Weekly Report: Winning Series Streak, Konnor Back, Calls Up & Down & All Around, Jared & Paul Win, Pirates HoF, Khristian's 1st Win

September already...?

Pirates Stuff:

• To open Tuesday's homestand, the Pirates called up LHP Brian Eisert from Indy and added C Christian Bethancourt from the taxi squad as the roster additions for September. The club moved Endy Rodriguez from the 10-day IL to the 60-day list so that Bethancourt had a 40-man roster spot. The moves lasted until Friday when Bethancourt was DFA'ed so SS Konnor Griffin could return to action and Eisert was returned to Indy with RHP Isaac Mattson getting the call up.

Konnor - 9/4/2026 photo Pirates

• On Sunday, the Bucs recalled OF Ronny Simon, who has been on fire since returning to Indy, and optioned UT Nick Yorke back.
• For a team hyped to be deep in catching, the Bucs are casting their net far and wide for backstops. They just signed 29-year-old Jose Herrera, who in 187 games for Arizona from 2022-25 had hit .200.
• No, it never ends: The Bucs recalled RHP Khristian Curtis when RHP Kirby Yates was placed on the 15-day IL (right shoulder impingement), retroactive to Monday (8/31). The club also brought up RHP Wilber Dotel and optioned LHP Evan Sisk to Indy.
• SS Konnor Griffin got in a rehab game for Altoona, then reported to Pittsburgh on Monday and was off to join Indy at Toledo on Tuesday. On Friday, he was placed back on the active roster after having been out since July 5 with a finger injury.
• After being waived by the Twins, the Pirates signed 26-year-old Kyler Fedko to a minor-league deal. Fedko, 26, is a Vincentian Academy grad whose dad is John Fedko of "Fedko Zone" fame; Kyler chose Pittsburgh because it was a chance to come home. He debuted for Minny this year after hitting .272/25 HR for AAA St. Paul in '25-'26 but had pretty serious ligament damage in August, and after surgery will spend most of 2027 on the IL.

Jared Jones back in Victory Lane - image Sportsnet.Pgh

• Overdue weekend: Jared Jones hadn't started a game that ended up in a Pirates win since July 18, a stretch of seven starts. Paul Skenes joined him, winning for the first time since July 19, also over seven starts.
• John Candelaria, Wilbur Cooper and Jack Wilson were inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame on Thursday evening with jackets, speechifying and a free meal, then honored pre-game the next night. 
• The 2027 Spring schedule was released - it gives the opponent and home/away status, but the times are still TBD.

Game Stuff:

• Paul Skenes couldn't make it through the fifth and the Pirates blew five & six run leads, but a nine-run third inning and 19 hits were enough to pull out a 13-12 win over the Giants at PNC on Tuesday night. Oneil Cruz had four hits/RBIs and Brandom Lowe homered among his four raps & scored three times. The seventh Buc pitcher, Mason Montgomery, got the dub; he's been Superman since July.

Oneil stirrin' it up - 8/30/2026 photo Pirates

• The Bucs went into overime again, but with reverse results, dropping a 5-4 contest. Bubba Chandler pitched well but a lost no-man's land bloop (twilight sky) ultimately led to a couple of runs. Carmen Mlod kept them alive with three zeroes/30 pitches, but the G-Men scored twice off Camilo Doval in the 10th; the Bucs could only push one more run home, going through a 2-for-13 w/RISP outing. 
• The Buc bullpen pitchers have become the team's ace. The six of them gave up two runs on two hits (five walks by two guys) and nine K's as Pittsburgh took another series with a 5-2 dub (Khristian Curtis' first MLB win) to close out the Bay set. Pgh only had five hits (they waited out seven walks themselves), but enough for Jared Triolo to drive in a couple and Jake Mangum to score twice (1-for-1, walk, RBI).
• Jared Jones went six three-hit, nine-K, no run innings - and left with just a 1-0 lead. But no prob; Wilber Dotel and Mason Montgomery held it with three frames of one-hit ball. Jake Mangum doubled home Konnor Griffin in the second for the only tally; KG flew around the bases and scored on a Superman dive. All in all, a pretty neat way to celebrate the Pirates Hall of Fame night.

Mason Montgomery has been aflame - August photo Sportsnet.Pgh

• Not great outings by Braxton Ashcraft - innings may be catching up to him - and Isaac Mattson as the Bucs were bonked 6-1 by the Halos. Bryan Reynolds solo homer was the Pirates attack; another lefty shut them down - they're 11-26 v LH starters.
• Paul Skenes got into the sixth, the pen was money, Henry Davis hit a solo shot, Oneil Cruz-to-Brandon Lowe-to-Davis relay gunned out a guy at home and Cruz made a nifty diving grab. The end result was the Bucs took their fourth straight series, beating LAA 1-0 again in a set that they scored a total of three runs.
• The Bucs had a holiday on Monday and then six days of labor in the Windy City, with three-gamers v the White Sox & the Cubbies.

MLB Stuff: 

• TSN is halfway through their "Greatest Players" teams with the release of The Showmen." No Buc made the squad but Cool Papa Bell, who spent five years with the Crawfords and five more with the Grays, did.

Cool Papa made the TSN roster...

• The DC Nats DFA'ed RHP Trevor Williams last week, and he got through waivers unclaimed. They released him this week, making him a free agent, and he signed with the Texas Rangers.
• The Chicago White Sox picked up OF Tommy Pham from the Phils, who had him stashed in the minors.
• RHP Tanner Rainey, who was with the Bucs for a bit last year, was DFA'ed by the Detroit Tigers.
• 29-year-old OF Dominic Fletcher, who spent most of the summer with Indy,  signed a minor league deal with the Reds. He became a free agent in mid-August after triggering a release clause with the Pirates.
• C Shawn Ross made his debut in Pittsburgh in July, was waived when the regular backstops returned and was claimed by the Mets. They just let him go, and his journey continues as Toronto claimed him.

