Weekly Report: Swept By LA, Pitcher-Pong, SABR/TSN All-Time Teams, Seth & Termarr Done For Year, Jhostynxon On IL

Time flies - School starts next week in a bunch of places...

Pirates Stuff:

• CF Oneil Cruz returned from rehab and Yohan Ramirez from paternity leave on Monday. LHP Hunter Barco and OF Ronny Simon were optioned back to AAA Indy to clear active roster room and OF Johnathan Rodriguez, recently acquired by the Bucs from Baltimore while DFA'ed and assigned to Indy, was DFA'ed again to open up a 40-man spot for Cruz. He was claimed by the A's.
• 3B Nick Gonzales returned to the lineup after missing a couple of days following a Friday beaning last week. 
• Pin-the-tail-on-the-bullpen continued as RHP Antwone Kelly was called up and RHP Isaac Mattson optioned back to Indy. Then on Sunday with a looming bullpen game, Pittsburgh recalled RHP Khristian Curtis from Indy (he spun three shutout innings in Sunday's loss to LA) and optioned Kelly, who worked Saturday, back to AAA. 

Khristian Curtis - 2026 photo/Pirates

• The Pirates bought the contract of C Christian Bethancourt from the Yankees. he was in the Buc system in 2021 and currently was hitting .270 in AAA. He started his MLB days in 2013 and has rostered on six squads since.
• Endy Rodriguez (hip) is getting a second opinion this week and his situation is still in the air; surgery is a possibility. Konnor Griffin (finger) is on schedule; he's due for an early September return. Ryan O'Hearn (quad) is still on a six-to-eight week timetable.
• Rafael Flores became the first Pirate of the Modern Era (1901>) to hit two home runs in a game he didn't start.
• SABR selected its Integration Era (1947-'72) All-Time Team. Elroy Face was a first teamer as was Casey Stengel (as manager; he was a Pirate for a couple of years as a player); Roberto Clemente and Billy Maz made the second team, as did Donora's Stan "The Man" Musial; ditto Jim Bunning and Bobby Shantz, who both made quick stops in Pittsburgh. Wampum's Dick Allen (Wampum is outside New Castle) won a third-team spot.
• The Sporting News published its Baseball's Greatest Players - Supernovas issue; Ralph Kiner made the squad as did Chuck Klein, long-time Phillie who made a local stop in 1939.

Seth Done For The Year - 2026 photo/MLB

• Farm IL: Top prospect RHP Seth Hernandez was bumped up to the 60-day IL (oblique), ending his season. He finished 6-1/2.43 with 118 strikeouts over 74 innings/18 starts, mostly compiled at Hi-A Greensboro. 2B Termarr Johnson had knee surgery Thursday.
• OF Jhostynxon Garcia, recently optiond back to Indy, was placed on the 7-day IL, reason unspecified (SOP for minor league IL status).
• Bradenton's LHP Reinold Navarro, 19, was selected as the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week. He went five one-hit, shutout innings last week while fanning six and got himself promoted to Greensboro.

Game Stuff:

• Motown came a'calling to start the week; Carmen Mlodzinski got the opener. It was on ESPN, the first time PNC has appeared on that network since 2019. TV Land wasn't impressed - Carm was chased after three. The Bucs used a big frame to cut the gap to 8-5, the final score.
• Braxton Ashcraft drew the middle game while Oneil Cruz returned to the lineup. They both did good; Brax shoved again (eight IP, five hits, one run) and Cruz's two-run homer put the Pirates ahead for good as they evened the set with a 4-1 dub. 
• Paul Skenes took a couple of extra days off and was back in the saddle for the Detroit finale. It didn't help appreciably; he left with one out in the fifth and the Bucs in a 3-1 hole, giving up four hits, four walks and punching out five. Rafe Flores, subbed in for Hank Davis (HBP in the hand), homered in the seventh and again in the ninth to knot the score; Brandon Lowe followed with a walkoff shot an out later to make Mason Montgomery a 4-3 winner.

