Hunter Renfroe slam helps Rays sweep young Blue Jays in 1st round
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hunter Renfroe hit a grand slam, and the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays won a postseason series for the first time in 12 years, overpowering the young Toronto Blue Jays, 8-2, on Wednesday to finish a two-game sweep of their AL wild-card matchup. Renfroe launched the first...
Former Pirate Corey Dickerson homers as Marlins beat Cubs in playoff openerVideo
CHICAGO — Corey Dickerson hit a three-run homer off a fading Kyle Hendricks in the seventh inning, and the Miami Marlins beat the Chicago Cubs, 5-1, on Wednesday in Game 1 of their NL wild-card series. Jesus Aguilar also homered, and Sandy Alcantara pitched three-hit ball into the seventh as...
Finally! Braves snap record drought to beat Reds in 13 innings
ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman singled home the winning run in the 13th inning, finally ending the longest scoreless duel in postseason history as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 1-0, in the opener of their NL wild-card series Wednesday. The East champion Braves won the first game of a...
Astros sweep as Twins lose 18th straight in playoffsVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — Carlos Correa hit a two-out, tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning for the Houston Astros, who produced another stifling pitching performance and swept Minnesota with a 3-1 victory Wednesday that sent the Twins to a record 18th straight postseason loss. Nine months after Houston’s rules-breaking, sign-stealing system...
Plum grad Alex Kirilloff becomes 1st position player in MLB history to record 1st big-league hit in postseason
First he got the call. Then he got the hit. Former Plum standout Alex Kirilloff recorded his first Major League hit Wednesday afternoon in the Minnesota Twins’ wild card matchup with the Houston Astros at Minnesota’s Target Field. Kirilloff delivered in the bottom of the fourth, scorching a pitch from...
Curses! Postseason losses continue for long-suffering teams
It was not a good start to the Major League Baseball postseason for those who don’t believe in curses. The Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics extended their string of postseason futility Tuesday with losses in the openers of their respective best-of-three, wild-card series. If they don’t win Game 2 on...
First Call: T.J. Watt’s historic pace, John Harbaugh not happy after K.C. loss, Gerrit Cole in playoff form
Wednesday’s “First Call” puts T.J. Watt’s hot start in a statistical perspective. John Harbaugh doesn’t have answers for his team’s defeat versus the Kansas Chiefs. Gerrit Cole is off to a hot start in the playoffs. And some unbelievable numbers about sports gambling. What’s Watt? How good has T.J. Watt...
No debate: Aaron Judge, Yankees pound Bieber, Indians in openerVideo
CLEVELAND — Aaron Judge smashed a tone-setting, two-run homer on Shane Bieber’s fourth pitch, Gerrit Cole struck out 13 and the New York Yankees opened the AL playoffs with a resounding 12-3 win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night. Just a few miles from where the Trump-Biden presidential debate...
Top-seeded Rays beat Blue Jays to open seriesVideo
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Blake Snell took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays opened the playoffs Tuesday with a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Manuel Margot hit a two-run homer, and Randy Arozarena tripled and scored on a wild pitch to give...
Astros win Game 1, extend Twins’ record postseason losing streak to 17Video
MINNEAPOLIS — Jose Altuve drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning for Houston after a two-out error by shortstop Jorge Polanco, and the Astros beat Minnesota, 4-1, on Tuesday to open their AL playoff series and stretch the Twins’ all-time record postseason losing...
White Sox ace Lucas Giolito shuts down A’s, dazzles in postseason debutVideo
OAKLAND, Calif. — Lucas Giolito dazzled in his postseason debut, stymieing the Oakland Athletics through six perfect innings and sending the Chicago White Sox to a 4-1 victory in the opener of their best-of-three wild-card series Tuesday. Giolito (1-0) yelled in delight after striking out the side in the sixth,...
Plum graduate Alex Kirilloff named to Twins postseason roster
Former Plum standout Alex Kirilloff got the call to the major leagues. Ahead of their Game 1 wild card matchup with the Houston Astros, the Minnesota Twins selected the contract of Kirilloff and placed him on their postseason roster. The Twins designated pitcher Sean Poppen for assignment to clear room...