9/7 Through the 1960s: Maz Muscles Up, Friend 1-Hitter, Sweeps, 17-of-20, Hans Six, Game Days, HBD Fred, John, Charlie & Ed

1874 - RHP Ed Poole was born in Canton, Ohio. Ed was with the Bucs off-and-on from 1900-02, going 6-4/3.22 on the hill and batting .221 with a couple of homers (he saw a little action at 2B, 3B and the OF). He was sold to the Reds and lasted two more years with Cincy and Brooklyn. He became somewhat famous as the defendant in The People of New York v. Poole when he was arrested for pitching for Brooklyn on a Sunday, in violation of the state’s Blue Laws.

1879 - RHP Charlie Case was born in Smiths Landing, Ohio. Charlie had a four-year MLB career with the final three seasons (1904-06) spent in Pittsburgh, posting a line of 22-17-1/2.81, compiled mostly as a starter. Charlie worked in the minors afterward through the 1914 season and tossed a no-hitter in 1909 for the Nashville Volunteers of the Southern Association.

1883 - 1B John Flynn was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Flynn had a three-year MLB run with 1910-11 spent with the Pirates. He was solid in '10, batting .274 with 52 RBI, but faded the following campaign. John toiled in the minors during the next 15 years as a player and manager.

1891 - C Fred Blackwell was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Fred got into 35 games from 1917-19, all with the Pirates, and hit .205. His career was interrupted as he was in the service in 1918-19; 1921 was his last year of organized ball with Kansas City of the American Association.

1901 - The Pirates had their 10-game winning streak ended by Philadelphia, who was equally hot and on a nine-game undefeated string of their own, by a 5-1 count at the Baker Bowl. 20-game winner Al Orth shut down Pittsburgh on four hits in his battle against Deacon Phillippe. But the Bucs bounced back to take the next pair of games from the Phils behind Jesse Tannehill (with a Jack Chesbro save) and Sam Leever on their way to a 90-49 record and NL title. Two teams with nine-or-more game winning streaks wouldn’t clash head-on again until 2021, when the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees met.

Lefty Leifield - Harwell Collection/Detroit Public Library

1905 - In his home debut, rookie Lefty Leifield gave up three runs in the first, then settled into a groove until tiring and surrendering three more runs in the ninth frame as the Bucs rolled to an 11-7 win over the Reds at Exposition Park. Fred Clarke banged out four hits while Honus Wagner and Heinie Peitz added three apiece, with Hans swatting a double and triple.

1908 - Led by Honus Wagner’s 6-for-7 day at the plate, including five straight hits with a double, triple and sacrifice, the Pirates swept St. Louis 9-7 and 7-1 on Labor Day at Exposition Park to move to 1/2 game behind the league leading NY Giants. Sam Leever won the opener while Vic Willis scattered eight singles to claim the dub for the second match.

1925 - Pittsburgh won for the 17th time in 20 games when they defeated the Chicago Cubs 8-5 at Forbes Field in the opener of a twin bill. Kiki Cuyler went 4-for-5 with a double and triple while every Pirate in the lineup had a hit. Red Oldham gave up 15 hits, but went the distance for the win. The Cubs banged out 16 more hits in the second game to gain a 9-8 split.

1930 - For the sixth time during the season, the Pirates overcame a three-run deficit to rally past the Cubs 9-7 at Wrigley Field. It looked like the Bucs were going to do the romping, jumping out to a 3-0 lead before Chicago even got to bat, but by the fifth frame, Glenn Spencer had surrendered the lead and fallen behind, 6-3. Pittsburgh started to chip away in the seventh; they scored six times in the final three innings to outlast the Windy City club by a 9-7 finale. Paul Waner had three hits, including two triples, and drove in four runs to lead the comeback. Erv Brame, the Buccos last twirler, stranded three Cubbies over the last two innings to earn the win. The Pirates joined seven other modern era clubs that overcame a three-run hole against a single opponent in a season.  

Tommy Thevenow - 1931 Exhibits

1931 - The Pirates swept a Labor Day twinbill at Forbes Field from the Reds 6-1 and 4-3. Woody Jensen homered and was one of five Corsairs with two hits to back Larry French’s mound work in the lidlifter. The news wasn’t all good, though, as the Bucs lost SS Tommy Thevenow, who fractured his ankle in two places sliding in the sixth frame, to end his season. Pittsburgh scored three times in the eighth inning of the nightcap to sew up the double dipper when George Grantham & Tony Piet singled around Pie Traynor & Paul Waner doubles to make Erv Brame a complete-game winner. Brame had two hits and a run scored to help himself.

1940 - The Bucs scored eight runs in the eighth and three more in the ninth to rally past the Cardinals, 14-9. Arky Vaughan, Terry Moore, and Vince DiMaggio all homered as Vaughan and DiMaggio combined for seven RBI at Sportsman’s Park.

1942 - The Pirates scored 11 runs in the sixth inning, reaching safely 10 straight times with two outs to top the Cards 11-6 in the first game of a Forbes Field twin bill. The Bucs had a runner on third when the seven-hit, three-walk outburst erupted, setting the franchise mark for most runs in a frame, and Pittsburgh didn't have an inning that big again until 1992. Bud Stewart led the attack with two hits in the frame, three RBI and a pair of runs. Rip Sewell was the fortunate recipient of the big frame, leaving the game on the wrong end of a 5-0 count for a pinch hitter. Apparently the barrage wore them out - they only had three hits during the rest of the game, and then dropped the nightcap 6-4 for a Labor Day split. 

1948 - The Bucs chased Jim Hearn after two innings on the way to a 6-2 win at Forbes Field. Stan Rojek had twos across the board - two hits, two doubles, two runs, two RBI - to support Fritz Ostermueller. The game was noteworthy as it took Pittsburgh six more years on the nose and a dozen losses before they could defeat the St. Louis righty again.

Eddie Pellagrini - photo via Baseball Birthdays

1953 - The Pirates swept a twinbill for the first time during the year, beating the NY Giants 9-7 and 5-3 at the Polo Grounds. Eddie Pellagrini had four hits including a HR to back Bob Friend in the opener. Lefty LaPalme was the winner in the nitecap as the Bucs beat Jim Hearn after 12 straight defeats at his hands. His last loss to the Bucs was exactly six years ago to the day.

