LeRoy Irvin, who spent the 1980s at cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams, has died. He was 68.

The team announced his passing on Thursday with a short statement.

“We mourn the loss of Rams Legend LeRoy Irvin. We extend our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time,” the team said.

No details, such as the date, location or cause of Irvin’s death, were shared.

Irvin, who played his college football at Kansas, joined the Rams after they selected him in the third round (70th overall) of the 1980 NFL Draft. He played the entire decade in Los Angeles before concluding his career with the 1990 Detroit Lions.

With the Rams, Irvin played in 143 games (104 starts). He intercepted 34 passes for 654 yards and scored five touchdowns. He also recovered 13 fumbles, returning one for a touchdown.

In Detroit, Irvin started all 16 games, making one interception and forcing a fumble.

Irvin was named a first-team All-Pro in 1981 and 1986. The two-time Pro Bowl selection played in 11 postseason games and nabbed four interceptions for 149 yards.

Pro Football Hall of Fame member Eric Dickerson played four full seasons with Irvin and posted this to social media on Thursday:

“Devastated to hear about the passing of my brother, teammate, and Rams legend Leroy Irvin,” Dickerson wrote. “Leroy wasn’t just a lockdown corner and a fierce competitor on the field; he was a true friend and a great man who always brought incredible energy. Rest in peace, my brother. Sending my thoughts and prayers to the Irvin family and all of Rams Nation.”

–Field Level Media

Rookie Esmerlyn Valdez drove in three runs and Nick Gonzales and Endy Rodriguez each homered, fueling the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday afternoon.

Valdez forged a 1-1 tie with an RBI single to center field in the fifth inning. Two innings later, he recorded his first career triple after the ball sailed under the glove of Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford, allowing Brandon Lowe to score from second base and give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead.

Valdez didn’t stay on third base for long, coming home on Gonzales’ bloop single to shallow left field off Jose Alvarado (3-3).

Rodriguez went deep to lead off the eighth with his fifth homer of the season.

Valdez added a sacrifice fly in the eighth and Gonzales joined Jake Mangum with a three-hit performance after homering to lead off the ninth. The homer was the fourth of the season for Gonzales.

The Pirates banged out 14 hits to salvage a split of the four-game series.

Carmen Mlodzinski (5-3) relieved starter Jared Jones and scattered two hits over three scoreless innings.

Bryce Harper ripped an RBI double in the third for the Phillies, who mustered just four hits on the day.

Alvarado permitted two runs on three hits in one inning.

Alan Rangel, who was making his first career major league start, worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the third after inducing Valdez to ground into a 5-3 double play.

The Phillies opened the scoring in their half of the third, as Rafael Marchan reached on a four-pitch walk by Jones and came around to score on Harper’s double to left field.

After Valdez leveled the contest in the fifth, Tim Mayza induced Ryan O’Hearn to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Philadelphia’s Jonathan Bowlan recorded a pair of strikeouts to strand a pair of runners on base in the sixth.

–Field Level Media

A day after reportedly acquiring former NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brown from the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a two-year, $12.3 million deal with free agent guard Anfernee Simons, ESPN reported on Thursday.

Simons, 27, who played with Brown in Boston last season, will have a player option in the second season, per the report.

In the reported Brown deal, the Sixers will send veteran forward Paul George to the Celtics along with first-round picks in 2028 and 2031 and second-round picks in 2028 and 2030.

Simons joined the Celtics last July in the trade that sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, and averaged 14.2 points per game while shooting 39.5% from 3-point range in 49 games.

Simons was on the move again in February, dealt to the Bulls in exchange for forward Nikola Vucevic, but a left wrist injury limited the guard to just six games with Chicago before ending his season. For the season, Simons averaged 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 55 games (five starts).

A first-round pick (No. 24 overall) of the Trail Blazers in the 2018 draft, Simons will give the Sixers’ bench an offensive lift it was lacking last season. He has averaged at least 17 ppg four times and is a career 38.5% 3-point shooter.

Over eight NBA seasons, Simons has averaged 14.9 ppg, 3.2 apg and 2.5 rpg in 444 games (218 starts).

–Field Level Media