Category: Sports

Lyles, Pirates bullpen combine to blank Reds 2-0

Lyles, Pirates bullpen combine to blank Reds 2-0
By ALAN SAUNDERS Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jordan Lyles became the latest Pittsburgh starter to open the season with a stellar effort.
Lyles threw five effective innings in his Pirates debut, a 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night.
Lyles, who played for San Diego and Milwaukee last year, allowed three hits, walked three and struck out two. He was activated from the injured list before the game after being out with discomfort on his right side.
“It’s a good start to get things going,” he said. “Five innings, not thrilled about that. . Going forward, definitely going to look for going deeper into games, but overall, not complaining about some scoreless innings.”
Through five games, the Pirates starting pitchers have allowed an MLB-low five runs and hold a 1.55 ERA.
Despite extraordinary starting pitching, the Pirates improved to just 2-3 this year. The Pirates’ bullpen blew back-to-back saves in two games against St. Louis and had a 5.79 ERA entering play Thursday.
But Nick Kingham, Richard Rodriguez and Felipe Vazquez combined for four scoreless innings as the Pirates recorded their second shutout of the season.
Kingham (1-0) pitched two innings of relief, conceding two hits and striking out two. Rodriguez bounced back with a shutout inning after being scored upon in his first two outings of the season.
Vazquez escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the ninth to earn his first save of the season by striking out three.
“It was well-executed game plan by our pitchers and they all deserve some credit,” manager Clint Hurdle said.
With one out in the seventh, Melky Cabrera singled and was replaced by pinch-runner Pablo Reyes. A single and Kevin Newman’s infield dribbler back to pitcher David Hernandez (0-1) made it 1-0. Cabrera finished with three hits.
Reds starter Tyler Mahle threw six scoreless innings in his season debut. He allowed five hits and struck out five without a walk.
Josh Bell singled home Starling Marte with an insurance run in the eighth.
POWER OUTAGE
Both of the Pirates shutouts have come against Cincinnati, and the Reds have been blanked three times in total on the season, including two straight games as they lost 1-0 to Milwaukee on Wednesday.
They managed six hits against the four Pittsburgh pitchers and went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position. The Reds are hitting an NL-worst .169.
“We had some good at-bats. We hit the ball hard. So we’re going to focus on that,” manager David Bell said. “It’s going to turn. We just really need to stay confident. The great thing is that our pitching is doing a great job. Tyler Mahle was outstanding tonight. If we continue to do that, we believe everything’s going to turn around.”
Center fielder Scott Schebler, who went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk, agreed with his manager’s assessment.
“This is not a team that gets shut out very often, at least in the past it has not been,” he said. “I feel like we’re getting a little unlucky on some hard-hit balls and we’re just not stringing anything together.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: LF Corey Dickerson was put on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder sprain.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Sonny Gray (0-1, 6.75 ERA) will make his second straight start against Pittsburgh on Friday. Gray lasted just 2 2/3 innings and allowed three runs against the Pirates in Cincinnati on Sunday.
Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (0-0, 0.00) will make his first start and second appearance of the season. He pitched two scoreless innings of relief against the Reds on Sunday.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Penguins lock up playoff berth with 4-1 win over Red Wings

