(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE = Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen warms up before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Oct. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New York City, NY) Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Adam Thielen is being recognized for his community outreach efforts and became one of three finalists up for the 2026 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.  

This award is given to an athlete whose continuous and demonstrated leadership through sports created a measured positive impact on their community, and each candidate must embrace the core principals that the late boxing champion embodied so well. These traits are confidence, conviction, dedication, giving and respect. 

ESPN is presenting the 12th annual Sports Humanitarian Awards and a broadcast to present them is set for July 14th.  

Thielen has invested and worked towards providing wellness and mental health for youth and according to ESPN’s press release announcing this year’s finalists, the Thielen Foundation has become a top-tier nonprofit organization centered around young people. 

Throughout his whole career, Thielen has been one of the most respected members throughout the National Football League.  

Thielen announced his retirement from the NFL on January 14th on Instagram and he finished his NFL career with the Steelers, earning 11 receptions for 117 yards in five games in three starts with the team. 

He is best known for playing for the Minnesota Vikings where he played from 2013-2022, and in 2025 before the Steelers claimed him off of waivers on December 2nd, 2025  

His 542 receptions with the Vikings are 4th in Vikings history. Thielen also played with the Carolina Panthers from 2023-2024 and he holds the NFL record for most consecutive 100-yard receiving games with eight.  

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cristopher Sánchez returned to form after a couple of shaky outings, allowing only three hits in seven innings as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-0 on Tuesday night.

Sánchez (10-3) struck out nine and walked only two in becoming the first pitcher this season to reach 10 wins.

Sánchez was supported by rookie Justin Crawford’s two-run single in the second inning, then a three-run seventh inning outburst that included an RBI double by Trea Turner and RBI single by Bryce Harper.

Pittsburgh starter Bubba Chandler (3-8) pitched well into the seventh inning, but couldn’t escape the Philadelphia rally. Early on, he was undone only by No. 9 hitter Crawford.

The Phillies loaded the bases with two outs in the second, and after fouling off several Chandler pitches, Crawford took another late swipe and managed to hit one down the third base line off the end of the bat. It went for a two-run single that was all that Sánchez needed.

Crawford also doubled to lead off the sixth, but Chandler worked his way out of that jam, striking out both Turner and Kyle Schwarber, then retiring Harper on a soft grounder to second.

Crawford wasn’t finished, however, laying down a perfect sacrifice bunt in the seventh to move pinch-runner Derek Hill into scoring position. A Turner double scored Hill for the third run, and a follow-up single by Schwarber ended Chandler’s night. Pirates reliever Isaac Mattson then gave up a single to Harper and fielder’s choice grounder to Brandon Marsh as the Phillies tacked on two more runs.

Crawford padded the lead with an RBI single in the eighth, his third hit of the game, before Turner, celebrating his 33rd birthday, hit a two-run homer to break the game open.

Phillies reliever Jonathan Bowlan pitched out of trouble to quell the Pirates in the eighth, and 34-year-old journeyman Lou Trivino, promoted from Triple-A Lehigh Valley earlier in the day, closed the Pirates out.

Up next

The Pirates’ Paul Skenes (6-7, 3.10 ERA) faces off against the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler (8-1, 2.03) on Wednesday.

(Credit and Caption for Photo: Winnipeg Jets centre David Gustafsson takes his stance during a game against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Kyusung Gong/AP)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas announced yesterday that the Penguins have acquired forward David Gustafsson from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for defenseman Jack St. Ivany. 

Gustafsson is a pending restricted free agent who spent the 2025-2026 season with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. He recorded 10 goals, 22 assists and 32 points and was plus-12 in 48 games. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Endy Rodríguez reacts after hitting a three-run home run against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Chase Shugart during the ninth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 29, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Esmerlyn Valdez and Jared Triolo both hit home runs to help the Pittsburgh Pirates escape an early five-run deficit, and Endy Rodriguez closed the deal with a three-run homer in the ninth for an 11-7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.

The Pirates posted a six-run fifth inning against struggling starter Aaron Nola (3-5).

