowski converted 80.4% of his field goal attempts during his career, including a career long of 63 yards during the 2011 season, the only time he was selected for the Pro Bowl. The kick at the time matched the NFL record for longest field goal made.
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Steelers rule LB Ryan Shazier out for 2019 season

(2018 Steeler Training Camp photo taken by Frank Sparks)

Steelers rule LB Ryan Shazier out for 2019 season
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Injured Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier will miss a second straight season while recovering from spinal surgery.
The team placed Shazier on the physically unable to perform list on Monday, allowing him more time to continue his rehabilitation from a lower spine injury suffered against Cincinnati in December 2017.
The 26-year-old Shazier, a two-time Pro Bowler, remains committed to playing in the NFL again. He has chronicled his physical progress over the last 18 months through various social media accounts and continues to be heavily involved in team activities, including scouting college players and serving as a de facto coach for the team’s inside linebackers.
The Steelers took a major step toward addressing Shazier’s absence in the offseason. They signed former Los Angeles Rams linebacker Mark Barron as a free agent in March and traded up in the first round of the NFL draft to select Michigan’s Devin Bush with the 10th overall pick.
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