The Latest Breaking News from Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — Before the Phillies game against the Pirates on Thursday night, interim manager Rob Thomson told his players to not take their 40-58 opponents for granted. “Get the lead,” he told them. “Step on the gas pedal.”

PITTSBURGH — It could have turned out poorly. In some ways, it did. Ben Roethlisberger was a shell of himself for significant portions of last season.

PITTSBURGH — Now that Ben Roethlisberger has retired, Cam Heyward is the undisputed veteran leader in the Steelers locker room. And the latter made clear Wednesday that he’s not fond of the former’s recent public critiques of his ex-teammates.

PITTSBURGH — The Juan Soto sweepstakes have resonated very little locally for obvious reasons. The star outfielder just turned down a nearly half-billion dollar offer from the Washington Nationals last week. So, in the context of the Pirates' penny-pinching ownership, a sign-and-trade situation in which the club gives him more…

PITTSBURGH — In a game where the Pirates faced arguably the best starting pitcher in the National League in right-hander Sandy Alcantara, their offense was pesky, persistent and productive, Pittsburgh tying the game in the ninth to force extra innings and threatening again in the 10th.

PITTSBURGH — With NFL training camps opening coast-to-coast this week, the football news cycles for the next six or seven weeks figure to flip past like a well-worn playbook, if that's still a thing.

PITTSBURGH — José Quintana and the Pirates are in a strange spot right now.

PITTSBURGH — After a man in Rockland County, New York, became the first patient to contract polio in the United States in nearly a decade, experts such as Dr. Peter Salk — whose late father, Jonas, developed a vaccine for the disease — said the public shouldn't be alarmed but…

PITTSBURGH — And in the 38th inning, the Miami Marlins scored runs — four of them to be specific.

PITTSBURGH — It’s long been assumed that the Pirates would be busy at (and around) the MLB trade deadline. How they kicked things off, however, was a little unexpected, sending Daniel Vogelbach to the New York Mets on Friday in exchange for major league pitcher Colin Holderman.

PITTSBURGH — Pat Narduzzi needs to work on his breakup etiquette. What is it with this guy and his outgoing offensive coordinators?