Yahoo SportsEarly Pickups for Week 16
Andy Behrens highlights two picks with big Week 15 performances. Grab them early for Week 16 success.
Andy Behrens highlights two picks with big Week 15 performances. Grab them early for Week 16 success.
Adjustments were made from an original image in an effort to properly cover the faces of two fans in the building for the Penguins' 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Ross Atkins told reporters Thursday that it was "heartbreaking" that the proper channels were not in place in Cleveland for those facing harassment to seek support.
Toronto Raptors forward Yuta Watanabe had a great attitude after being on the losing end of a dunk for the ages.
Analytics are an everyday part of sports consumption, but Mark Scheifele raised a good point: perhaps it's more helpful for the viewer than a professional athlete.
Big Ben will return to the Steelers for the 2021 season.
Bruins rookie Trent Frederic was itching to scrap Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, but Ovi had another type of combat in mind.
Get ready for "Space Jam: A New Legacy."
Miles was accused of kissing a female student twice and suggesting they go to a hotel. He was also accused of wanting female staffers to have specific physical traits.
Team success has engendered another individual accolade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Leon Draisaitl had an appropriately sarcastic response waiting for a reporter after getting swept by the Maple Leafs.
It's difficult to determine intent but San Jose Sharks forward Joachim Blichfeld could be facing a suspension for his hit on Nathan MacKinnon.
It’s an exciting week ahead in the Premier League as the battle for Champions League qualification spots heats up.
Is a new third-line centre in the plans for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Jalen Ramsey and Deshaun Watson share a connection.
PARMA, Italy — Alexis Sánchez scored twice to help Inter Milan win 2-1 at relegation-threatened Parma on Thursday to open up a six-point gap at the top of Serie A. Romelu Lukaku had a hand in both Inter goals in the second half before Hernani pulled one back for Parma. Inter moved six points above second-place AC Milan, which was held to a 1-1 draw by Udinese on Wednesday. Nine-time defending champion Juventus is third but has played a match less. Parma remained second from bottom, six points from safety. Inter had won six of its past seven league matches heading into the game at Parma, scoring 17 goals and conceding just one. It was Parma which had the better of the earlier chances, but Inter broke the deadlock nine minutes into the second half. Lukaku chested down a pass on the edge of the area and tried to turn but the ball ended up ricocheting into the path of Sánchez. Sassuolo defender Riccardo Gagliolo tried to clear his shot off the line but it had already gone over. Lukaku did even better eight minutes later as he powered through from his own half and then rolled a great ball across for Sánchez to drive into the bottom right corner. Parma briefly threatened a comeback when Hernani volleyed in Germán Pezzella’s cross in the 71st. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports The Associated Press
Teams are reportedly reaching out — and being heard — about Russell Wilson.
BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona captain Gerard Piqué is facing another spell on the sidelines after spraining a ligament in his right knee, the club said Thursday. Piqué sustained the injury in the team's 3-0 win over Sevilla in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. The defender scored four minutes into second-half stoppage time to force extra time and help the team advance to the final. He was limping in the final minutes but finished the game at the Camp Nou Stadium. Barcelona said tests conducted on Thursday showed that Piqué has “a sprain in the internal lateral ligament of his right knee.” “He is therefore unavailable and the evolution of the injury will determine when he returns,” the club said. Spanish media said Piqué will miss at least two weeks. Piqué has already missed several games this season because of another right knee injury. Barcelona next week will try to reverse a 4-1 deficit to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 of the Champions League. Piqué should be back for the Copa del Rey final, which will be played on April 17. Piqué has played 15 games this season, scoring two goals. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports The Associated Press
Oneil Cruz insists he's a shortstop. One problem: genetics. The Dominican Republic native was 6-foot-1 or so 16-year-old when the Pittsburgh Pirates signed him. The tools — particularly the power and arm strength — were evident. So was the potential. That potential has only grown over the last half-decade plus. So too, however, has Cruz's frame. The 22-year-old has stretched out to 6 feet, 7 inches during his slow steady rise through Pittsburgh's system. And as much as he'd love to follow in the footsteps of the late Tony Fernandez and play shortstop in the big leagues, his body might not give him the chance. Fernandez, a five-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glover winner during his 17 seasons, dazzled at the position at 6 feet, 2 inches. Cruz blew past that number long ago. “To this day I’m still praying that I stop growing,” Cruz said with a smile on Thursday. It might already be