1955 - Bob Friend allowed only one baserunner via a fourth-inning infield single by Frank Baumholtz in a 2-0 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, striking out eight and facing just 28 batters. The righty was a one-man show; he also broke up a scoreless tie with a two-out single in the seventh, with Johnny O’Brien’s ninth-inning double adding an insurance run. For Friend, it was the highlight of his first double-digit win season with the Pirates as he finished the year 14-9/2.83 for a Pirates team that went 60-94 and finished in last place.

1962 - Bill Mazeroski hit a grand slam and drove home six runs to prime a 10-1 Bucco win against LA’s Stan Williams at Dodger Stadium. Earl Francis tossed a four-hit, complete game victory against the league-leading Dodgers. LA wasn’t totally left in the dust - with four steals, Maury Wills broke the modern NL record for stolen bases in a season with his 82nd swipe.

1969 - The Cubs were an out away from dropping the Pirates at Wrigley Field before Willie Stargell broke their hearts. With two outs and two strikes, Pops banged a homer off Phil Regan to knot the score and two innings later claimed a 7-5 victory when a two-out Cubbie boot led to a pair of Bucco runs. It was a close, back-and-forth game until the eighth when Jim Hickman put Chicago up with a two-run homer served up by Chuck Hartenstein. In bonus time, an error allowed a Buc run to plate and Richie Hebner’s knock added an insurance run. Manny Sanguillen chipped in a two-run dinger while Bruce Dal Canton earned the win with 1-1/3 shaky but scoreless innings, stranding three Cubs.

9/7 From 1970: Trevor's 1st, Boot-y Call, Failing Mark, Cutch Call, Duffy Day, Jeff Immac, JT's #30, Danny's Helm, Game Days, Dave Gone/Frank In, HBD Gorkys

1973 - With a runner on first and two outs in the ninth, Al Oliver banged a single, beginning a Bucco run of six straight hits that would produce six runs and turn a one-run deficit into a 10-5 lead. The Pirates weren’t the only team with some rally left in them; the Phils answered with three runs of their own and had the tying run at the plate before Ramon Hernandez could shut the door at the Vet and secure a 10-8 win, with Bob Johnson earning the victory. Willie Stargell had four hits during the contest, including a game-tying, two-strike single against the shift. It was a wild beginning to Danny Murtaugh’s fourth and final stint as Bucco skipper. He had just replaced Bill Virdon, who was fired after the previous game. It was the first time he had won the opening game while managing, and the papers didn’t know whether “...to call it magic or call it luck.”
 
1974 - Pittsburgh overcame a 4-0 deficit with a five-run seventh against Montreal at TRS, with seven straight Bucs reaching base. The Expos came back to take the contest into extra innings against Dave Guisti, but Dave Parker’s 12th-inning two-out walkoff single plated Richie Hebner for a 6-5 Bucco win. Ramon Hernandez worked the last two frames for the win.

1975 - Jerry Reuss earned his 16th victory of the year after spinning a tape-to-tape, four-hit shutout at Parc Jarry as the Pirates defeated the Expos, 6-0. The Pirates jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Montreal batted and the score stayed that way until the eighth, when another three-spot iced it. Art Howe led with three RBI, Al Oliver homered to chase home two more runs and Dave Parker added a solo shot as the Bucs cruised through September to the NL East title.

1978 - The Pirates tried to set up a homecoming with LHP Wilbur Wood, claiming him off waivers from the White Sox, but the vet, citing his 5 & 10 year rights, vetoed the move. He had been with the Bucs in 1964-65 before being traded to the ChiSox for Juan Pizarro, and spent 12 campaigns with Chicago. Wood had a couple of rough years at the end following arm surgery, with ERA’s in the 5.00 range, and he retired rather than hook up with another club.

Jason Thompson - 1982 Donruss

1982 - Jason Thompson hit his 30th home run of the season off Mike Scott in a 9-5 win over the Mets, becoming just the eighth player in history to hit 30 home runs during a season in each league. (He hit 31 home runs for the Detroit Tigers in 1977.) Richie Hebner and Mike Easler also went long at TRS. The day was a double blessing for JT; his baby son arrived the night before.

1987 - Closer Jeff Robinson tossed an immaculate inning, the first in Bucco history (Ross Ohlendorf, Juan Nicasio, Colin Holderman and Johan Oviedo would later join him), when he K’ed Cubs Leon Durham, Andre Dawson and Rafael Palmeiro on nine pitches in the eighth. It was the first time since Bruce Sutter in 1977 that an immaculate inning was posted. Of Robinson’s nine strikes, six were swinging, two called, and one fouled. He worked a scoreless ninth to earn a save for Brian Fisher in a 3-2 win at Wrigley Field. It was his first save as a Pirate after joining the team on August 21st as part of the Rick Reuschel trade with the Giants. The Bucco runs came in on a Terry Harper homer, his first as a Pirate, and Bobby Bonilla’s eighth inning, two-out double that scored Barry Bonds and Jose Lind with the game-winning tallies.

1987 - OF Gorkys Hernandez was born in Guiria, Venezuela. He was blessed with good wheels and a great glove, but his bat limited him to a couple of cups of coffee in Pittsburgh in 2012 and 2015 (he went 2-for-29), playing for three other organizations in between. He was with Boston in 2019, released in 2020 by the White Sox and has played in the Latin leagues since 2022.

1988 - Three Pirates stole four bases and all resulted in runs as the Bucs jumped off to a 5-0 lead at TRS against the Expos and then held off Montreal to take a 5-4 win in front of 16,494 “Buck Nite” fans. In the opening frame, RJ Reynolds hit into a force, swiped second and third, and came home on a Bobby Bonilla sac fly. The next inning, Mike LaValliere and Felix Fermin executed a double steal; Spanky scored when the throw to third ended up in left field and Felix plated a batter later when starter and winner Doug Drabek dropped a liner into center. The Expos also committed two errors, and both contributed to runs. The freebies proved big when the Bucs had to outlast two-run rallies in the fifth and seventh frames before Jim Gott put the contest to bed.