The Phillies fought back with two runs in the eighth to cut the lead to one run, but Rodriquez homered on a two-out pitch off reliever Chase Shugart in the ninth. Mason Montgomery closed for the Pirates.

The Phillies jumped on starter Braxton Ashcraft for five runs. Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh each homered in the first inning, and Bryce Harper hit his 20th of the season in the third inning.

But Nola gave up two home runs in 4 1/3 innings, moving into a tie for fifth-worst in the majors at 19 homers allowed. After easing through the first three innings, Bryan Reynolds hit a double off the top of the left field fence and Valdez bombed one to left to cut the Phillies’ lead to 5-2.

In the fifth, Nola allowed a leadoff home run to Triolo, his first of the season. Nola left with the game tied at 5.

Reliever Seth Johnson then gave up an RBI single to Tyler Callihan, and a Turner error helped boost the Pirates’ lead to 8-5. Ashcraft (8-3) settled down and went six innings for the win.

The Phillies scored twice in the eighth, as Marsh hit his second homer of the game and J.T. Realmuto singled home Bryson Stott. But with two on and two outs, Pirates reliever Yohan Ramirez struck out Justin Crawford.

Up next

The Pirates will send RHP Bubba Chandler (3-7, 4.42 ERA) to the mound Tuesday night against Phillies ace LHP Cristopher Sanchez (9-3, 2.13 ERA).

(Credit and Caption for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Oneil Cruz wears a welding hood as he is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a two run home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Tuesday, March 31st, 2026, in Cincinnati. (Kareem Elgazzar/Associated Press)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates are hitting home runs at possibly a record-breaking pace. The team reached the mark of 100 home runs for this season during Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park when second baseman Brandon Lowe hit a three-run home run in the third inning. The Pirates are currently at 105 home runs on the season after yesterday’s game, and it only took them eighty-three games to reach the mark, which is the fastest in team history. The record for most home runs by a Pittsburgh Pirates team stands at 171 when they hit those home runs during the 1999 season.  

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Pittsburgh, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher and 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes reached 500 strikeouts for his career during the fourth inning of the team’s game against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday at PNC Park. Skenes reached the achievement faster than any Pirates pitcher that threw 500 strikeouts did, doing it in 72 starts. He also threw 500 strikeouts the fastest regarding Pirates pitchers since the pitcher’s mound was moved to its current distance back in 1893. Skenes also broke the Pirates franchise record for quickest to 500 strikeouts, passing Bob Veale, who accomplished the feat in 77 starts in 1965. 

(Credit and Caption for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin slides into third base on his triple off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brock Burke in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin was activated from the team’s injured list on Friday. Griffin returned to play for the Pirates for the first time in just less than a month in Friday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park and it did not take him long to get back on the scoreboard. He hit a lead-off home run in the first inning of that game and when he was 20 years and 63 days old on Friday, Griffin became the fifth-youngest player in MLB history to hit a leadoff home run. Griffin was put on the injured list on May 31st because he suffered a right forearm strain and recently had a rehab assignment with Double A-Altoona on Wednesday before he returned to the Pirates. 

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Buffalo, NY) The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted two twin brothers in the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York over the weekend. The Penguins selected Liam Ruck at 22nd overall in the first round on Friday. However, it was a family affair for Liam as the Penguins selected his twin brother Markus Ruck at 39th overall on Saturday in the second round. The twins are from Osoyoos, British Columbia, and they spent more than two seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League. Markus, a forward, led the WHL with 108 points last season, while Liam, a right winger, finished in second with 104 points. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Tyler Callihan (37) celebrates with Ryan O’Hearn (29) as he crosses home plate after hitting a three-run home run off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brady Singer during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn homered twice in a game for the third time in the majors and drove in four runs to help the Pittsburgh Pirates avoid a series sweep with a 9-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

O’Hearn put Pittsburgh in front 5-4 in the fifth inning with a 421-foot drive to right off Brady Singer (3-7).

