Mark Madden: Begging for mercy isn’t solution for Baldwin, Fox Chapel
High school football used to be a big deal in Western Pennsylvania. Not just in selected communities, but everywhere. Now it’s come down to negotiated surrender. Baldwin and Fox Chapel high schools have teams so bad that they’ve contacted opponents about playing shorter games: eight-minute quarters instead of 12 minutes,...
Tim Benz: For Pirates fans, the MLB playoffs are a bittersweet reminder of what the sport can be — and what their team is not
A little after 7 p.m. I took a break from watching the Yankees-Red Sox playoff game between innings. I walked out on my back deck overlooking the North Side of Pittsburgh. The sunset was coloring the pastel skies over PNC Park, and I thought, “What a great night this would...
First Call: Lamar Jackson’s injury timeline; ex-Steelers DB heading to NFC South
Wednesday’s “First Call” has news about a departing Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back. Lamar Jackson could be down for a while in Baltimore. The Atlantic 10’s commissioner wants a bigger NCAA Tournament. And we check in on some former Pirates in the MLB playoffs. Pillaging the practice squad The Tampa Bay...
Undrafted forward Avery Hayes gives Penguins coaches something to considerVideo
On a night that was simply spectacular, it might have been the most spectacular moment. During a 4-1 home preseason win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday at PPG Paints Arena, a contest that served as a lavish send-off for franchise icon Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins’ opening goal was...
Columbus Blue Jackets fight sloppiness in preseason loss to Washington Capitals
The Blue Jackets’ preseason is winding down, but they’ve got some ramping up to do. Despite facing a team that dressed only a handful of NHL veterans, the Blue Jackets struggled defensively in a 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Sept. 30 at Nationwide Arena and iced a lineup...
Reds allow 5 homers in a playoff game for the 1st time in franchise history, hand Game 1 to Dodgers
ESPN play-by-play announcer Jon “Boog” Sciambi shared a sad-but-true fact about the Cincinnati Reds’ postseason history during Game 1 of their National League wild-card series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Sciambi said during the broadcast that it was the 98th playoff game in Reds’ franchise history, and...
Yoshida’s pinch-hit, 2-run single backs Crochet’s strong pitching as Red Sox take lead on Yankees
NEW YORK — Garrett Crochet struck out 11 in 7 2/3 outstanding innings as the Boston Red Sox went ahead after getting Max Fried out of the game and opened their American League wild-card series with a 3-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday. Boston grabbed the advantage...
Duquesne men’s and women’s basketball teams out to prove they are big-time
They play hoops in college basketball’s mainstream. You know them. They’re the big boys. We’re talking mainly of the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC. Certainly in Pittsburgh, it’s no secret Duquesne plays second fiddle. The Dukes routinely operate in obscurity in the lightly regarded Atlantic 10....
Ravens QB Jackson to miss Week 5 game, possibly more with hamstring injury
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will not play in Week 5 and could be facing a longer absence because of a hamstring injury, the Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday. Jackson left the Ravens’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth quarter Sunday. The Ravens (1-3) play the Houston Texans (1-3)...
Tight end Connor Heyward thrives running Steelers’ debut ‘tush push’
Apparently not comfortable, for obvious reasons, letting their 41-year-old quarterback run the so-called “tush push,” the Pittsburgh Steelers turned to Connor Heyward. Though some other teams have deployed tight ends to run plays up the middle on third- or fourth-and-1 snaps over the past two seasons or so, Heyward is...
Source: Pirates won’t renew contracts of pitching coach Oscar Marin, 3rd base coach Mike Rabelo
The Pittsburgh Pirates will not renew the contracts of pitching coach Oscar Marin and third base coach Mike Rabelo, according to a league source. In addition, assistant pitching coach Brent Strom is retiring. Additional support staff moves could be coming, according to a source. The coaching staff decisions come a...
Steelers notes: Scotty Miller next up on punt return, Danny Smith’s message to Kaleb Johnson
After Calvin Austin III left Sunday’s Pittsburgh Steelers game because of a shoulder injury — one that is expected to cause him to miss game time — much of the conversation about replacing him is, naturally, related to his role as the No. 2 wide receiver. But Austin has another...
Back-to-back homers lift Cubs past Padres in wild-card series openerVideo
Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly belted back-to-back homers to lead off the fifth inning, lifting the host Chicago Cubs to a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of their National League wild-card series on Tuesday. Daniel Palencia (1-0) struck out two and retired all five batters...
