First Call: New home for Steelers' Paxton Lynch; a look at NHL TV plans for drafts on ESPN
Tuesday’s “First Call” gives Steelers fans a Paxton Lynch sighting. We get one more look at Jack Leiter before the Pirates pass on him. A local guy goes yard in the NL Central. And we get our first glance at ESPN plans for the upcoming NHL drafts.
Lynch looks north
Former Steelers quarterback Paxton Lynch has a new home, and it’s not in the NFL.
After never throwing a pass for the Black and Gold, Lynch is now heading to the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Lynch was selected 26th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. After washing out there and with the Seattle Seahawks, he came to the Steelers.
The 27-year-old was a Steeler for 11 games in 2019. He was active for two but never got on the field.
Jumpin’ Jack
I’ve made my pitch for Vanderbilt hurler Jack Leiter (11-4) to be the Pirates’ top overall draft pick next month.
I know it’ll fall on deaf ears. Mainly because taking Leiter is just too obviously correct. So, of course, the Pirates won’t do it and will likely take a high school shortstop instead.
That doesn’t mean I stopped myself from taking one more glance at Leiter’s talents in Game 1 of the College World Series finals against Mississippi State Tuesday night.
Jack struck out 8️⃣ in his #CWS Finals debut.
Watch them all. #VandyBoys pic.twitter.com/5bDmutcbJ5
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) June 29, 2021
The national strikeouts leader allowed two runs and three hits and fanned eight in six innings during an 8-2 win. Nick Maldonado pitched three innings of shutout relief for his ninth save.
With the victory, Vanderbilt takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three College World Series championship series. Tuesday’s game will be at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Ever expanding
The NHL has announced television broadcast plans for its two upcoming drafts as the partnership shifts to ESPN.
You can watch the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft for the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, July 21 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2. It’ll be hosted by ESPN’s Chris Fowler. He will be joined by one-time Penguin Dominic Moore. The NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes will be doing onsite reporting from various Seattle locations.
The first round of the 2021 NHL Draft will be broadcast on Friday, July 23 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2. ESPN’s John Buccigross will host Round 1. Sportsnet analysts Elliotte Friedman and Sam Cosentino will be with him.
Mt. Lebanon laser
Mt. Lebanon’s Ian Happ got things going for the Chicago Cubs Monday in Milwaukee with this first-inning homer.
Launch one, @ihapp_1!
The first 1st inning homer of the season for Happ.#CubTogether pic.twitter.com/hmr9FYhlEc
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) June 29, 2021
That was Happ’s ninth of the year. But the good times didn’t last for Happ and the Cubs. They ended up losing 14-4 because the Brewers scored 10 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Brewers sent 14 men to the plate. The Cubs burned through three pitchers. Keston Hiura and Willy Adames both homered.
The Pirates will host Milwaukee for a four-game set after they finish their series in Colorado Wednesday.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.