GM out in Pirates’ purge

The Pirates’ management housecleaning continued Monday with the firing of general manager Neal Huntington after 12 seasons.

The firing of Huntington followed the dismissal of manager Clint Hurdle at the end of the season and the resignation of team president Frank Coonelly last week.

The Pirates also announced the hiring of former Penguins chief operating officer Travis Williams to replace Coonelly. He helped the Penguins win three Stanley Cups in 11 years with them.

♦The Yankees fired pitching coach Larry Rothschild after nine seasons. Rothschild, 65, has been a major-league pitching coach or manager for all but one season since 1992 and served as the Cubs’ pitching coach for nine seasons (2002-10).

♦ The White Sox outrighted left-hander Manny Banuelos, outfielder Ryan Cordell and infielders Ryan Goins and Matt

Skole to Class AAA Charlotte. All four will become minor-league free agents at the end of the World Series.

Blues lose Tarasenko for five months

The Blues said forward Vladimir Tarasenko will have surgery Tuesday on his injured left shoulder and will be out at least five months. Tarasenko suffered the injury after getting tangled up with Kings defenseman Sean Walker on Thursday.

♦ The Blue Jackets said forward Alexandre Texier will be out two to four weeks with a knee injury and defenseman Ryan Murphy will be out up to a month with a broken hand. Both were injured Saturday.

♦The NHL suspended Jets forward Adam Lowry for two games without pay for boarding Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington during a game Saturday.