Oneil Cruz - 2026 Topps Wrecking Crew

• Pittsburgh got Thursday off as they're left-coasting at LA v the Dodgers starting Friday. Bubba Chandler got the ball and lasted four frames, leaving down 4-2. Oneill Cruz banged a two-run shot in the eighth to tie it up, and the Pirates had first & third with no outs in the 10th before Nick Gonzales K'ed (he earlier drove in the first two runs) and then loaded the bases with one down when Hank Davis banged into a DP. Gregory Soto had two outs and an 0-2 count with a runner on second before giving up the game-losing hit to Tommy Edman: LA 5, Pgh. 4. 
• Saturday afternoon saw Jared Jones take on Tarik Skubal. The Pirates jumped on Skubal for three runs in the first, then took a nap. JJ gave up a pair in four innings, Yohan Ramirez gave up two more in the next frame, and that was all she wrote as the Bucs fell 4-3.
• Can't score, can't win - LA 4, Pirates 0. The Bucs were held to two hits, the last in the second frame and Carmen got roughed up again for three runs in three innings. Oh well, pack 'em up and off to San Diego; when that set's done, it's a day off and a visit to St. Louis.

MLB Stuff

• RHP Ron Marinaccio lasted a week in Cincy. The Reds claimed him from the Pirates via waivers last week and then DFA'ed him on Monday after he gave up 10 runs in 5-1/3 IP. He cleared the wire and opted to become a FA; the Twins signed him to a minors deal over the weekend.
• OF Starling Marte, 37, was DFA'ed by KC ater batting .242 so far this year with two stolen sacks. He went unclaimed and was released. 

8/24 Through 1984: Jose No Cigar, Bert Earns Bucs 10th Straight, Out Of Order, Middle Flex, Game Days, Petty Goes, HBD Kevin, Al, Matty, Jewels & Billy

1881 - C George “Billy” (it was his middle name) Kelsey was born in Covington, Ohio. His MLB credentials consist of two games played for the Pirates in 1907 as a 25-year-old, going 2-for-5. He put together a nine season career with various farm clubs and later managed in the Texas League (player/manager for Oklahoma City) and the Western Association (Tulsa).

1889 - IF Jewel Winklemeyer Ens was born in St. Louis. He was with the Pirates from 1922-25, hitting .290 as a seldom used bench player/coach. Jewel then coached the Bucs from 1926-29 and 1935-39, managing the club in between from 1929-31, putting up an overall 176-167 slate while finishing second once. He also coached for the Detroit Tigers (1932), Cincinnati Reds (1933; 1941) & Boston Braves (1934), then spent eight seasons (1942–49) as manager of the Syracuse Chiefs, then the Reds' top farm club. He was elected to the International League Hall of Fame in 1950, a few months after his death. Jewel, btw, isn't a moniker - it was his given name.

1890 - OF Ralph “Matty” Mattis was born in Roxborough, Pennsylvania. Matty spent seven years in the minors as a pretty good batter with a lifetime .303 BA, but his only major league shot was in 1914 with the Federal League Pittsburgh Rebels where he hit .247 in 36 games. The pasture was a crowded place to elbow into that season; the Rebels carried, at one time or another, eight OF’ers including player/manager Rebel Oakes, the team’s namesake. 

1897 - C Al Bool was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. He played three years of big league ball, with his busiest year being in 1930 with the Pirates. He got into 78 games and hit .259, then moved to Boston in the off-season. He played one more year and retired to become a Nebraska farmer.

1921 - The Pirates, in front by 7-1/2 games with 35 to go, dropped a double dipper to the Giants at the Polo Grounds before 35,000. Art Nehf won the lid lifter, 10-2, to hand Babe Adams his first loss in 10 games while Phil Douglas took the nightcap, 7-0. Manager George Gibson called a team meeting after the losses, per the Pittsburgh Press, and “...club matters were discussed, but they were discussed in a way that hurt. Errors of omission and commission were probed down to the raw flesh…” It didn’t rally the boys; they would end up blowing the title to the Giants by four games, going 14-21 over their final 35 contests.

