Your daily regional sports update.
- For the second consecutive year, the Pirates season ended with a shutout at home in the National League Wild Card Game. Cubs’ righty Jake Arrieta continued his historic pace, blanking Gerrit Cole and the Pirates 4-0 last night at PNC Park. The Pirates were dominated in last year’s NL Wild Card Game by Madison Bumgarner and the Giants in a 8-0 defeat.
- The PIAA voted Wednesday to expand the number of classifications in nine sports including expanding to six classifications in five sports including football and boys’ and girls’ basketball.
- D9Sports.com previews this week’s high school football action.
- The Penguins will play their season opener tonight on the road as they take on the Dallas Stars at 8:30 p.m. on ROOT Sports. Phil Kessel, who was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, will make his highly-anticipated Penguins debut.
- Injured Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger could still be on track for an October 25 return.
- Ted Berg of “For the Win” says the 98-win Pirates got a raw deal.