He was worth the wait

Musgrove shines in Pirate debut

PITTSBURGH — Joe Musgrove came off the disabled list to win his Pirates debut with seven scoreless innings on the mound while also getting his first career hit and scoring the winning run as Pittsburgh beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-1 on Friday night.

5/26/2018 Professional Baseball 0 comments

No panic with no Shazier

Steelers adjusting defensive structure

PITTSBURGH — Ryan Shazier is neither gone nor forgotten. The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker remains a fixture at the team’s facility as he continues his recovery from spinal surgery last December that left his football future uncertain at best.

5/26/2018 Professional Football 0 comments

Vegas effect on Cup playoffs unprecedented

SEATTLE — From his office about 1,000 miles away from T-Mobile Arena, Tod Leiweke has watched the Stanley Cup playoffs with a growing appreciation for what is taking place in Las Vegas.

5/26/2018 Professional Hockey 0 comments

James nets 46 as Cavs force Game 7

CLEVELAND — LeBron James scored 46 points and preserved his reign atop the Eastern Conference for at least one more game as the Cleveland Cavaliers shook off losing All-Star Kevin Love with a head injury and beat the Boston Celtics 109-99 on Friday night to force a Game 7.

5/26/2018 Professional Basketball 0 comments

6-under 64 gives Rose lead

FORT WORTH, Texas — Justin Rose considered his first 15 holes in the second round at Colonial pretty flawless. The last three worked out OK, too, even with the only bogey for the leader of the Fort Worth Invitational.

5/26/2018 Professional Golf 0 comments

Busch hoping for 1st victory at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Busch has won a Cup points race at every track on the NASCAR circuit except one — Charlotte Motor Speedway.

5/26/2018 Professional Auto Racing 0 comments

Castroneves, Patrick drawing attention

INDIANAPOLIS — Part-time drivers and one-off rides are usually afterthoughts at the Indianapolis 500, where the sport’s brightest stars tend to shine in the hot sun on the final Sunday of May.

5/26/2018 Professional Auto Racing 0 comments

Muguruza shows no fear of Serena

PARIS — If there’s a player who shouldn’t be afraid of Serena Williams’ return to Grand Slam tennis at the French Open, it’s certainly Garbine Muguruza.

5/26/2018 Other Professional Sports 0 comments

Red Sox, Ramirez parting

Former all-star receives DFA

BOSTON — Hanley Ramirez was designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox, who are responsible for the $15.25 remaining on his contract but avoided him triggering a $22 million salary for 2019.

5/26/2018 Professional Baseball 0 comments

Cubs interested in O’s Machado?

CHICAGO — The idea of Manny Machado joining Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo in a powerhouse lineup sure is a tantalizing one.

5/26/2018 Professional Baseball 0 comments

Pirates hurt by long ball

Suarez belts slam in Reds’ 5-4 victory

CINCINNATI — Eugenio Suarez wanted to hit one deep enough to get the runner in from third base. He got all of a hanging slider — and four runs with one swing.

5/25/2018 Professional Baseball 0 comments

Na grabs 1-stroke lead at Colonial

FORT WORTH, Texas — Kevin Na stood over his ball after taking a drop in the rough beside the ninth green following two wayward shots, on his final hole of the day and with a share of the lead in the Fort Worth Invitational at Colonial.

5/25/2018 Professional Golf 0 comments

Busch gets pole position for Coca-Cola 600 race

CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Busch is hoping his third career pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway will help end a dubious drought at a track that has frustrated him for years.

5/25/2018 Professional Auto Racing 0 comments

Rockets slip past Golden State, 98-94

HOUSTON — Eric Gordon came off the bench to score 24 points and his steal on Golden State’s last possession secured a 98-94 victory Thursday night that gave the Houston Rockets a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals.

5/25/2018 Professional Basketball 0 comments

Cavs face elimination

CLEVELAND — Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue was answering a question about Boston’s defense on LeBron James during a teleconference when he tripped the security system at his home.

5/25/2018 Professional Basketball 0 comments

Harrison triple in 12th wins for Pirates

CINCINNATI — Josh Harrison tripled in the go-ahead run in the 12th inning — his fourth hit of the game — and the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied after wasting a late lead for a 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

5/24/2018 Professional Baseball 0 comments

Steelers liking versatile Samuels

PITTSBURGH — Jaylen Samuels smiled at the question. It’s not the first time he’s been asked where exactly he fits on the football field.

5/24/2018 Professional Football 0 comments

Celtics back home, defeat Cavs, 96-83

BOSTON — Rookie Jayson Tatum scored 24 points and Al Horford had 15 points and 12 rebounds to help the Boston Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-83 on Wednesday night and take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.

5/24/2018 Professional Basketball 0 comments

Caps join Cup Final, 4-0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Alex Ovechkin scored early and Andre Burakovsky added two second-period goals to help the Washington Capitals put a decade of playoff frustration behind them with a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final Wednesday night.

5/24/2018 Professional Hockey 0 comments

NFL anthem policy: Stand or stay inside

ATLANTA — Stand or stay out of sight.

5/24/2018 Professional Football 0 comments

Roethlisberger now OK with Steelers’ new QB

PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger insists he has no problem with the Pittsburgh Steelers drafting Mason Rudolph.

5/23/2018 Professional Football 0 comments

Caps, Tampa set for Game 7

TAMPA, Fla. — Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is closer than ever to playing for the Stanley Cup, and he’s determined to make the most of the opportunity.

5/23/2018 Professional Hockey 0 comments

Favre dealt with rehab trips

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Retired quarterback Brett Favre says he made three trips to rehabilitation centers during his Hall of Fame career to fight his dependence on painkillers and alcohol.

5/23/2018 Professional Football 0 comments

Gennett’s 6 RBI too much for Bucs

Reds extend Pirates’ losing streak to 4 games with 7-2 victory at home

CINCINNATI — Matt Harvey pitched six innings of one-run ball for his first victory with Cincinnati, and Scooter Gennett hit his fifth grand slam over the last two seasons, leading the Reds to a 7-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

5/23/2018 Professional Baseball 0 comments

NFL owners still facing anthem protest issue

ATLANTA — The NFL approved a new owner for the Carolina Panthers, passed a rule to eject players who hit with their helmets, and took steps to spice up the kickoff.

5/23/2018 Professional Football 0 comments