George Grantham - 1928 Strip Card

1928 - The Pirates romped over the NY Giants 16-5 at Forbes Field. The middle of the Pittsburgh order - Paul Waner, George Grantham and Pie Traynor - pounded out seven hits, including a homer and three triples, drove in 11 runs and scored six more to rev the engine. Every Pirates position player had at least two hits as the Bucco lineup banged out 19 knocks. It made for an easy day’s work for the winning pitcher, Burleigh Grimes, who notched his 22nd dub.

1930 - The Pirates sold LHP Jesse Petty to the Cubs. He was part of the return for SS Glenn Wright (Buc manager Donie Bush was a Petty fan, having coached him in the minors), and The Silver Fox (he had prematurely graying hair) was solid in his first season, with 11 wins and a 3.77 ERA for 1929. He got off to a rough start for the Bucs in 1930 and was shipped to Chicago. He pitched a little better though not very often in the Windy City, and it ended up his last MLB campaign. Petty then pitched and managed through the mid-30s in the minors.

1956 - The Cards defeated the Pirates 6-2 at Busch Stadium in a game notable for its batting order. Manager Bobby Bragan batted the pitcher seventh, Maz eighth and Hank Foiles ninth. Mazeroski went 1-for-3 while Foiles homered. Pitcher Fred Waters went 0-for-3, undermining Bragan’s brainstorm . Bragan used the ploy next season and then it wouldn’t be repeated in Pittsburgh again until 2008 when John Russell penciled in Paul Maholm to bat eighth, ahead of Jack Wilson, in a nod to youth ball “double leadoff” lineups.

1959 - Bob Friend gave up 12 hits, but went the distance to shut out SF‚ 6-0. He struck out eight and stranded a dozen G-Men at Forbes Field, backed by a pair of Rocky Nelson homers. Nelson had three hits, three RBI and three runs scored; Dick Groat also posted a trio of raps.

Bert Blyleven - 1978 Hostess

1978 - The Pirates won their 10th game in a row by dropping the Braves 5-1 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in a matchup of future Hall-of-Famers Bert Blyleven and Phil Niekro. Bert not only pitched his way to victory, but his two-out, bases-loaded double in the seventh cleared the sacks to break a 0-0 tie. Pittsburgh dropped the next two games, then started a fresh 11-game winning streak. But in the end, the Pirates couldn’t catch up to the Phils, who won the division by 1-1/2 games over the 88-73 Buccos. The race went to the wire, with Philly clinching the crown with a 10-8 win over Pittsburgh in the campaign’s next-to-last game.

1980 - RHP Kevin Correia was born in San Diego. He signed as a FA with the Pirates and slashed 11-7/4.01 before the 2011 break and was named to the All-Star team for the first (and only) time of his career, but faded during the stretch. Correia became a long man/sixth starter in 2012 after Wandy Rodriguez was picked up at the deadline, although KC was on a five-game winning streak. He was the first Pirates' pitcher since Pascual Perez in 1981 to start a game one day after appearing in relief when he volunteered to take the hill rather than have the Pirates call up a minor-league starter in 2012, losing the start 3-1. Kevin signed a two-year deal with the Minnesota Twins following that season after going 24-22/4.49 in his two Pirates campaigns, and tossed his last game in 2015 for the Philadelphia Phillies to end a 13-year MLB career.

1982 - The Bucs looked out of it, down to San Diego by a 5-1 count after six at Three Rivers Stadium, but they kept chipping away. They got a pair back in the seventh when a Padre error opened the gate, cut the lead to one in the eighth on Tony Pena & Johnny Ray doubles, and then tied it in the ninth with some flair when Bill Madlock stroked a two-out homer off Gary Lucas. The Friars stranded a pair in both the 10th and 11th frames, with SS Dale Berra making a play in the hole to save a run. The Pirates walked it off in the 11th after Lee Lacy singled, stole second, tagged to third and came in with two outs on Pena’s bouncer up the middle. Lee and Tony led the hit parade with three raps each while Kent Tekulve faced one batter in the final frame for the win.