Penguins lock up playoff berth with 4-1 win over Red Wings
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — So much for the slow start. The seemingly endless string of injuries to bold-faced names, to the ones that left the Pittsburgh Penguins drifting aimlessly for long stretches.
Then March came. April, too. And the Penguins did what they always seem to do when the number of games dwindles and the stakes rise. They found themselves in time to reach the playoffs.
The proof came over three periods against Detroit on Thursday night. Phil Kessel regained his scoring touch. Sidney Crosby threw his body — and the puck — into the net. Matt Murray swung the momentum with sprawling save on a breakaway and Pittsburgh extended the NHL’s longest postseason streak to 13 years and counting with a 4-1 victory over the Red Wings.
“It’s not easy,” said Crosby, who finished with a goal and two assists. “You can see it comes down to Game 81. There are a lot of things that happened over the course of the year. It’s difficult. It’s a tight league and you have to earn it.”
Something the Penguins have done better than any other team in the NHL since 2007, a stretch that includes three Stanley Cups and an appearance in a Cup final. While they’ll hardly be among the favorites when the Eastern Conference quarterfinals begin next week, they have a shot. Considering where they were at various times over the last six months — from Murray’s early struggles to injuries to Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Justin Schultz and Olli Maatta among other — they’ll take it.
“I believe in this group,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “When we play the game the right way, I think we can compete with any team in the league. We have difference makers in the lineup. … I believe this group is capable of great things.”
For the first time in a while, the pieces are in place. Malkin picked up an assist in his return from an eight-game absence due to an upper-body injury. Letang skated a team-high 25:52 in just his fourth game since Feb. 23, thanks to an upper-body injury of his own. Their presence gives the Penguins depth and offensive firepower few in the league can match.
“I think the impact they have is huge,” Sullivan said. “Both guys are just, they’re dominant players. It just changes the whole dynamic of our team.”
Particularly when the Penguins are on the power play. Pittsburgh scored twice against the Red Wings with the man advantage, with both goals coming from the top group. Kessel’s tap-in from the left post at 18:18 of the first period put the Penguins in front to stay. Crosby’s jam from in close at 6:36 of the third period — a shot that came as he was being dumped into the net — ended a 10-game goal drought for the captain and drained the final minutes of any tension, a small respite at the end of a draining slog of a season.
Matt Puempel scored his first NHL goal in more than two years for the Red Wings. Jimmy Howard finished with 43 saves, but couldn’t quite duplicate his spectacular performance in a victory over the Penguins on Tuesday as Detroit’s six-game winning streak came to a halt.
“If you have Malkin and Letang back in your lineup, you’re a much better team (and) it creates real hard matchups on the road especially when we’re thin to begin with,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “And I don’t think our best players were as good as they have been. They’ve been excellent through this stretch.”
One the Red Wings — who will miss the playoffs for the third straight year after making it every season from 1991-2016 — hope they can carry forward next fall.
The Penguins have more pressing matters, like trying to bolster their postseason position. A win over the New York Rangers on Saturday assures Pittsburgh of a meeting with the New York Islanders in the opening round. A loss and a victory by Carolina and the Penguins would drop to the top wild-card spot and face Washington for a fourth straight year.
There are far worse problems to have. For a few moments Thursday, they tried to enjoy a moment that has become a rite of spring for the franchise for more than a decade, even if the path this time proved bumpier than usual. Not that it matters now. The playoffs offer a chance to reset, a button the Penguins are eager to push.
“I think we have a good team here,” Kessel said. “We’ll see who we play coming up. We’ll give it our all.”
NOTES: Penguins C Matt Cullen played in his 1,515th game, passing Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman for 19th on the NHL’s all-time list. … Detroit F Tyler Bertuzzi was held without a point to end his franchise-record streak of games with at least three points at four. … The Red Wings went 1 for 2 on the power play. The Penguins were 2 for 4.
UP NEXT
Red Wings: Wrap up 2018-19 at home Saturday against Buffalo.
Penguins: Finish the regular season at home against the New York Rangers on Saturday.
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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Pirates bullpen blows another lead. Bucs fall to Cards 5-4 in ten.

