First Call: Ex-Pirate Charlie Morton is postseason star; Marc-Andre Fleury wins Vegas opener
In “First Call” Thursday, another postseason ex-Pirate moment. Marc-Andre Fleury’s 2019 is off to a good start in Vegas. Jon Gruden is mad about Vontaze Burfict’s suspension. Clutch Chuck Former Pirate Charlie Morton already has a World Series Game 7 win to his credit. He did that for the Houston...
Yandy Diaz homers twice as Rays beat Athletics in AL wild-card gameVideo
OAKLAND, Calif. — When he got to second base, Yandy Diaz stole a glance back toward the dugout and saw all his teammates going crazy. He gleefully kept running. Out for two months, no matter. Diaz slugged baseball’s lowest spender into a playoff matchup with mighty Houston, Charlie Morton silenced...
Nationals-Dodgers star-studded matchup all over fieldVideo
LOS ANGELES — Aces galore on the mound. Power hitters in the lineups. Shutdown relievers out of the bullpen. The National League Division Series between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers is a perfect fit for Hollywood. There are stars all over the field. Having won a franchise-record 106...
Christian Yelich watches helplessly as Brewers fall short again
MILWAUKEE — Christian Yelich watched helplessly from the dugout as Milwaukee’s season ended. The Brewers controlled the first
71⁄3 innings of Tuesday’s NL wild-card game in Washington before a stunning collapse. All-Star closer Josh Hader was wild, and Milwaukee got stung by a disputed hit-by-pitch, a broken-bat base hit and...
Yankees have many roster and lineups decisions to makeVideo
NEW YORK — New nameplates greeted Yankees players in their clubhouse ahead of the Division Series against Minnesota: “OCTOBER SAVAGES” is spelled out under each number, a reference to manager Aaron Boone’s famous tirade at an umpire in July. As players worked out at Yankee Stadium on a summer-like Wednesday,...
Braves’ Ronald Acuna, Freddie Freeman healthy for Game 1 vs. Cardinals
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves’ top sluggers say they’re ready for the postseason. Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna Jr., two keys to Atlanta’s lineup who suffered late-season injuries, say they are healthy for the NL Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Acuna’s status for Thursday’s Game 1 was the...
First Call: Numbers show how Steelers’ D-line dominated Bengals; another ex-Pirate excelling
In “First Call” Wednesday, a former Pirate gets the save in the National League Wild Card Game. The Steelers were even more dominant against the Cincinnati Bengals than you thought. Le’Veon Bell is struggling in New York. Another one You’ve probably gotten used to seeing frequent updates from former Pirates...
Juan Soto lifts Nationals to comeback wild-card win over BrewersVideo
WASHINGTON — After all the heartache and close calls, all the early exits, maybe it makes sense that a 20-year-old kid who never had been to the postseason, Juan Soto, would help the Washington Nationals finally advance. And maybe, just maybe, it makes sense that it would be this particular...
Low-budget Rays, A’s meet in AL wild-card game at Oakland
OAKLAND, Calif. — Bob Melvin has been counting on his young Oakland Athletics to build on last season’s playoff return that ended in a lopsided wild-card loss at Yankee Stadium. Gain some experience under pressure. Get a little feel for October baseball. Understand how much has to go right to...
Jerry Seinfeld joke tweets he’ll reboot ‘Seinfeld’ if Pete Alonso appears
“Seinfeld” fans hoping for a reboot, may want to get on the Pete Alonso bandwagon. The New York Mets first baseman had an extraordinary first season: he set a rookie record by crushing 53 home runs, had 120 RBIs and won the Home Run Derby in July. The Mets missed...
First Call: Rutgers may be interested in Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi as new coach
Monday’s “First Call” features a potential new job for Pat Narduzzi. Feuding Ravens. And maybe the MLB play of the year. Narduzzi in New Jersey? Here’s an interesting one. Pitt Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi’s name has come up as a candidate for the Rutgers coaching job. The Scarlet Knights fired...
Cardinals clinch NL Central; Cubs lose in Joe Maddon’s finaleVideo
ST. LOUIS — Jack Flaherty, Paul Goldschmidt and the St. Louis Cardinals quickly drained any drama from a final-day playoff chase. They were totally fine with that. The Cardinals clinched the NL Central in their last game of the regular season, using Flaherty’s arm and Goldschmidt’s bat Sunday to win...