1984 - Jose DeLeon went into the seventh inning against the Reds pitching a no-hitter, but lost it and the game when ex-Buc Dave Parker singled in a run to give Cincy the lead and eventual 2-0 win at TRS behind a three-hitter by Jeff Russell. Parker had the only Cincinnati hit.

8/24 From 1985: Grilled Win, Bashin', Freaky, Team Mixers, Aim Hi, Game Days, Riccardo Signs, Ruben Rumor, '24 Pgh HoF

1987 - Peter Gammon wrote in Sports Illustrated that GM Syd Thrift called a team meeting for his young and underachieving Pirate club (53-71) and asked the team to set goals. Reliever Jim Gott suggested aiming for 25 wins in the final 38 games. “Be realistic,” Thrift replied. It ended up that Gott was indeed a bit unrealistic - the team won 27 down the stretch, starting a seven-game winning streak that night with a 5-4 win over the Reds and Gott earned the save. The Pirates “Drive For 25” hot streak allowed them to finish the season with a competitive 80-82 slate, though they were still a couple of seasons away from contention under Jim Leyland.

1989 - The Pirates dropped the Houston Astros 3-2 in 14 frames at Three Rivers Stadium. Doug Drabek tossed a nine-inning two-hit gem that was tainted by two unearned runs due to three Bucco errors. Doug Bair got the win after Jose Lind’s bonus time sac fly brought home Gary Redus; the offensive catalyst was Barry Bonds, who scored and drove in a run earlier.

1992 - Knight-Ridder News reported that the Pirates were considered the frontrunners to land Texas Ranger rental OF Ruben Sierra, an All-Star hitting .278 w/14 HR. He was in the walk year of his contract and would be owed $1.35M for the rest of the year. Ruben was a right fielder, a spot the Pirates were filling by committee, and even wore #21 in honor of his countryman, Roberto Clemente, but he ultimately went to Oakland as part of a big trade package for Jose Canseco. The major hitch was that Texas wanted SS Carlos Garcia, and the Pirates were reluctant to deal a top prospect for a one-and-done player.

1993 - The Pirates visited LA and were clocked at Dodger Stadium by a 13-4 count. But there was a highlight film moment, albeit more appropriate for the WWF than MLB, when Jim Leyland showed more spunk than his club. It started when Kevin Gross hit Kevin Young high, in the neck/head area. Bob Walk later went old school and plunked Gross when he batted. Walkie was ejected with no warning, and Leyland visited the ump, Bruce Froemming, to argue that chain of events. Leyland was ejected, too, then chased down Gross. Jim launched a punch (and keep in mind that Gross was 6’5”, 220 lbs) to kindle a bench-clearing mixer. Froemming grabbed the Pirates skipper and Don Slaught put a hug on Gross, allowing peace in the valley to again reign.

Put 'Em Up - 8/25/1993 photo Press/Eric Draper/AP

1997 - The “Freak Show” Pirates were on a roll after sweeping the San Francisco Giants at Three Rivers Stadium, having won 9-of-12 games to claw their way to within three games of first. The Post Gazette had them featured above the fold on the front page and wrote “And what is this strange ailment suddenly gripping Western Pennsylvania...Pennant fever?” Alas, though it was a precursor of Buctober a couple of decades later, the Corsairs hit their high point on September 2nd when they got within a 1-1/2 games of first place, only to fade and finish in second, five games off the pace.

1998 - LHP Ricardo Rincon signed a two-year/$1.25M contract - his current deal was worth $245K - with incentives that could push the package to $2M if he was used as a back-end reliever rather than a set up man. The agreement was a few weeks away from becoming Cleveland’s decision; they traded for Ricardo during the winter, sending the Bucs Brian Giles.