Pandemic playoffs: Brewers, Astros in despite losing records
Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers got off to a ragged start this year. They never got above .500. And they dropped their last game to finish with a losing record. Guess what? They’re going to the playoffs. “Weird. I guess that’s the only way to describe it. It’s fitting...
Turner Sports expands rights deal with MLB through 2028
Turner Sports will continue broadcasting Major League Baseball after agreeing to an extension of rights through the 2028 season. The seven-year agreement will take effect in 2022 and includes a Tuesday night game as well as additional postseason games. It also includes expanded digital rights for Bleacher Report and other...
Covering the bases: Fenway Park expected as voting venue
BOSTON — There’s the windup, the pitch — and the vote. Election officials in Boston are expected to approve Fenway Park as an early voting venue when they meet Thursday, after Red Sox owner John Henry offered the storied ballpark for voters hesitant to cast ballots indoors. City officials toured...
Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons opts out in final week of seasonVideo
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shortstop Andrelton Simmons has opted out of the remainder of the Los Angeles Angels’ season. The Angels announced the four-time Gold Glove-winning shortstop’s decision Tuesday before they faced the San Diego Padres. Los Angeles (24-31) still is technically in the playoff race with five games left in...
Fox accidentally shows Pittsburgh skyline during Cincinnati Reds game
Pittsburgh made a surprise appearance on Fox Saturday night during a nationally televised Cincinnati Reds’ game. The network accidentally showed a shot of Pittsburgh’s skyline — not Cincinnati’s — along with text that read “Chicago White Sox at Cincinnati Reds,” according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer blasted...
Astros ace, reigning Cy Young winner Justin Verlander to have Tommy John surgeryVideo
HOUSTON — Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner announced the news Saturday on his Instagram account in a 1½-minute video. “In my simulated game a couple days ago, I felt something in...
World Series at Arlington, first time at one site since 1944
NEW YORK — The World Series will be played entirely at the Texas Rangers’ new ballpark in Arlington, Texas, as part of a bubble agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association, the first time the sport’s championship will be played entirely at one site since 1944. As part...
Billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen agrees to buy MetsVideo
NEW YORK — Billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen agreed to buy the New York Mets from the Wilpon and Katz families. The team announced the agreement Monday. The deal is subject to the approval of MLB owners. Cohen also entered negotiations to buy the Mets last year, but the...
Cubs’ Mills throws MLB’s 2nd no-hitter in 12-0 win over Brewers
MILWAUKEE — From college walk-on to major league starter, Chicago Cubs right-hander Alec Mills had to earn most every break he got. On the brink of big league history, he was happy to welcome this bit of luck: expecting to see two-time batting champion Christian Yelich in the on-deck circle,...
First Call: Steelers, Giants face O-line questions; Matt Murray and NHL goalie pool; Pitt star shines in NBA playoffs
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks at a shared concern for both the Steelers and the New York Giants in advance of Monday Night Football. A former Pitt basketball player is emerging in the NBA playoffs. And the NHL goalie rumor mill may have one less name in the hopper. So what...
First Call: T.J. Watt hears some trash talk from J.J. Watt; head-scratching Antonio Brown anniversary
“First Call” is back after a long holiday weekend. Steelers star T.J. Watt is on the receiving end of some trash talk from his brother, J.J. We investigate how Jadeveon Clowney almost became a Baltimore Raven. We check up on Charlie Morton’s comeback. And it’s been a year since Antonio...
Hall of Fame outfielder Lou Brock dies at age 81Video
NEW YORK — Hall of Famer Lou Brock, one of baseball’s signature leadoff hitters and base stealers who helped the St. Louis Cardinals win three pennants and two World Series titles in the 1960s, has died. He was 81. Dick Zitzmann, Brock’s longtime agent and friend, confirmed Brock’s death Sunday,...
Mets honor Seaver with salute, jersey and dirt-smudged kneeVideo
NEW YORK — Far too young to remember Tom Seaver’s glory days, Pete Alonso found a perfect way to pay tribute to the greatest player in New York Mets history. Starting pitcher Robert Gsellman, his right knee already dirtied, led the Mets from the dugout onto the diamond at Citi...