Jeff King - 1990 Topps '89 Rookies

1989 - It took a little luck, but rookie Jeff King, who was batting .181 at the time, had the key blow in a 7-4 Pirates victory over the Expos at Parc Jarry. Facing ex-Bucco John Candelaria with Pittsburgh up 4-3 in the eighth frame and Barry Bonds on third, King tried to lay off a Candy curve but was too late. His check swing made contact, sending the ball bounding softly inside first base and into the corner, where the right fielder, after a long run, couldn’t quite find the handle on the horsehide (the play was scored a triple and error) to allow Jeff to touch ‘em all. Bill Landrum came on to earn his 32nd save, closing out for winner Bob Walk. Andy Van Slyke had three hits while Bonds and Jay Bell added two raps.

2006 - Chris Duffy had himself a day against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He went 4-for-4 (and all against LHP) with a homer, three runs scored and three RBI in Pittsburgh’s 7-5 win. He and Xavier Nady hit solo shots in the ninth to break a 5-5 tie to give Jonah Bayless the win. He didn’t break a sweat to earn it, facing just one batter in the eighth to get the final out. Salomon Torres, the sixth Pirates hurler, collected the save; the Cubs burned through seven twirlers.

2007 - GM Dave Littlefield was fired and Brian Graham, the director of player development for the Pirates, served as interim general manager. Neal Huntington took over three weeks later, hired away from Cleveland by new President Frank Coonelly. Coonelly had replaced Kevin McClatchy as Bob Nutting put his own front office in place after becoming principal owner in January.

2009 - The Pittsburgh Pirates set a new North American standard for consecutive losing seasons by a major sports franchise with their 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs (Daniel McCutchen took the L), extending their string of sub-.500 years to 17 in a row. The Pirates had shared the record of 16 consecutive losing seasons with the 1933-48 Philadelphia Phillies. The Bucs would extend the record by three more seasons until finally finishing with more wins than losses (94-68) in 2013.

Cutch - 2011 Bowman

2011 - Brian Burres made the final start of his MLB career, and it wasn’t going well at PNC Park as he gave up three homers to Houston and was down 4-1 in the fourth. But the Bucs had a couple of aces left up their sleeve. Andrew McCutchen provided the muscle, driving in four runs with a pair of homers, and the Pittsburgh bullpen (featuring the debut of Jared Hughes) hung zeroes on the Astros for the final 5-1/3 frames. The winning run was plated in the eighth when Jason Jaramillo smacked an RBI single/DP. His one-out knock plated Chase d’Arnaud with the lead run before two catchers running the bases at the same time provided a predictable ending - JJ was thrown out at second trying to stretch his hit, and Ryan Doumit, who had gone from first-to-third on the rap, try to sneak home on the play, and he was gunned down, too. But the Pirates’ fifth hurler, Joel Hanrahan, kept his focus and tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to save Tony Watson’s win.

2012 - The Buccos committed seven errors, one shy of the franchise mark set in 1939, in front of 32,699 dismayed fans at PNC Park and lost to the Cubs, 12-2. Six of the Chicago runs were unearned with Starling Marte in the pasture and Brock Holt at second both misfiring on a pair of plays.

2014 - Pirate bats ran wild over the Cubs at Wrigley Field as the Bucs ran away with a 10-4 decision. Their 19 hits were the most in a game since 2012. Every starter, including the pitcher, had a hit; seven players had multiple hits. Jordy Mercer & Andrew McCutchen banged back-to-back homers while Neil Walker and Gerrit Cole also went long. Cole lasted six innings, plenty long enough to pick up the win. It gave the Pirates a three-game sweep of Chi-Town, the first time Pittsburgh had swept a series at Wrigley Field since 2000.

2016 - Pittsburgh snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 4-3 win against St. Louis at PNC Park. It was a gritty performance coming off the heels of a two-out, two-strike loss the night before. The score see-sawed back and forth until the eighth inning when Jung Ho Kang hit his third home run in two nights to put the Bucs ahead. After being chased in the last loss, Tony Watson got back on the bike to earn the save for Trevor Williams, who made his first MLB appearance a winning one. JHK had three hits, with Josh Harrison and Gregory Polanco each collecting a pair of knocks to drive the attack.

9/6 Through 1964: Bob's 1st Zippo, Hound Hot, Leather-Fest, Krackin' Kiki, Coop Debut, Sweep. Game Days, Groat Hurt, Wood Joins, HBD Jack, Vince, Tommy & Johnny

1892 - 2B Billy Gleason was born in Chicago. He played sparingly in the majors, spending two of his three years with Pittsburgh (1916-17) and batting .159 in 26 games before being traded to minor league Chattanooga. Billy was a career farm hand, beginning in the bushes in 1913 as an 18-year-old and still playing as late as 1934, mostly in the Eastern League.

1901 - The Pirates swept a doubleheader from the NY Giants 15-2 and 13-4 to win their ninth and 10th straight games (they played four twin bills in five days and swept all four, with three straight two-fers v New York). The Bucs pounded out 22 hits in the opener, led by Ginger Beaumont’s 5-for-6 day, with a homer, 2B and five RBI to grease the wheels for Sam Leever’s win. The Pirates rapped out 14 more hits in the six-inning nitecap (darkness-shortened), with Tommy Leach going 3-for-3 with a 2B. George Merritt got the win in his MLB debut. It was the third straight double dipper they took from the Giants in three days, outscoring NY 80-23. The sweep was part of a 26-of-30 victory roll as the Pirates bullied their way to the NL title, entering September up by 2-1/2 games before pulling away from the pack with a final 7-1/2 game pad. 
 
1903 - IF Tommy Thevenow was born in Madison, Indiana. He played five years for the Pirates from 1931 until 1935, and then came back to spend his last big league season, 1938, as a Bucco. Tommy batted .251 with 201 RBI for Pittsburgh as a good glove, so-so bat SS/3B. Tommy retired to his hometown after that campaign and ran a grocery store until he passed away at age 53.

