SPORTS digest

Welk’s RBIs power ‘Birds past Scrappers

Niles

Toby Welks drove in three runs and the Aberdeen IronBirds beat the Mahoning Valley Scrappers 4-1 for a three-game sweep on Thursday at Eastwood Field.

Welks hit a two-run homer, his second of the season, over the left-field wall to give the IronBirds (28-18) the lead in the top of the fourth inning.

In the seventh inning, Clay Fisher doubled in a run and Welk added an RBI single.

Yainer Diaz’s RBI single in the third was all the Scrappers (22-24) could manage.

Kevin Magee (2-5) allowed one run in six innings pitched. He gave up six hits and a walk, striking out eight.

Brian Eichhorn (2-2) surrendered two runs on five hits, striking out one in four innings.

The Scrappers will travel to Staten Island for a three-game series with the Yankees. First pitch today is 7 p.m.

Eight suspended in Reds-Pirates brawl

NEW YORK

Pittsburgh pitcher Keone Kela has been suspended for 10 games and Cincinnati reliever Amir Garrett for eight after a furious brawl between the Pirates and Reds.

Major League Baseball issued eight suspensions Thursday, two days after the fight at Great American Ball Park.

Reds manager David Bell was suspended six games, starting Thursday night at Atlanta. Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle was penalized two games, to begin tonight when the Pirates host the New York Mets.

Pirates infielder Jose Osuna was suspended five games while Pittsburgh pitcher Kyle Crick and Reds pitcher Jared Hughes each got three.

All of the suspended players were fined undisclosed amounts. Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams, Reds first baseman Joey Votto and Reds outfielder Phillip Ervin also were fined, as were several players on both teams for taking part in the brawl while on the injured list.

Recently retired Cullen joins Pens’ front office

PITTSBURGH

Recently retired forward Matt Cullen is sticking with the Pittsburgh Penguins, joining the hockey operations department.

The team announced Thursday that Cullen will have a player development role. General manager Jim Rutherford called Cullen a “valuable asset” who will put his 21 years of NHL experience to use while working closely with Rutherford and coach Mike Sullivan.

Cullen retired from the Penguins last month after more than two decades in the NHL. He won three Stanley Cups — with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017 and the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.

Cullen scored 266 goals to go with 465 assists and 502 penalty minutes in 1,516 games with eight teams. He also had 19 goals and 39 assists in 132 career playoff games.

Coach says player’s death act of God

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

The former head football coach at a Kansas community college where a defensive lineman died of exertional heatstroke after the first day of practice says the death was an act of God.

The comment by former head coach Jeff Sims comes nearly one year after 19-year-old Braeden Bradforth collapsed on Aug. 1, 2018, following practice at Garden City Community College. Sims made the remark to KCUR on Wednesday during football media day for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

Sims left Garden City Community College after the 2018 season to take the head coaching job at Missouri Southern University in Joplin.

“We’ve had two investigations, and everybody knows what happened that day,” Sims said. “It didn’t happen at football practice; it happened after football practice.”

Assistant football coach Caleb Young told officials Bradforth was “making a stressful moan” when he arrived at the scene to help, but rather than immediately dial 911 he called Sims “for instruction to see how we wanted to handle the situation.”

Staff/wire report