Latest Pennsylvania Sports

Arizona (Collmenter 7-7) at Philadelphia (Halladay 15-4), 7:05 p.m.

St. Louis (C.Carpenter 8-8) at Pittsburgh (Karstens 9-6), 7:05 p.m.

CARDINALS-PIRATES

Doumit hits 3-run homer to lead Pirates past Cards

PITTSBURGH (AP) Ryan Doumit went 4 for 4 and hit a tiebreaking three-run home run to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals last night.

Doumit's homer in the fourth inning off Jake Westbrook (9-7) snapped a 1-1 tie and helped Pittsburgh break its three-game losing streak. The switch-hitting catcher matched a career high with his sixth four-hit game.

St. Louis, which had won three of its last four, fell 5½ games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central. The Brewers were hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers last night.

Xavier Paul, who homered, and Neil Walker each had two hits for the Pirates, and James McDonald (8-6) pitched 5 2-3 uneven innings to end his three-start winless streak. McDonald allowed two runs and six hits while walking two and striking out four.

DRAFT DEADLINE

Cole and Pirates agree at $8 million

NEW YORK (AP) UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole and the Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a minor league contract with an $8 million signing bonus.

Cole had been among 23 first-round draft picks facing a midnight deadline to reach agreements with major league teams.

Scott Boras, Cole's agent, also negotiated a $7.5 million signing bonus for high school outfielder Bubba Starling with the Kansas City Royals, and a $7.4 million, four-year major league contract for Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon with the Washington Nationals. Starling was the fifth overall pick and Rendon sixth.

PHILLIES-BUSH

Dave Bush signs minor league deal with Phillies

PHILADELPHIA (AP) The Phillies have signed right-hander Dave Bush to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Bush made 17 appearances three starts for the Texas Rangers before being released July 6th. He was 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA.

The 31-year-old Bush then signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs and went 1-2 with a 6.14 ERA in five starts for Triple-A Iowa.

Bush is 56-69 in eight seasons with Toronto, Milwaukee and Texas. He was the winner in Game 3 of the 2008 division series for Milwaukee, against Philadelphia.

STEELERS-POUNCEY

Steelers C Pouncey makes quick rise to line leader

LATROBE, Pa. (AP) With all the injuries, position battles and chaos of shuffling players around the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line, the team considers itself fortunate to have a stable Pro Bowl anchor in the middle.

Even if this pillar of stability is only three weeks removed from his 22nd birthday.

Taken with the 18th pick of last year's draft, Maurkice Pouncey so impressed the Steelers early during training camp of his rookie year that he won the starting job at center. Almost immediately, Pouncey developed into one of the best of the league at his position.

Forget the sophomore slump, his teammates say. Still the second-youngest of the 90 players in Pittsburgh's camp, Pouncey has gone from 20-year-old draftee to respected, reliable team leader in a matter of 16 months.

"He's the spark on our offensive line," guard/center Doug Legursky said. "He's going to lead us."

He's being depended on to do just that for a unit that will have different starters at three of the four other positions from last season's Super Bowl team.

PENGUINS-CROSBY

Penguins still playing waiting game with Crosby

PITTSBURGH (AP) The Pittsburgh Penguins have no plans on rushing star Sidney Crosby back to the ice.

General manager Ray Shero says it's too early to tell if Crosby will be ready when training camp begins next month. The former MVP hasn't played since being diagnosed with a concussion in January. He missed Pittsburgh's final 48 games, including a loss to Tampa Bay in the playoffs.

Crosby has spent the summer working out in Canada and Shero says the 24-year-old is "progressing well." Shero acknowledges Crosby continues to deal with symptoms related to the concussion, but added the issues have not forced him to stop training.

Shero expects Crosby to return to Pittsburgh a week before camp opens and says Crosby won't play until he is "100 percent."

KENTUCKY-BACK TO CLASS

Former 'Cats return to campus thinking academics

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Several former Kentucky stars currently in the NBA have returned to the campus that has become the lightning rod for the one-and-done rule under coach John Calipari. And they're not just planning to work out.

Washington Wizards point guard John Wall, Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins and Los Angeles Clippers point guard Eric Bledsoe who all turned pro after one season with the Wildcats say they are considering using the NBA lockout as a chance to take a few classes.

Bledsoe says he wants to complete his education because he can't play basketball all his life.

The trio is part of a group of former UK standouts playing two exhibition games against the Dominican Republic national team Calipari is coaching in an upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament.

LITTLE LEAGUE-PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania reaches LLWS

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) Pennsylvania is heading to the Little League World Series after defeating New Jersey.

Wyatt Koch hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth, helping lead Keystone Little League of Clinton County, Pennsylvania, to a 5-2 win over the Paramus, New Jersey, team yesterday in Bristol, Connecticut.

Pennsylvania finished the tournament 6-0, winning the Mid-Atlantic Championship. The team now returns home for the Little League World Series, which starts Thursday in nearby South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

The scoring came quickly yesterday after a scoreless 3 innings were rain-delayed Sunday.

The New Jersey team pulled within one run in the top of the fifth with a two-run homer from Nick DeNigris.

But Pennsylvania closer Tyler McCloskey added a run in the top of the sixth and Alex Garbrick followed with an RBI.