1910 - RHP Johnny Lanning was born in Asheville, NC. He tossed for the Pirates from 1940 until 1943, went in the service and returned for the 1945-46 seasons, finishing with a Pittsburgh line 33-29/3.44. Lanning wasn’t a flame thrower; his best pitches were variations of the curve, one hard, the other soft. Lanning came from a family of Carolina tobacco farmers, reflected by his nicknames of “Tobacco Chewin’ Johnny” and “Johnny Tabaccy.” 

Our DiMag -  1941 photo Bettman/Getty

1912 - OF Vince DiMaggio was born in Martinez, California. He played center field for Pittsburgh from 1940-44 and hit .255 as a Bucco. He was named to the All-Star Game roster in 1943 and 1944, lighting it up in the ‘43 Classic with a home run, triple and single in three at-bats. Vince and his siblings, Joltin’ Joe and Dom, are the only brother trio to become All-Stars.

1912 - In his major league debut, Wilbur Cooper shut out the St Louis Cardinals, 8-0, at Robison Field. He gave up nine scattered hits with a walk and three K to earn the first of his 216 career wins. Chief Wilson had three hits and scored twice to lead a balanced, 13-hit attack against the Redbirds. Coop won a franchise-record 202 games, spun 33 whitewashes in his 13 years as a Bucco and was inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame in 2026.

1921 - 1B Jack Phillips was born in Clarence, New York. Jack put nine years in the show and spent from 1949-52 with Pittsburgh, hitting .264. Following his playing days, Phillips managed in the minors from 1960-64. Jack then became baseball coach for 24 years at his alma mater, Clarkson College of Technology, retiring after the 1988 spring season. The college honored Phillips by re-naming its baseball facility "Jack Phillips Stadium at Snell Field" in 2008.

1924 - Pittsburgh took two from the St. Louis Cards by 5-1 and 12-5 scores at Forbes Field behind the pitching of Emil Yde and Jeff Pfeffer. Kiki Cuyler provided the firepower with a homer and three RBI in the opener. Cuyler had another homer and three more runs batted in in the nitecap, Pie Traynor tripled and had three RBI, Rabbit Maranville homered with two runs batted in and Glen Wright drove in two more tallies and bopped a double. Max Carey scored once in the first game and three times in the second to touch home for his 15th straight game, a franchise record. He tallied 21 runs during the span.

1935 - Brooklyn took its lumps at Forbes Field as the Pirates pounded out a 13-6 win, whacking 21 hits and scoring in every inning against the Dodgers. Woody Jensen led the parade with four hits; Tommy Thevenow, Arky Vaughan and Paul Waner each added three while Bud Hafey homered. Cy Blanton earned his 17th victory, the first of four straight double-digit win campaigns.

Woody Jensen - 1936 Goudey Wide

1942 - The Bucs took a twinbill from the Cubbies at Forbes Field the easy way, tossing a pair of shutouts to take 6-0 and 5-0 decisions from Chicago. Hank Gornicki spun a four-hitter in the lid lifter, backed by Elbie Fletcher & Bud Stewart with three hits and Vince DiMaggio & Jimmy Wasdell with two raps. Luke Hamlin scattered seven hits in the nightcap, supported by Frankie Gustine, Bob Elliott and Al Lopez with a pair of knocks (Stewart was walked four times). The attack was balanced; five different players scored while five chased home runs. 

1947 - The Pirates banged four home runs, the last from Wally Westlake in the bottom of the 10th inning, to take a 7-6 walkoff victory from the Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field. Joining Wally in the long ball parade were Billy Cox, Jimmy Bloodworth and Clyde Kluttz. Rip Sewell worked eight innings in relief of starter Tiny Bonham, giving up one run on six hits to earn the win.

1948 - A lotta glove work was going on as the Pirates swept a pair from the Cardinals, winning 2-1 and 4-1 at Forbes Field. The two teams struck out just twice in the doubleheader, an MLB record (the Pirates pitchers didn’t fan a soul in the two games). They also turned 13 double plays (eight by Pittsburgh) to tie the MLB mark for a twinbill. Pittsburgh turned a then record-tying six DPs in the opener, with 2B Danny Murtaugh in on five of them to equal the mark set by Detroit's Charley O'Leary. It wasn’t all roses for Murtaugh; his 23-game hitting streak ended when he went 0-for-2 with a walk in the opener. Bob Chesnes was the recipient of the glovely play, scattering seven hits to defeat Murry Dickson, who would become a Bucco next season. The winning blow was Ralph Kiner’s two-run homer. The big guns in the nightcap were Vic Lombardi, who spun a five-hitter, and 3B Eddie Bockman, who had two hits and three RBI. 

1954 - After losing 10 straight games, the Pirates took both ends of a twin bill from the Dodgers at Ebbets Field on "Back the Dodgers Day‚" winning the opener 9-6 in 12 innings and the second match by a 9-7 score. It was the Bucs first doubleheader sweep of the Dodgers since 1951. Vern Law and Jake Thies were the winning hurlers. Bob Skinner had a homer and four runs chased home in the lidlifter while Frank Thomas went long in the nightcap.

John Powers - 1958 Topps

1958 - The Pirates scored a lot of ways - on a bad throw from the outfield, a wild pitch, a sac fly, and a couple of two-out singles, but it took just one swing from Johnny Powers, who banged a solo pinch-hit homer in the eighth, to finally nail down a 7-6 win at Forbes Field against the Milwaukee Braves. Bob Friend and Bob Buhl were both chased early, and the bullpens restored order - Bob Smith (winner) and ElRoy Face (save) tossed four innings of one-run ball for the Bucs, and the Braves Humberto Robinson went 3-1/3 frames with his only miscue being the Powers blast. The Pirates had five players collect two hits - Bill Virdon, Ted Kluszewski, Billy Maz, Dick Groat and Bill Hall - and seven different Corsairs either scored, chased home runs, or did both. 