Dolphins WR Hill undergoes surgery to repair damaged knee; team hopeful he won’t require further proceduresVideo
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill underwent a “major knee procedure” Tuesday to repair his torn ACL and other ligament damage, coach Mike McDaniel confirmed. Hill will miss at least the rest of the 2025 season after dislocating his left knee and suffering the ligament tears during Monday’s 27-21 victory...
After WR Calvin Austin’s shoulder injury, Steelers look to fill his absence from within
If Calvin Austin sits out games because of a shoulder injury, it will raise an all-too-familiar question for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. Who will be the team’s No. 2 wide receiver? Austin had his shoulder in a sling and was taken by ambulance to a hospital after the Pittsburgh Steelers...
Fox Chapel proposes WPIAL football alignment based on roster size, win-loss records
Rather than separate football teams by school enrollment, should roster size and win-loss records be considered when the WPIAL creates new conferences? A proposal recently sent to the WPIAL office would do just that. In a plan spearheaded by Fox Chapel athletic director Mike O’Brien that was made public Tuesday,...
Penguins announce lineup for preseason game against Sabres
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced a scheduled lineup for their final road game of the preseason, a contest against the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. on Wednesday. Forwards – Noel Acciari, Tristan Broz, Robby Fabbri, Filip Hallander, Avery Hayes, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Danton Heinen, Ben Kindel, Ville Koivunen,...
‘That ain’t happening again’: Pitt resolves to move past special teams miscues
Pitt’s special teams began the year in the splashiest of fashions. In Week 1 vs. Duquesne, Desmond Reid returned a punt 88 yards for a score, and Kenny Johnson took a kick back 78 yards in the Panthers’ blowout win. Special teams play remained competent in Weeks 2 and 3,...
Tarik Skubal strikes out 14 as Tigers edge Guardians to kick off MLB playoffsVideo
CLEVELAND — Tarik Skubal struck out a record-setting 14 over 7 2/3 innings, and Riley Greene scored on Zach McKinstry’s go-ahead sacrifice bunt in the seventh, giving the Detroit Tigers a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of their American League wild-card series Tuesday afternoon. Reigning Cy...
Pitt hoops announces player representatives for ACC Tipoff event
Pitt forward Cam Corhen and guard Brandin Cummings will join coach Jeff Capel at the 2025 ACC Tipoff held in Charlotte, N.C., the Panthers announced Tuesday. Third-year women’s coach Tony Verdi will be accompanied by guards Amiya Jenkins and Mikayla Johnson. The women’s event will be held Oct. 6-7, with...
Minnesota Wild sign Kirill Kaprizov to richest deal in NHL history, $136 million over 8 years
The Minnesota Wild signed star left wing Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million extension on Tuesday, giving him the richest contract in NHL history. Kaprizov will count $17 million against the salary cap beginning next season. It’s the highest annual average salary of any player since the league’s cap...
Duquesne basketball teams picked in middle of the pack in Atlantic 10 preseason polls
The Duquesne basketball teams will kick off their 2025-26 seasons looking to earn a measure of respect after both were swept aside Tuesday in voting for the top teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference. So, too, were their players ignored. Flanked on Tuesday by sophomore guard Mackenzie Blackford at the...
Top 2026 NHL draft prospect Gavin McKenna looking forward to his Penn State debut
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Gavin McKenna admits he didn’t watch a lot of college hockey growing up in Western Canada. But the projected 2026 NHL draft’s top prospect saw enough last season to know he wanted to play for Penn State. McKenna met with reporters Monday for the first time...
Penn State’s updated College Football Playoff projections after loss to Oregon
How much damage was done to Penn State’s postseason outlook after losing at home in double overtime to Oregon in Week 5? The Nittany Lions took a bit of a soft fall in the national rankings this week, and the analytics from ESPN suggest the season could be heading to...
First Call: New details on Tyreek Hill’s awful ‘MNF’ injury; Browns also have a WR issue
Tuesday’s “First Call” has more information about Tyreek Hill’s gruesome injury on “Monday Night Football.” The Browns are dealing with wide receiver depth issues as well in advance of their game against the Steelers. The baseball playoffs are getting underway. And there is a quote from an MLB owner that...