2002 - The Milwaukee Brewers pounded out 20 hits against the Buccos at PNC Park but it was for naught as the Pirates out-slugged the Brew Crew, 17-10. Pittsburgh coasted with a 16-hit attack of their own and were up, 7-2, after three frames and 14-3 after seven innings. The Pirates had seven multi-hit performances, led by Brian Giles with three knocks, and banged out nine two-baggers and a pair of homers (Craig Wilson, Armando Rios) as every Pittsburgh starter scored (Pokey Reese & Rob Mackowiak touched home three times) and all but one chased home runs (Craig Wilson four RBI, Giles and Jason Kendall three). Kip Wells got the win with the help of three relievers. The Pirates banged out eight doubles, and three players (Pokey Reese, Brian Giles and Abraham Nunez) had a pair each, a feat not repeated again until 2025.

2005 - The Pirates were clobbered 8-3 by the Cards at PNC Park, but staged a much more competitive show before the gates opened. As the two teams were changing over during batting practice, 2-1/2 hours before the game, Redbird coach Dave Duncan chirped at Pirates reliever Rick White, who had buzzed Hector Luna earlier in the set after a hard Luna slide into Jose Castillo tore up his knee. Lloyd McClendon took exception at the barking, the pair became animated during their discussion, and Bucco coach Gerald Perry stepped between the duo, eventually popping Duncan in the jaw. Dunc and St. Louis reliever Ray King were both dragged away from the escalating brouhaha, and peace was restored under the watchful eye of four bemused city cops (there was no ump intervention; the dance was over before they arrived in the yard). 

X-Man - 2007 Topps

2007 - The Pirates’ Xavier Nady hit a two-out homer to tie the game in the ninth off Brad Lidge and then the Bucs erupted in the 15th inning to take an 8-3 victory from the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Adam LaRoche’s three-run shot in the 15th off Travis Driskill was the big blow. Shane Youman picked up the win after two innings of scoreless relief with four K against Houston. Six Pirates relievers tossed eight shutout frames, giving up just six hits and striking out eight. The Nady-Lidge result was deja vu all over again from Opening Day in Houston, when the X-Man swatted a two-out, ninth-inning bomb to knot the score in a game that the Pirates went on to wrest from the ‘Stros in the 10th frame.

2011 - Jason Grilli spun 2-2/3 scoreless innings in relief of starter Aaron Thompson to pick up his first win with the Pirates, beating the Brewers at PNC Park 2-0. Jose Veras tossed a 1-2-3 eighth while Joel Hanrahan struck out the side with a walk and hit in the final frame to add some drama to his 32nd save. Andrew McCutchen scored Jose Tabata with a sac fly in the opening inning while Neil Walker added the insurance with another sac fly in the fourth to plate Josh Harrison. The pitchers reigned as the Bucs had four hits on the day and Milwaukee posted five.

2019 - After going 8-30 after the All-Star break and falling deep into the cellar, the Pirates showed signs of life against the Cincinnati Reds. The club scored twice in the ninth inning to walkoff Cincy 3-2 while the night before the Bucs unloaded the lumber in a 14-0 romp at PNC Park. Colin Moran smacked a pinch-hit grand slam, Josh Bell swatted a three-run four-bagger and Kevin Newman reached base five times with three raps and a pair of free passes to lead the tidal wave. Trevor Williams scattered three hits over six innings with three guys behind him spinning shutout ball. The Corsairs followed up by jumping to an early lead in the third game of the set the next afternoon to broom the Redlegs 9-8 for their first series sweep since downing San Diego in June.

2024 - Barry Bonds (two-time NL-MVP), Jim Leyland (three division titles & 851 wins) and Manny Sanguillen (two-time World Series champ & three-time All-Star) were presented as the 2024 class of inductees of the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony before playing the Reds. They threw out the first pitch(es) and then partied to a Zambelli’s post game fireworks display. Their entry brought the three-year-old Pirates HoF roster up to 26 members. Alas, it failed to inspire the current club, who dropped a 10-2 decision to Cincinnati at PNC Park.