Cardinals rally past Pirates again, 5-4 in 10 innings
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Shildt would prefer to not have his team consistently find itself in a spot where it’s forced to rally.
At the moment, though, the St. Louis Cardinals manager isn’t arguing with the results. At least when the Cardinals are facing Pittsburgh’s wobbly bullpen.
Tyler O’Neill capped another rally by driving in Kolten Wong for the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as St. Louis surged past the Pirates 5-4 on Wednesday night. Two days after coming back from four runs down to spoil Pittsburgh’s home opener, St. Louis took advantage of another shaky performance by Pirate relievers.
“It’s not a position we want to get into, but it’s a position we obviously don’t panic about,” Shildt said. “This group always knows they can play the game and compete. We actually bear down a little bit more.”
Harrison Bader hit a two-run homer off Keone Kela in the eighth to tie the game at 3. Wong led off the 10th with a triple against Nick Burdi (0-1) and scored when O’Neill followed two batters later with a sharp single to right. Bader pushed the lead two when he scored on a wild pitch by Francisco Liriano.
“It just shows us that we’re a bloop and a blast away from being in every game,” Bader said.
John Gant (2-0) worked a scoreless ninth to pick up the win. Dakota Hudson collected his first major league save when he stranded the tying run at third. Paul DeJong added a solo home run for St. Louis, which finished 3-3 on a season-opening six-game road trip.
“We’re never going to give in,” said Wong, who is hitting .476 (10 for 21) through the first week of the season. “We’ve been like this since I’ve got to the Cardinals and I think this year isn’t an exception.”
PIRATES SPUTTER AGAIN
Adam Frazier had three hits and drove in a run for the Pirates. Jung Ho Kang hit his first home run in 2½ years for Pittsburgh. The Pirates went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.
Jameson Taillon dominated the Cardinals for seven innings, allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts and spent 87 pitches keeping the Cardinals off balance. St. Louis needed to see just six pitches from Kela to pull even. Kela, who walked in the tying run on Monday, inherited a 3-1 lead in the top of the eighth. He threw four straight balls to Wong, then saw his second offering to Bader end up in the Cardinals bullpen beyond the wall in center field.
“When the guys come in and get outs, it always looks good,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “When they don’t, it doesn’t look good. But there was an opportunity for us on offense to do a lot more tonight.”
KANG’S LONG ROAD
Kang’s drive to the first row of seats in left field against St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas was the 37th of his career and his first since Oct. 1, 2016. Kang missed all of 2017 after pleading guilty to DUI in his native South Korea and appeared in just three games last September.
Kang, who hit seven home runs during spring training, said through a translator he was upset after grounding into a double play with the bases loaded in the first. He was “prepared” to hit a home run when he dug in in the third against Mikolas.
“I think he’s working to get in a very good spot, offensively and defensively,” Hurdle said. “He’s working on both sides of the ball. We’re aware that it’s been (a long time). … We like having him on our team.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: LF Marcell Ozuna will have an MRI on Thursday after being scratched due to discomfort in his right side. Jose Martinez filled in and went 0 for 5.
Pirates: LF Corey Dickerson did not start due to soreness in his right (throwing) shoulder. He grounded out as a pinch hitter in the eighth. … C Elias Diaz (illness) will begin a rehab assignment with Class A Bradenton on Thursday.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: Head home for the first time this season and welcome San Diego for a three-game series at Busch Stadium starting Friday. The game was originally scheduled for Thursday before being pushed back due to weather concerns. Jack Flaherty (0-0, 8.31 ERA) starts for the Cardinals against Nick Margevicius (0-1, 1.80).
Pirates: Begin a four-game home set with Cincinnati on Thursday. Jordan Lyles makes his first start for the Pirates against Tyler Mahle. The teams split a two-game series in Cincinnati last weekend.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Pens fall to Redwings 4-1

