• The Canadian Press

    Pirates add Paul Skenes to their roster ahead of his major league debut

    PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes is officially a big leaguer. The Pittsburgh Pirates promoted the hard-throwing right-hander and top overall pick in last year's amateur draft to their roster on Saturday ahead of Skenes' start against the Chicago Cubs. Skenes dominated at Triple-A Indianapolis, posting a 0.99 ERA in seven starts. To make room for Skenes, the Pirates designated right-hander Roansy Contreras for assignment. Contreras, acquired as part of the trade that sent pitcher Jameson Taillon to

  • The Canadian Press

    Real Madrid rests starters in 4-0 rout of relegated Granada with focus on Champions League final

    BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid’s backups eased to 4-0 win at the relegated Granada on Saturday as Carlo Ancelotti rested most of his top players to avoid any costly injures before the Champions League final. Defender Antonio Rudiger was the only first-choice player who Ancelotti started for a Spanish league game that was inconsequential for either side. Madrid clinched its 36th Spanish league title last weekend. It is now fully focused on the European final against Borussia Dortmund on June

  • The Canadian Press

    Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79

    TORONTO — Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79. The Maple Leafs confirmed Ellis's death on social media Saturday. A cause of death was not given. Ellis played his entire 15-season NHL career in Toronto and had 640 points (332 goals, 308 assists) over 1,034 games. He is one of five players to reach 1,000 games with the club. He was a four-time all-star and member of the last Maple Leafs

  • The Canadian Press

    Mike Budenholzer is hired as coach of the Phoenix Suns, replacing Frank Vogel

    PHOENIX (AP) — Mike Budenholzer is the newest head coach of the Phoenix Suns, with the franchise turning to the man who beat them in the 2021 NBA Finals. The 54-year-old Budenholzer replaces Frank Vogel, who was fired Thursday after one season. Budenholzer agreed to the deal on Friday and the team made the hiring official with Saturday's announcement. The Suns did not release terms of the contract. ESPN and The Athletic both reported that Budenholzer's deal was for five years, with The Athletic