8/23: Rally Time, All In A Row, Z-onkers, Scoops & Arriba 5-ers, Quail Six-Pack, Carey Counts, Clarke Gun, Howie - 1/2 No-No, Game Days, HBD Bill, Tyler, Denny & Guy

1901 - RHP Guy “Mississippi Mudcat” Bush was born in Aberdeen, Mississippi. Guy worked in 1935-36 for Pittsburgh toward the end of his 17-year career, posting a line of 12-14-4/4.46 in 57 outings. He started in his first season and was converted to the pen in his second; that didn’t go so well and he was released in July. He did make the record books with the Bucs, though - he served up Babe Ruth’s final two home runs at Forbes Field in 1935 with the Bambino’s last dinger being the first ever to clear the right-field roof. He got his nickname from Chicago sportswriters who liked to describe him as a homespun backwoods boy.

1907 - Howie Camnitz threw a five-inning, complete game no-hitter (although not even earning an asterisk as it didn’t go the required nine innings) with four walks against the New York Giants Mike Lynch, who only surrendered two singles, at the Polo Grounds. The game was the nitecap of a doubleheader. After the first match went extra innings (the Pirates won 4-2 in 10 frames behind Sam Leever and Honus Wagner’s three hits), the teams agreed to the shortened, five-frame second game. Pittsburgh took the truncated nightcap by a 1-0 tally.

1910 - Despite manager and LF’er Fred Clarke’s four assists from the outfield, the Bucs fell 6-2 to the Philadelphia Phillies at Forbes Field. Clarke’s four toss-outs - one at home, another at third, and two more at second - set an individual NL record. He also made a sweet running catch in the eighth inning to take away extra bases from John Titus. Chief Wilson joined in with an assist from RF, bringing the team's total to five, which tied the NL single-game mark.

1924 - Leadoff man Max Carey scored the middle run in a 3-2 win by the Bucs over the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. It started a franchise-record 15-game scoring streak that saw him score 21 times; Maxie hit .426 with a .500 OBP while the Pirates went 11-4 during the stretch. 

1959 - The Pirates swept a doubleheader from the Dodgers, beating Don Drysdale in both games. As a starter, Drysdale lost the opener 9-2, lasting 2-2/3 frames, then relieved in the nitecap, taking a 4-3 loss in the 10th inning. ElRoy Face won his 16th of the year without a loss in the second game, equaling Cal Hubbell's (1936) and Ewell Blackwell's (1947) record streaks. Bill Virdon had six straight hits, went 6-for-8 and scored & drove in three runs during the day.

Bill Virdon - 1959 Topps

1970 - Roberto Clemente had his second straight five-hit game against Los Angeles, the first 20th century major leaguer to collect 10 hits in consecutive games (per Bill Christine of the Press, skipper Danny Murtaugh said: “Ten hits in two games! When I was playing, it would take me three or four weeks to get that many.”) Clemente banged a homer, double, three RBI and scored four runs in the 11-0 win at Dodger Stadium. Bill Mazeroski added four raps while Freddy Patek, Matty Alou and Manny Sanguillen each had three knocks as the Buccos collected 23 hits against the Angelinos. Steve Blass cruised to the victory, tossing a complete game four-hitter with eight whiffs. Roberto’s record only lasted until 1975 before Rennie Stennett tied the mark, beginning with his 7-hit game.

1971 - Al Oliver was hot, going 5-for-6 against the Braves with two homers, four runs scored and five RBI in a 15-4 Pirates romp at Atlanta Stadium, falling a double shy of the cycle (in the ninth, he swatted his second homer instead of a two-bagger; we suspect that he considered it a fair trade-off). Roberto Clemente added three hits, including a long ball, while four more Bucs had two raps each. Bob Moose got the win though Nellie Briles had to pick up the final four frames. It was the second game of a twilight doubleheader. The Pirates won the opener 4-3 behind a Steve Blass/Dave Giusti combo on the hill and Manny Sanguillen, who had a pair of runs and RBI to carry the offense.

1975 - Richie Zisk went 4-for-4 with a homer, a double and a sac fly to drive home six runs, but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Pirates gifted the Giants seven unearned runs in the fifth inning to drop a 12-7 decision at TRS. With two outs and two on, Joe Morgan’s grounder ticked off Rennie Stennett’s mitt and the floodgates opened - three pitchers, three walks, two hits and a wild pitch later, the G-Men had overrun Bruce Kison and company. 

