Pirates:
The Pittsburgh Pirates, lost 10-6 to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field for the second straight night, due to a major bullpen implosion. Roansy Contreras took the mound Wednesday in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Pirates led 5-1.
By game’s end, Contreras, Yohan Ramirez and Colin Holderman had given up for nine earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.
Contreras absorbed the loss Wednesday, as he was charged for five earned runs in a rough sixth inning, allowing five hits and two walks, one of which came on a pitch clock violation with the bases loaded.
The bullpen’s struggles overshadowed a solid, albeit brief, MLB debut by Osvaldo Bido(be-dough), whose contract was selected by the Pirates on Wednesday afternoon from Triple-A Indianapolis.
The 27-year-old right-hander struck out six in four innings. He was charged with one earned run, which came in the first inning.
The Pirates will try to avoid a sweep tonight against the Cubs at 8:05. Pre game on WISR at 7:40.
Former Pirates manager Jim Leyland will be enshrined in the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday at PNC Park as the team hosts its annual Irish Heritage Night celebration for a game against the Chicago Cubs.
Leyland, who managed the Pirates from 1986-96, has Irish roots traceable back to County Wexford and County Cork.
He is set to be inducted into the hall along with former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer and the late John McSherry, a National League umpire from 1971-1996.
Penguins:
On Wednesday, the Penguins hired former NHL forward Jason Spezza as assistant general manager.
Spezza’s duties with the Penguins were not specified. Per a release from the team, Spezza will “report directly to Kyle Dubas and assist club management in all hockey operations departments.”
The addition reunites Dubas and Spezza, who worked together in some capacity the previous four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Dubas was hired by the Penguins on June 1.
A two-time All-Star as a center during his 19-year playing career, the 40-year-old Spezza appeared in 1,248 career games and scored 995 points (363 goals, 632 assists).
The Penguins’ general manager manager position remains vacant, though Dubas indicated he would fill that role temporarily as the NHL Draft on June 28-29 and the start of the free agent signing period July 1 approach.
U,S, OPEN RAISES THE STAKES:
The U,S. Open has raised its total prize pot to $20 million, with the winner getting $3.6 million. That’s the biggest payoff among the major golf championships. The event starts today at the Los Angeles Country Club.
LAST STAND FOR OAKLAND A’s FANS:
Nearly 28,000 fans of the Oakland Athletics packed the city’s Coliseum on Tuesday for a “reverse boycott” that they hoped would sway the team’s owners to stay in the city. They showed up too late. The Nevada Senate just voted to approve $380 in public money to build a Las Vegas ballpark for the A’s. The protest crowd was more than triple the average number that attended recent home games. Poor fan turnout, plus the stadium’s dilapidated condition, were cited as reasons for the team to seek a new home.
The post SPORTS 6/15/23 appeared first on ButlerRadio.com – Butler, PA.