Bertuzzi stays hot as Red Wings beat Penguins 4-1
By PAUL HARRIS Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins came up empty when they tried to clinch a playoff spot on Tuesday night.
Tyler Bertuzzi led the way for the Detroit Red Wings once again.
Bertuzzi had two goals and an assist, and Detroit beat Pittsburgh 4-1 for its sixth consecutive victory.
The 24-year-old Bertuzzi became the first player in franchise history with four consecutive three-point games. He has five goals and eight assists during a five-game point streak.
“I think I’m still a little shocked right now. I haven’t comprehended it yet but it’s something special,” Bertuzzi said. “Like I’ve said before, I can’t thank my teammates enough, my linemates for that run.”
Detroit (32-38-10) also got two goals from Anthony Mantha, who has five goals and seven assists during a six-game point streak. Dylan Larkin had three assists, and Jimmy Howard made 38 saves.
The Red Wings also announced a two-year contract extension for coach Jeff Blashill on Tuesday morning. This was the final season of Blashill’s four-year deal.
Phil Kessel scored for Pittsburgh, and Matt Murray stopped 22 shots.
“We have to have a short memory,” Murray said. “This game is over and now we’ve got to get a win and get ourselves locked into the postseason.”
The Penguins (43-26-11) are third in the Metropolitan Division, two points behind the New York Islanders and two points ahead of Carolina. They have two games left on the schedule.
Bertuzzi’s second goal put Detroit ahead to stay with 9:34 left in the second period. He beat Murray from the bottom of the left circle for his 21st of the season.
Mantha made it 3-1 with 8:39 left in the third when he outraced Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson for Larkin’s high flip pass in the Pittsburgh zone for a partial breakaway. He added an empty-netter with 2:24 left to tie his career high of 24 goals.
Detroit jumped in front on an unusual goal with 9:40 left in the first.
It originally appeared that Murray had made a spectacular glove save on Bertuzzi’s one-timer from the bottom of the right circle at an apparent wide-open side of the net.
But it went to review, after the next play stoppage, and the overhead replay showed the puck in Murray’s glove but completely over the goal line. The play was ruled a goal after a two-to-three minute process.
Kessel tied the game with 22 seconds left in the opening period when he tapped one in from the bottom of the right circle off a feed from Sidney Crosby on a 2-on-1 rush. It was Kessel’s 25th goal.
NOTES: Among the players who remain out for Pittsburgh are C Evgeni Malkin (upper body), who missed his eighth game, and D Kris Letang (upper body), who sat out his fourth game. … Detroit recalled D Joe Hicketts from AHL Grand Rapids on Monday after D Danny DeKeyser suffered a lower-body injury in Sunday’s 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins.
UP NEXT
The Penguins and Red Wings play again on Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Beaver County Radio Pirates Home Opener Tailgate Party at Al’s Corner, Monday April 1, 2019

(Koppel, Pa.) Beaver County Radio hosted its annual Pittsburgh Pirates home opener tailgate party on the road this year at Al’s Corner in Koppel. Beaver County Radio’s Frank Sparks, Matt Drzik and Greg Benedetti hosted the festivities. The guys talked about the Pirates and what they are thinking the 2019 Pirates’ weakness and strengths will be. The guys also gave there predictions for the season and if the Pirates will make the play-offs or not.

The all New Beaver County Radio Pirates Treasure Chest. (photo by Rachel Mc Greal)

The tailgate party also marked the debut of the Beaver County Radio Pirates Treasure Chest that will be making appearances throughout the area this season at local sponsor’s businesses. The chest is filled with all kinds of goodies from our sponsor businesses also  Pirates memorabilia, gift cards, and even Pirates tickets on occasion. Click on the treasure map below to see where the treasure chest will make its next appearance…..Frank talked with Rachel about Al’s corner on the air on Beaver County Radio and also after the Live broadcast was over Frank and Rachel took a virtual tour on Facebook Live on the WBVP and WMBA Facebook  page . You can see the video by pressing the play button below…..

The Treasure Chest will make another appearance at Al’s corner on Friday June 21, 2019.  In the meantime check out all of the photos below of the fun from today’s broadcast!!!!!

 

 

Penguins inch closer to playoff spot, top Hurricanes 3-1

 

 

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Matt Murray stopped 37 shots and the Pittsburgh Penguins inched closer to a playoff berth with a 3-1 win over Carolina on Sunday night.