too late. While teams are becoming increasingly more comfortable with keeping taller prospects at short — San Diego's, Fernando Tatis Jr., Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston's Carlos Correa are all 6 feet, 4 inches — Cruz might already be too far gone. Though the Pirates have insisted their long-range plans include giving Cruz every opportunity at shortstop, they are hedging their bets of late. He is beginning to see some time in the outfield, following a path they took last season with Cole Tucker, who came up through the ranks at shortstop but found himself manning both right field and centre field at the major-league level in 2020. Cruz began preparing himself during Winter League back in the Dominican Republic, and Pittsburgh's staff told Cruz to get ready to switch up gloves this spring as an experiment of sorts. “I’m just an athlete and a player that I never want to be caught by surprise,” Cruz said. “So from the first moment that I started to hear conversations and comments about that, I began to quicken myself and preparing myself so that whenever that opportunity does arrive, I’m not only mentally equipped but I’m also physically equipped for the opportunity.” It's an opportunity Cruz considers himself lucky to have. His career entered a crossroads last September when the SUV he was driving collided with a motorcycle, killing three people. He was arrested and the district attorney said Cruz had ingested an unspecified amount of alcohol. Cruz, however, was not administered a test of any kind and the Pirates contend the assertion alcohol was involved is not true. While Cruz declined to talk about the accident and the status of the case, he was cleared to return to the United States and said he is currently “at peace.” Cruz admits he's relishing the chance to use his massive wingspan to rob a potential home run or two during his side gig in the outfield but stressed he remains very much set on playing his favourite position. “I still see myself as a shortstop,” Cruz said. “No one is going to move me out of there.” Cruz spoke with the self-confidence required to play professional baseball and even though the team continues to trot him out to different spots, Cruz might not be wrong in his assessment. “I think every guy who’s ever played shortstop thinks that way,” second-year Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “I have no problem with that. I actually think it’s a great comment. We view him as a shortstop. We think he can play shortstop. His work has continued to be good there and he’s played well in games.” Finding enthusiasm to tackle a new position while remaining adamant about holding onto his primary one is a fine line to walk. How Cruz develops at the plate and whether the log jam ahead of him at shortstop at the major league level — where Kevin Newman, Erik Gonzalez and Tucker are all currently fighting for playing time — will have a say in whichever way Cruz goes. His power is obvious. Cruz's batting practice sessions are often filled with fireworks and he hit a respectable .298 in 2019 while playing at three different minor-league levels. He spent 2020 at the team's satellite camp in Altoona, Pennsylvania, which he called “great” considering the alternative was not playing at all. “There was just something special about being together as brothers, sharpening each other, pushing each other and challenging one another” Cruz said. “It was a season filled with ‘iron sharpens iron.'” NOTES: The Pirates and PNC Bank reached an agreement on a 10-year extension on their naming rights deal that will keep the Pittsburgh-based financial institution as the title sponsor at PNC Park. The 20-year agreement between the two sides was set to expire at the end of the 2021 season. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Will Graves, The Associated Press
BetMGM is offering a special promotion for the Israel Adesanya vs. Jan Blachowicz fight.
LAKELAND, Fla. — A lack of control from Toronto's pitchers was a factor in the Detroit Tigers' 8-2 win over the Blue Jays in spring training action Thursday. The Tigers (3-2) scored eight unanswered runs in the win, with two of them coming off wild pitches. Toronto (2-2-1) scored a run in the top of the first two innings to take an early lead. Alejandro Kirk's RBI single drove in Marcus Semien in the first, and Cavan Biggio's triple brought home Forrest Wall in the second. Detroit got one back with a Miguel Cabrera RBI double in the third, then took control with a three-run fourth. Derek Hill started the scoring in the inning win an RBI single, followed by a run-scoring sacrifice fly from Isaac Paredes. Toronto right-hander Joey Murray followed that with a wild pitch that scored Akil Baddoo. Detroit scored two more in each of the fifth and sixth innings, capped by Toronto's second wild pitch of the day when Yosver Zulueta's wayward toss allowed Daniel Pinero to score. Toronto starter T.J. Zeuch allowed two hits and a walk over two scoreless innings. Murray took the loss after giving up three runs on two hits and three walks in the fourth. The Blue Jays got to Detroit starter Spencer Turnbull with four hits and two runs over his two innings, but the Tigers' relievers combined to allow no runs and just one hit over the next five innings. Derek Holland picked up the win. Toronto next plays Friday afternoon against Baltimore in Dunedin, Fla. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2021. The Canadian Press