1960 - All-Star SS Dick Groat broke his wrist after being hit by a Lew Burdette pitch. The Pirate captain, second in the batting race, was sidelined until the final weekend of the season. Dick “Ducky” Schofield, his replacement, had three hits as the Bucs rallied for a 5-3 win. Ducky, a reserve infielder with a career .227 BA, hit .333 for the Pirates in 1960 to keep the club on track.

1963 - Bob Veale picked up his first MLB shutout, downing the St. Louis Cards 5-0 at Forbes Field. Veale gave up just six hits and was backed by Bill Virdon and Ducky Schofield with three hits apiece. The big blow that opened up a 2-0 game was Willie Stargell’s two-run, eighth-inning rap. It was only Big Bob’s third start of the year; he had spent until mid-August working out of the bullpen. He also finished his career as a reliever because of arm woes, but in between managed to toss 20 shutouts in seven full seasons as a Bucco starter.

1964 - The Red Sox sold RHP Wilbur Wood to the Pirates. The knuckleballer went 1-3/3.28 with the Bucs out of the bullpen in 1964-65. Pittsburgh sent Wood to the White Sox in the 1966 off season after he spent the year with AAA Columbus for Juan Pizarro. Wood saved 55 games in four years for Chicago, then was converted to starter where he won 106 games from 1971-75 and earned three All-Star berths in his dozen campaigns with the South Siders.

9/6 From 1965: Wild Womack, Brooming, #8 Retired, Hot-Hot-Hot, Game Days, Danny-4-Quail, Crowded, Lloyd Out/Pete-Jim In, HBD Mike, Frank, Derrek & Pat

1965 - The Pirates swept Cincinnati 3-1 and 4-2 at Crosley Field to close within four games of first-place Los Angeles. Seventh-inning doubles decided both games: Gene Alley's in the opener, driving in Bill Mazeroski with the go-ahead run, and Willie Stargell's bases-loaded, bases-clearing two-bagger in the nitecap. Roberto Clemente threw out Red runners during both ends of the double dip. Bob Veale went the distance to win the first game, striking out 12, and Al McBean tossed six innings in relief to claim the second match victory over the Redlegs.

1968 - The Pirates won their fourth game in a row and Steve Blass claimed his fifth straight victory with a 2-1 win over the Mets at Forbes Field. Steverino scattered four hits over nine innings, his one mistake being a Jerry Grote homer, along with seven whiffs to run his slate to 14-5. Freddie Patek manufactured the Bucs first tally when he led off in the first, laid down a two-strike bunt single, stole second, tagged to third and came home on a sac fly. The game winner was a bit more traditional as Roberto Clemente’s solo shot in the fourth inning gave Blass just enough padding to earn the dub. 

1968 - IF Pat Meares was born in Salina, Kansas. He played for the Bucs from 1999-2001, hitting .238, was injured from 2002-03, carried on the DL for the last two years of his contract and never played again. It was an awkward situation; a foul off his hand was originally misdiagnosed as a sprain but ended up as severe ligament damage. He underwent surgery but the strength didn’t return. Meares said he would rehab and play through it but wouldn’t submit to the knife again, as the Pirates requested. Charges, grievances and general bad blood marked the relationship; Meares wanted his release so that he could play for another team, but the Pirates refused as they would then lose any chance of collecting insurance they held on him (they did eventually settle on the policy for an undisclosed sum). So he ended up DL’ed and on the payroll for his final two seasons with his $15M in dead money a roadblock for the financially struggling Buccos.

1973 - The Pirates fired second-year manager Bill Virdon after a 67-69 start and brought back Danny Murtaugh for his fourth (and last) stint at the helm. The Irishman went 13-13, but carried on to win the division twice and finish runner-up in the next three years, winning 272 games.

Willie Stargell - 1975 Topps

1975 - In a game that went back-and-forth between the Pirates and the Expos at Parc Jarry, the Bucs poured it on at the end by scoring seven times in the 11th inning to seal a 12-5 win. The big blow in the opening nine was Willie Stargell’s three-run blast off Steve Rogers. In the 11th, the Pirates strung together three doubles, three singles, two walks and two Expo errors to plate seven times with Al Oliver and Bill Robinson banging out two-run raps. Manny Sanguillen had three hits and Richie Zisk chipped in two knocks and two walks. Pops had two hits and four RBI; Robinson also had a pair of raps and chased home three runners. Ken Brett was credited with the win, his only decision in six ‘75 relief outings.

1975 - 1B Derrek Lee was born in Sacramento, California. Lee was at the end of a 15-year career when the Bucs pried him from Baltimore for Aaron Baker in 2011 for the stretch run; the Pirates were just 4-½ games out of first and alive for the wild card at the deadline, then promptly did a faceplant. Derrek started on fire by hitting two homers in his first game, then broke his wrist. He did come back for 28 games in all, hitting .337. He didn’t actually retire at the end of the season, but said he was looking for the “perfect situation.” His final slice of hardball Eden never appeared: Lee spurned both Pittsburgh and the Yankees, then retired. 

1977 - Dale Berra stepped to the plate with two on and nobody out in the 11th and the plan was to bunt. But the Phils had the wheel play on and the Bucs had young Dale swing away. It paid off as his single to left was the walk-off bingo, scoring Al Oliver for a 5-4 Bucco win at TRS. Oliver had two hits, including a homer, with a walk. Winner Goose Gossage tossed two innings, set up by Kent Tekulve and Grant Jackson who put up zeroes in relief of Jerry Reuss.

1978 - The Pirates concluded a remarkable streak by winning their 21st game in 23 outings by a 4-1 score over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. It was their 11th straight victory, primed by Don Robinson’s five-hit, nine-whiff effort. The red hot finish was exciting but not quite enough, though, as the club finished the season in second, 1-1/2 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.

Don Robinson - 1978 Topps

1978 - LHP Frank Brooks was born in Brooklyn. The Pirates picked him up from the Phils in 2003 as part of the Mike Williams deal. He worked through AA and AAA and got the call in 2004, going 0-1/4.76. His Bucco line was blown up by two bad outings of the 11 he made; in the other nine appearances he gave up just two runs. But he was waived, got in one more MLB game the following year with Atlanta and finished out his pro career in the indie leagues.

