Sports briefs 5/7
Pirates drop series opener
Eduardo Rodriguez gave up just two hits over seven strong innings, Geraldo Perdomo added a two-run double and the Arizona Diamondbacks cruised past the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-0 on Tuesday night.
The D-backs used a five-run sixth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Gabriel Moreno hit an RBI double down the right-field foul line, Perdomo added his two-run double, Ketel Marte hit an RBI groundout and Corbin Carroll brought home the final run on a sacrifice fly.
Pittsburgh reliever Yohan Ramirez was tagged for all five runs and recorded just one out.
Rodriguez (3-0) didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning when Jared Triolo lined a two-out single to left. The veteran left hander struck out seven and walked three. The performance was a welcome sight for the D-backs, who came in with a 5.07 ERA, which was the worst mark in the National League.
College baseball
California’s season ended Wednesday in the first round of the PSAC tournament at Slippery Rock.
Millersville scored five runs in the second inning and went on to an 8-3 victory over the Vulcans.
Cal’s season ends with a 26-23 record under first-year head coach Joey Noro.
Jimmy Kirk and Marco Pulizzi homered for Millersville (33-16).
Cal’s Ikon Jones and Brandon McLain-Banks both had two hits and drove in a run.
Girls lacrosse
Mayah Agmon and Avery Powell combined to score seven goals and goalie Liv Gillis made her 500th career save as Trinity defeated Armstrong 7-1 on Tuesday night.
Agmon led the attack with four goals and one assist while Powell added three tallies.
Gillis finished the game with 13 saves.
* Sophomore Abby Yates scored six goals, powering Peters Township to a 22-16 shootout win over North Allegheny in nonsection play Monday night.
Julia Platt added four goals, and freshmen Emme Shanafelt and Layney O’Brian, and junior Jules Leach each had a hat trick for the Indians.
NHL
Jim Rutherford is stepping down as the Vancouver Canucks president of hockey operations following next month’s NHL draft.
The 77-year-old, three-time Stanley Cup winner said Tuesday that he’s been thinking about his future a lot recently.
“This is something I’ve thought about anyways for a couple of years,” Rutherford said. “But it’s time for me to do that.”
A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builders’ category, he previously served as GM for the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2014 to 2021, and led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and ’17.
Valdez suspended for 5 games
Detroit Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez was suspended for five games and fined on Wednesday, one day after he was ejected for hitting Boston’s Trevor Story with a pitch during a 10-2 loss in which he allowed a career-high 10 runs.
Valdez was at first banned for six games by MLB, which cited him for intentionally throwing a pitch at Story, but the penalty was reduced in an agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association. He started serving the penalty during Wednesday night’s series finale and barring rainouts will be eligible to pitch Wednesday at the New York Mets.
Detroit already is missing injured starting pitchers Tarik Skubal (elbow), Casey Mize (hamstring) and Justin Verlander (hip).
Baseball
Los Angeles Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow left Wednesday’s game against the Houston Astros before the second inning because of low back pain.
Glasnow allowed a home run to leadoff hitter Brice Matthews before retiring the next three batters, with two strikeouts to end the first. He returned to the mound to warm up before the second inning but appeared to be in discomfort after throwing a pitch and signaled to the dugout.
Several Dodgers staff members, including manager Dave Roberts came onto the field to talk to him and he walked off the field with them after a couple of minutes.