After 65-minute rain delay with one out in the bottom of the eighth, Pierce Johnson walked Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales before O’Hearn hit a three-run shot to make it 8-4. Esmerlyn Valdéz followed O’Hearn by homering for a third straight game.

Mitch Keller (6-5) went six innings for the Pirates, allowing four runs — three earned — and five hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

X-rays were inconclusive on Eugenio Suárez’s left hand after he was hit by a pitch from Keller in the sixth inning and forced to leave the game. Manager Terry Francona said Suárez will have a CT scan on Monday after traveling with the team to Milwaukee for the start of a four-game series against the Brewers.

Singer gave up five runs and nine hits with six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings for the Reds.

Pittsburgh scored four runs before recording an out in the second inning. Gonzales and O’Hearn started with a pair of singles before Valdéz made it 1-0 on a ground-rule double. Tyler Callihan then sent a sinker 412 feet to right for a three-run homer.

Elly De La Cruz reached safely on a fielding error by Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe to begin the fourth. A double by Sal Stewart put two runners in scoring position. JJ Bleday took advantage with a two-run single that dropped into right field and cut the deficit to 4-2.

Tyler Stephenson lined an RBI double past a diving Callihan in left field and scored on Edwin Arroyo’s single down the line in right, tying it at 4 in the fifth.

The Pirates twice failed to score with the bases loaded and no outs. Konnor Griffin grounded into a force out, Lowe struck out and Reynolds grounded to third in the fourth. In the seventh, Henry Davis popped up to short and Griffin hit into a double play.

Up next

Reds: LHP Nick Lodolo (2-2, 5.59 ERA) will take the mound Monday for the first of a four-game set in Milwaukee against Brewers LHP Robert Gasser (1-3, 4.50 ERA).

Pirates: RHP Braxton Ashcraft (7-3, 3.07 ERA) will start the first of a four-game series in Philadelphia on Monday against Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.58 ERA).

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Cincinnati Reds’ Eugenio Suárez celebrates as he crosses home plate after hitting a three-run home run off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Gregory Soto during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, June 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Eugenio Suárez hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning that rallied the Cincinnati Reds to a 9-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

Trying to protect a one-run lead, Gregory Soto (4-2) let the first two Reds batters reach safely in the ninth before getting Sal Stewart to ground into a double play. Soto then walked JJ Bleday in front of Suárez, who drove a 2-2 sinker below the strike zone 344 feet the other way to right field.

Chase Petty retired the side in order in the ninth for his first major league save.

Suárez’s homer came after Esmerlyn Valdéz put Pittsburgh ahead 7-6 with a pinch-hit homer off Caleb Ferguson (1-0) in the eighth.

The Reds led three times and trailed twice. They were in front 2-0 and 6-4 before going up for good in the ninth. The Pirates went on top 4-2 in the fourth.

Stewart produced Cincinnati’s first two runs. After a 36-minute rain delay, he sent a fastball from Jared Jones 372 feet over the right-field wall in the first inning for his team-leading 15th homer. In the third, Stewart drove in Jose Trevino with a two-out single that pushed third baseman Nick Gonzales to the edge of the infield ahead of an errant throw to first.

Brandon Lowe gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead in the third with a three-run homer.

Endy Rodríguez doubled in the fourth and scored on Jared Triolo’s two-out single for a 4-2 lead.

Edwin Arroyo hit an RBI double for the Reds in the fifth and scored on Lowe’s fielding error at second base with two outs, tying it 4-all.

Jones went 4 2/3 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) and four hits.

Trevino put Cincinnati back ahead 6-4 by sneaking a two-run single through the right side in the sixth.

Reds ace Chase Burns was pulled after giving up a leadoff double to Triolo in the seventh. Triolo scored on Lowe’s sacrifice fly.

Burns was charged with five runs and nine hits in six-plus innings. He struck out 10.

Ryan O’Hearn tied it 6-all with a two-out RBI single off Sam Moll later in the seventh.

Up next

Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (5-5, 4.89 ERA) starts the series finale Sunday against RHP Brady Singer (3-6, 4.81).