1982 - Willie Stargell had his #8 retired in front of 38‚052 fans at Three Rivers Stadium. He had earlier announced that this campaign was his last go-around, and was honored on “Willie Stargell Day.” The traffic jam for people trying to get to the event delayed both Cap’n Willie’s pre-game ceremony and the game, as did a congratulatory call from President Ronald Reagan. The 41-year-old slugger delivered a pinch single in the Pirates' 6-1 win over the Mets. Over his 21-year career with the Pirates, he hit .282 with 2,232 hits, 475 home runs & 1,540 RBI while his clubs won six NL East titles, two NL pennants and two World Series crowns. Pops was inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1988 and was part of the first class of the Pirates HoF in 2022.

1990 - The Pirates completed a three-game brooming of the New York Mets at TRS with a 7-1 win to cap a stretch of six consecutive wins and extend their NL East lead to 3-1/2 games after beginning the streak 1/2 game back of NY. Rookie Randy Tomlin went wire-to-wire, spinning a three-hitter with six whiffs for his second MLB victory. A six-game losing streak a week later cut the edge to 1/2 game, but the Bucs took 11-of-14 at the end and won the title by four games.

1990 - RHP Mike York was born in Oak Park, Illinois. He started out as a rookie in 1990 for the Pirates, getting into four games with a 1-1/2.84 slash. York got a little more work with the Indians the following season after being traded for Mitch Webster and that was his MLB career. He did have a long shelf life in the minors, working on the farm from 1983-1998. But his Pirates stint was life changing. York was an alcoholic, and he got sober in Pittsburgh when the Bucs made his signing dependent on rehab with Sudden Sam McDowell, who after a lot of headbanging (Sam began by using a confrontational technique on York) finally got through to him, and the pair remain close to this day.

Mike York - 1991 Topps

1997 - Tony Womack went 4-for-4, scored three runs, drove in another and tied the club record with four stolen bases in Pittsburgh’s 13-4 win at Cincinnati’s Cinergy Field. Womack went on to lead the NL with 60 stolen bases that season. Shawon Dunston and Freddy Garcia added homers for the Bucs. The club scored three runs in the eighth and added four in the ninth to turn a squeaker into a laugher for Francisco Cordova. The Freak Show Pirates moved to within 2-1/2 games of the division-leading Houston Astros with the win over the Reds.

1998 - The Pirates snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 10th-inning walkoff homer by Jason Kendall to top the Cubs, 4-3, at TRS. Skipper Gene Lamont told Paul Meyer of the Post Gazette after the game that he had ironically told Kendall “Just don’t try to do too much. Don’t try for a home run. Just get a base hit. He doesn’t follow orders too well, I guess.” JK’s heroics were set up by Jose Guillen, who smacked a two-run homer to tie the game in the sixth. Chris Peters started with the victory going to Rich Loiselle.

2000 - The Pirates signed their third round draft pick, RHP Chris Young of Princeton, to a $1.65M contract. The 6’10” Young was an excellent college basketball center, but gave up the final two years of his Ivy League hoops career and a chance at the NBA draft when he accepted the lucrative Pittsburgh deal. Bucs GM Dave Littlefield traded him in 2002 to Montreal for RHP Matt Herges, a player they cut before camp broke. Young made his debut in 2004 and broke out in 2006-08, but a string of injuries that began in ‘08 scuttled his career; he’s now the Texas Rangers’ President of Baseball Operations.

2001 - 20,683 fans spun the turnstiles to set the Pirates season attendance record in PNC Park’s first year, eventually reaching 2,464,870 warm fannies to shatter the old 1991 mark of 2,065,302. That number has been topped just once, when they drew 2,498,596 in 2015. It didn’t help the cause much as the Buccos fell, 8-6, to the Reds and finished the year with a 62-100 record.

Lloyd McClendon - 2020 Topps Archives

2005 - Lloyd McClendon was let go as manager after posting a 336-446 (.430) record over five seasons. He was replaced by bench coach Pete Mackanin on an interim basis for the rest of the season, with Jim Tracy taking over the reins in 2006. Lloyd went on to become the manager for Seattle, then coach & acting/interim skipper for Detroit twice (he also managed the Tigers’ AAA Toledo club twice, too) while Pete later managed for the Reds and Phils.

2014 - The Pirates got 6-1/3 shutout innings from five different relievers to take a 5-3 victory in 11 innings to finish out a suspended game and then a 5-0 win in the scheduled contest against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Tony Watson and Mark Melancon each worked a pair of innings in the suspended match, with Mark the Shark getting the win and rookie John Holdzkom picking up the save. The Bucs iced the game, suspended from the previous night at 3-3, on a Josh Harrison single and Tony Sanchez sac fly. The nightcap was largely the work of Francisco Liriano, who worked six shutout frames with nine K, allowing only one runner to reach second. Andrew McCutchen led a balanced attack with three hits and Jordy Mercer had a pair of knocks, including a homer and two RBI.

2016 - The Pirates losing streak reached eight games with a brutal 9-7 loss to the Cardinals at PNC Park. St. Louis jumped ahead 5-0, but the Bucs rallied to take a 6-5 lead after a four-run fourth inning. Both bullpens had some shaky moments, but the score carried over into the ninth, when with two outs and facing an 0-2 count, Matt Carpenter hit a game-tying homer off Tony Watson, who then imploded, giving up a double followed by back-to-back homers. The Pittsburgh bright spot was Jung Ho Kang, who homered twice. The Bucs dropped 5-1/2 games behind the Redbirds in the race for the final wildcard with 26 games remaining and faded out of the race.