1977 - It was a back-and-forth game to the very end: up by a run with Goose Gossage on the bump in the ninth, Padre Gene Tenace launched a two-out solo homer to tie the game after the Pirates had rallied for the lead in the eighth. But Al Oliver had an answer when he led off the Bucco half with a blast off Rollie Fingers to give the Pirates a 7-6 win over San Diego at TRS. Scoops and Dave Parker had a pair of hits each and Bill Robinson added a two-run long ball to give the Goose a blown save/victory. It was also announced that Willie Stargell would have surgery on his elbow and he’d be lost for the rest of the season after having already spent six weeks on the DL. He bounced back after the procedure during the next campaign, landing an All-Star berth in ‘78. 

Denny Bautista - 2008 Topps

1980 - RHP Denny Bautista was born in Sanchez, Dominican Republic. He was the epitome of a journeyman, tossing for six teams in seven MLB years while slashing 11-15/5.88. The Pirates traded with Detroit for him in 2008 in exchange for a minor leaguer, and from 2008-09, his Pittsburgh line was 5-4/5.89 in 49 outings. The 6’5” reliever moved on to the Giants in 2010 for his last big league campaign, and closed out his pro years in Korea and Mexico. 

1988 - Dave LaPoint tossed a five-hitter and Andy Van Slyke drilled a two-run homer in the seventh to carry the Bucs to a 2-0 win over Cincinnati at TRS. LaPoint and Norm Charlton traded zeroes until the AVS bomb. After the Bucs scored, the Red staged a two-out rally in the eighth to chase LaPoint, but Jim Gott came on to save the day. LaPoint ended up a rental who went 4-2/2.77 for the Bucs in the stretch, with this being his sole shutout start. 

1993 - RHP Tyler Glasnow was born in Newhall, California. Glasnow was the Pirates 5th round pick in the 2011 draft and the prep star gave up a ride to the University of Portland by signing for a $600 K. Tyler dominated in the minors and was a consensus Top 25 Prospect, getting his first call to the show in 2016. He broke camp with the club the following year but was sent back to Indy in June after being batted around in the rotation and got 13 starts with the big club in 2017. He was sent to Tampa Bay in 2018 as part of the Chris Archer deal after working out of the Bucco bullpen and became a poster boy for change-of-scenery swaps. He’s been held back by annual injuries and now is with the Dodgers.

1994 - OF Billy McKinney was born in Dallas. He was a first-round pick (#24) of Oakland in 2013 as a prep player. He never cracked a lineup as a regular (his .209 career BA marked him as a AAAA talent), and the Pirates, who got him for cash from the Yankees in the 2023-24 off season, were his seventh MLB team. He was called up by the Bucs in August, then was released and claimed by the Mets, who also let him go. Bill then signed on with the Rangers for the 2025 campaign and became a free agent after the year but didn’t find any ‘26 takers.

Tony McKnight - 2002 Fleer

2001 - The Pirates defeated the Diamondbacks 5-1 in front of 30,784 at PNC Park, despite a 16-strikeout performance by Randy Johnson, who became the first pitcher in history to fan 300 batters in four straight seasons. Johnson only gave up six hits, but he walked nine batters in the loss to Tony McKnight and the bullpen. The big blows off the Big Unit were a two-run homer by Kevin Young and two-run pinch-hit double by Keith Osik, both in the seventh. Brian Giles also went deep for his 30th long ball, his third of four consecutive 30-homer campaigns. 

2002 - The Pirates were down 3-2 in the seventh against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, and it had been a frustrating day - they had left the bases loaded with two gone in the first and with nobody out in the sixth. They looked destined to fall into the same trap once again in the seventh when Pittsburgh juiced the bases with no outs just to have Craig Wilson and Kevin Young fan. Adam Hyzdu came to the rescue; he popped an 0-1 pitch into the stands for his third long ball in four games (Adam’s granny broke a string of 11 straight solo bombs by the Pirates) to give the Bucs a lead they wouldn’t lose. The bullpen was nearly flawless; Mike Lincoln got the win, Brian Boehringer the hold and Mike Williams notched his 36th save as they tossed four scoreless frames, giving up just two hits, to carry home the 6-3 victory.