Manager Joe Maddon, Cubs part waysVideo
From the moment Joe Maddon joined the Chicago Cubs, taking the reins in a Wrigleyville bar five years ago, he talked about winning. He was the right manager at the right time for a franchise that had experienced mostly terrible timing for more than a century. Right until his time...
Hal Steinbrenner: Yankees never gave up through injury adversityVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner thinks manager Aaron Boone has the team ready for the postseason after an unprecedented run of injuries. New York won the AL East for the first time since 2012 and will open the playoffs in the Division Series at home Oct....
First Call: Steelers’ Bud Dupree a good fit for Eagles?; Charlie Morton sizzles; Baker Mayfield vs. Rex Ryan
In “First Call” Thursday, trade talk surrounds a Pittsburgh Steeler. Baker Mayfield responds to Rex Ryan. And Charlie Morton shines again. City of Brotherly Bud? The Steelers have been busy trading for players in recent weeks. Now there’s one suggestion that Pennsylvania’s other team should try to snag a current...
First Call: Video of alleged Antonio Brown furniture toss emerges; Gerrit Cole’s K record
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” video emerges of the alleged furniture-tossing incident involving Antonio Brown. Also, Brown is not getting paid by the New England Patriots. Gerrit Cole is a strikeout machine. And the Pirates help start a party in Washington. Video emerges A television station in Miami aired video of...
Royals manager Ned Yost to retire as club’s career wins leader
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ned Yost did something few thought possible when he took over the Kansas City Royals in 2010: He not only built the organization into a winner but delivered the long-suffering organization its first World Series title in three decades. Now, he’s leaving the next rebuilding job...
Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. joins elite list after blasting 40th home runVideo
At a young age, Ronald Acuna Jr. has made history quickly. Acuna, the Atlanta Braves phenom, hit his 40th home run Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies to join Mel Ott and Eddie Matthews as the only MLB players 21 or younger to hit 40 home runs in a season. In...
First Call: Bracing for Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown hype; Dickerson’s done; mascot battle royal?
Wednesday’s “First Call” features a Steelers fan nightmare, a magical Major League Baseball moment, two stunning NFL gambling lines, and bad news for a former Pirate. I’m not ready for this The slow burn on this topic will start to simmer over the next 48 hours or so. Former Steelers...
Phillies outfielder Corey Dickerson out for season with a broken footVideo
ATLANTA — The Phillies’ path to a wild-card spot is difficult enough, but it became even more challenging Tuesday when they announced that Corey Dickerson’s season is over because of a fractured left foot. Corey Dickerson’s season — and very possibly his Phillies career — is over after he was...
First Call: Gerrit Cole’s runaway 2019 continues; ex-Penguin Ryan Reaves injured
In Friday’s “First Call,” the “Cole Train” looks to keep rolling. Injury issues for a former Penguin. Some early MLB struggles for a WPIAL star. Meanwhile another WPIAL legend is going into the West Virginia Hall of Fame. Ten in a row? Former Pirate Gerrit Cole looks to continue his...
Fantasy sports podcast: Concerns about Steelers players, loading up versus Dolphins
It’s our weekly fantasy sports podcast with Jeff Erickson of Rotowire. Some people are worried about Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in fantasy play after Week 1. Jeff tells us why you shouldn’t buy into that concern. How many Patriots should you play against Miami? And how heavy should you invest...
First Call: Are Bill Belichick, Tom Brady already tired of Antonio Brown attention?; New home run record
In “First Call” this Thursday, we see how New England is reacting to the news about the lawsuit against Antonio Brown. The helmet saga surrounding Brown may be resurfacing, too. An MLB home run record. And a significant horse-racing scandal. Fed up already? When we found out Antonio Brown was...
Hero’s welcome for David Ortiz at Fenway Park
BOSTON — Former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz had a chance to thank his adoring fans at Fenway Park exactly three months after he was shot in the back while in his native Dominican Republic. In his first public appearance since June 9, when he was seriously injured in a...
First Call: New Coyote Phil Kessel speaks; Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott gets huge contract
Wednesday’s “First Call” features details on Ezekiel Elliott’s new contract. Phil Kessel speaks for the first time as an Arizona Coyote. Austin Meadows homers again. And two local pitchers break new ground in the Major Leagues. Kessel the Coyote Phil Kessel may have been traded to Arizona two months ago,...