Matt Cullen, at 42 the NHL’s oldest player, had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh. Garrett Wilson collected his first goal in nearly two months and Patric Hornqvist added his first even-strength score since early January. Murray did the rest while as the Penguins took a major step toward assuring itself of a spot in the postseason for the 13th consecutive year, the longest active streak in the league

Pittsburgh needs just two points over its final three games or a loss by Montreal to lock up a playoff spot.

Carolina’s bid to reach the postseason for the first time in a decade took a hit. The Hurricanes have 93 points with a week to go in the regular season, just one point ahead of the ninth-place Canadiens.

Jacob Slavin’s power-play goal with just under 8 minutes to go spoiled Murray’s bid for a shutout but by then the Penguins were firmly in control. Curtis McElhinney finished with 25 saves while losing for the third time in four starts.

Playing without injured stars Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, the Penguins relied on their depth and the kind of defensive grit they’ve lacked at times this season. Carolina came in leading the NHL in shots per game (34.5), but could get little going in front of Murray until it trailed by three.

Wilson put the Penguins in front just past the midway point of the first period, crashing the net following a feed by Cullen from the corner and then jabbing at the puck until it emerged from a pile of bodies in front of McElhinney and slid across the goal line.

Cullen, playing in his 1,513th career game — one shy of tying Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman for 19th on the NHL’s all-time games played list — doubled Pittsburgh’s advantage late in the first period when he and Olli Maatta broke in on McElhinney 2 on 1. Rather than slip the pass to his teammate, Cullen zipped a wrist shot from the right circle that sailed over McElhinney’s right arm and into the net for his seventh of the season.

Hornqvist, who left briefly in the first period when his head hit the boards while getting checked by Carolina’s Dougie Hamilton, earned a measure of revenge 46 seconds into the third period when he collected a blind backhanded drop pass from Dominik Simon and beat McElhinney from the bottom of the right circle. The goal was Hornqvist’s 18th of the year and his first non-power play tally since Jan. 6.

Carolina mustered little in response.

The Hurricanes didn’t reach double digits on the shot counter until past the game’s midway point as the Penguins clogged the shooting lanes. When Carolina did manage to find some space, Murray either came up with the stop or the Hurricanes couldn’t get the bounce they needed. Sebastien Aho hit the post from the left circle in the second period and when the Hurricanes did finally get it going midway through the final period, it was too late.

Slavin’s seventh of the season provided a bit of life, but Pittsburgh withstood a push over the final minutes to all but assure itself of a chance to make a run at its third Stanley Cup in four seasons.

NOTES: Letang, Malkin, F Zach Aston-Reese and D Chad Ruhwedel all skated on Sunday morning but remain out with injuries. … The Hurricanes went 1 for 2 on the power play. The Penguins were 0 for 1. … The teams split the season series 2-2. … Pittsburgh rookie Adam Johnson picked up the first two assists of his career.

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: Visit Toronto on Tuesday.

Penguins: Begin a home-and-home series with the Red Wings on Tuesday in Detroit.

Beaver County Radio Pirates Treasure Chest to make it’s debut Monday April 1, 2019.

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Beaver County Radio will debut it’s brand new Pittsburgh Pirates Treasure Chest on Monday April 1, 2019 at Al’s Corner in Koppel from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m..

Stop out and join Frank Sparks, Host of Teleforum, Matt Drzik, Host of A.M. Beaver County and co-host of the Saturday Sports Slam, and Greg Benedetti, co-host of the Saturday Sports Slam and talk Pirates Baseball as the guys host their annual tailgate party on the road this year in honor of the Pirates home opener Monday afternoon.

Listen for clues on the air and Facebook  during the broadcast on how you can can get your chance to open the treasure chest and pick prize. You never know what treasures are in the chest. You could win  Pirates memorabilia, gift cards to different businesses, or maybe even some Pirates Tickets.

The Treasure Chest will be making appearances all season long at sponsor businesses in the area. If you would like to get a copy of the Treasure Chest Map click on the chest logo below………

Scoring Updates: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.

 

 

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