2022 - The Pirates had been playing dismal ball since the All Star break, posting a 10-30 record, but today the youngsters showed their potential at PNC Park as the Pirates defeated the Mets, 8-2. Winner Mitch Keller threw six shutout innings while Rodolfo Castro and Oneil Cruz homered (Cruz’s shot landed in the Allegheny on a hop; he finished the night a triple shy of the cycle). Adding to the pot were Jack Suwinski, who had a pair of knocks, Ke’Bryan Hayes, who was aboard twice while making a pair of glovely fielding plays, and vets Bryan Reynolds & Kevin Newman showing the way with B-Rey reaching base four times and K-Man scoring twice. The team was still in roster flux; Newman was dealt to Cincinnati and Castro was sent to Philadelphia the next season while Cruz was injured for most of the year with a broken leg suffered on a play at home.

9/5 Thru 1974: Blass Blast, Olivo Debut, Duelin', Al's Streak, Game Days, Hopp Away, Arriba TSN, The Hat SI, HBP Chris, Maz, Darby & Lefty

1883 - LHP Paul “Lefty” Leifield was born in Trenton, Illinois. From 1906 to 1911, Leifield was part of the Pirate starting rotation, winning 15 or more games each season. In 1909, he went 19-8 as Pittsburgh won the NL pennant. Lefty was a Bucco for eight years from 1905-12, and his Pirates line was 109-84/2.38 before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. In 1918, Leifield  became a player-coach for the St. Louis Browns, coaching full-time by 1920. Lefty helped take the 1922 Browns squad to the best season in team history with 93 wins (still a game shy of the Yankees who won the flag). He also coached for the Tigers and Red Sox.

1886 - 1B/3B Jimmy “Darby” Knowles was born in Toronto, Canada. He was a true journeyman, playing for six different teams during five MLB seasons from 1884-92. His Pittsburgh stop was in 1884 for the Alleghenies; he hit .231, was released in July and claimed by Brooklyn. Jimmy had a long minor league career that ended in 1897 as a 41-year-old player/manager.

1929 - Pittsburgh banged out a homer, two doubles and four three-baggers in a 10-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Redland Field. Lloyd Waner went 3-for-4 with two triples, two runs, and two RBI. His partner in crime was winning pitcher Erv Brame, who not only went the distance but also batted 3-for-4 with a homer, double, two runs scored and two runs chased home.

1936 - Bill Mazeroski was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. The Hall-of-Fame second baseman was one of the defensive wizards of his time and will be remembered forever in Pittsburgh baseball lore for his walk-off homer in the 1960 World Series. Maz had two high school fields named in his honor, belongs to several HoF’s, his number retired, a statue & street at PNC Park dedicated to him. Billy attended Pirates camp every spring as an instructor and Bucco keeper of the torch through 2020, when he was 83. He passed away in 2026 at the age of 89.

Al Lopez - 2023 Panini Prizm

1945 - The Bucs held a Honus Wagner night at Forbes Field. The Gunner MC’ed the pre-game ceremony which included old teammates, his Carnegie Elks buddies and an appearance by Al Schacht, the “Clown Prince of Baseball.” Al Lopez got some well-deserved love, too - it was his 1,794th game behind the dish, eclipsing Gabby Hartnett’s record of games caught. The Pirates could have used Hans back in the lineup, even if he was 71-years-old, as they lost to the Brooklyn Dodgers 5-3 in 10 innings before 19,504 faithful.

1950 - The Bronx Bombers bought 1B Johnny Hopp, who was second in the NL in hitting with a .340 mark, from the Pirates for an undisclosed amount of cash. Hopp was at the end of his career, and after 1950 he played as a bench piece through the 1952 season for New York and Detroit.

1958 - Bill Virdon hit a leadoff 10th-inning walkoff homer to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 win over Milwaukee in a classic pitching duel between the Braves Carlton Willey and George “Red” Witt, who tossed a five-hitter, at Forbes Field. They were both on cruise control; nobody advanced past second for either club until Virdon’s long ball. Red ran his record to 9-2 in front of 30,319 home fans. 

1960 - At the age of 41, LHP Diomedes Olivo made his MLB debut, pitching in relief of Harvey Haddix for the Pirates. The oldest rookie in NL history other than Satchel Paige, Olivo tossed two goose eggs against Milwaukee at Forbes Field, giving up a hit to Eddie Matthews and a pair of walks. The Bucs lost 7-1, splitting a doubleheader with the Braves after chasing Warren Spahn in a 9-7 win earlier in the day. Diomedes was in the show until 1963 between the Pirates and Cardinals while his brother Chi-Chi also pitched for four years for Milwaukee/Atlanta.

Diomedes Olivo - 1980 TCMA 1960 Pirates

1960 - LHP Chris Green was born in Los Angeles. The Bucs’ 1979 fourth-round pick, his MLB stay consisted of four games with the 1984 Pirates, giving up two runs in three frames. The Kentucky pitcher was sent from 1985 spring training to AAA Hawaii. He spent 1986 in his hometown Angels system and his last pro year was in ‘87 with the Baltimore Oriole organization.

1964 - Roberto Clemente was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Confidant Corsair.” Though the Pirates were a disappointing 80-82, Roberto led the NL with 211 hits, a .339 BA, an All-Star selection and Golden Glove award.

1966 - Harry “The Hat” Walker’s mug graced the cover of Sports Illustrated for the story “Pittsburgh Pirates: Very Good to Excellent,” teased as “The High Price of a Pennant.” It ended up that they were just very good; they finished 92-70, three games behind the LA Dodgers.

1969 - Steve Blass and the Pirates beat the Cubs, 9-2. Blass helped his own cause with his only MLB homer, a three-run blast off Ken Holtzman, and went 4-for-5 at the dish. His kryptonite was Billy Williams, who had all four Chicago hits, including two homers. The win was Pittsburgh's first at Wrigley Field since July 5, 1968, ending a string of 13 straight losses at the Addison Street yard.

1971 - The Pirates flexed their muscles in an 8-2 win over the Expos at TRS. Rennie Stennett was a triple shy of the cycle as was Pops, who had a homer & two-bagger among his three hits. Milt May added a long ball and Richie Hebner doubled & tripled. Billy Maz celebrated his B-Day with a pinch hit rap as Bruce Kison rolled to his fifth win with Ramon Hernandez mopping up. There were a combined 20 hits and seven walks, yet the game was done in 2:20.