2014 - The Pirates 4-5-6 hitters (Neil Walker, Russ Martin & Pedro Alvarez) went 7-for-11 with three walks, two doubles, three homers, six runs scored and 10 RBI to help rough up the Milwaukee Brewers 10-2 at Miller Park. Alvarez hit a pair of opposite field homers after a six-week long ball drought, one of them coming back-to-back following Martin’s blast into the bullpen. Edinson Volquez got the win with clutch pitching - he gave up 11 hits in 5-2/3 IP, but stranded runners at second & third with no outs once and later in the game worked out of a bases loaded jam with one out against Ryan Braun & Aramis Ramirez coming up.

2016 - The first six Pirates batters hit safely against Houston’s Joe Musgrove - Adam Frazier (single), Matt Joyce (double), Andrew McCutchen (double), Gregory Polanco (single), David Freese (single) & Josh Bell (single) - before Bell was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double, and the Bucs scored four times on the way to a 7-1 victory at PNC Park. Ivan Nova tossed a complete game six-hitter on 98 pitches, losing a shutout in the ninth inning, while Polanco launched a pair of home runs. It was the first time since 1975 that the Pirates strung together that many knocks to open a game when the first eight Buccos banged out hits. Despite that soft rookie outing, Musgrove joined the Pirates as a major piece of the 2018 Gerrit Cole trade package with the ‘Stros, then in turn becoming the centerpiece of a 2021 swap with San Diego.

J-Hay celbrates walkoff homer: 8-22-2017 photo/Pirates

2017 - The Dodgers Rich Hill took a perfect game into the ninth inning at PNC Park and a no-hitter into the 10th; both went by the wayside as the Pirates prevailed in an unlikely 1-0 victory. The perfecto was lost on Logan Forsythe’s error while the no-no, shutout, and game were deep-sixed by Josh Harrison’s leadoff walkoff homer in overtime. Trevor Williams matched zeroes with him through eight innings without the style points - he gave up seven hits, four walks and bopped a batter, but stranded nine runners thanks to a pair of DPs and a throw-out on the bases. Felipe Rivero and Juan Nicasio kept the Trolley Dodgers at bay for the win. Game factoids: J-Hay is the first and so far only player to end a no-hit bid with a walkoff HR. On the bump, Hill became just the second pitcher to lose a no-hitter via a walk off hit, joining the original Heartbreak Kid, the Pirates’ Harvey Haddix, who lost his perfect game in 1959 in the 13th inning. Going into the game, the Pirates had scored five or more runs in seven straight games for the first time since 1996, so Hill was spinning his magic against a tea on a roll.

2019 - A couple of “up” outings by a pair of Pirates pitchers who had decidedly up-and-down seasons and a ninth-inning uprising carried the Bucs to a 3-2 win over the Reds at PNC Park. Mitch Keller struck out nine in six innings, but left runners on first and third with no outs during a 1-1 game for Michael Feliz in the seventh. It took Feliz 12 pitches to retire the next three Redlegs swinging. Cincy edged ahead in the eighth, but the Pirates lit it up in the ninth. Four of the five batters hit safely - the only out was a sac bunt - with Adam Frazier’s rap tying the game and Pablo Reyes' single walked it off to give Felipe Vazquez the victory.

2024 - The Pirates equaled their largest comeback of the season, brushing off an early five-run deficit to rally for a 6-5 dub over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park. The Bucs small-balled a four-run fifth, and then Bryan De La Cruz chased home the lead run in the sixth. The club posted eight hits; seven of them were in the fifth/sixth innings, when they scored all their runs. The bullpen stood tall behind Bailey Falter, with Dennis Santana putting up two zeroes for the win, Aroldis Chapman striking out the side in the eight to give him 1,226 K, fourth most among relievers, and David Bednar, working through a bumpy few weeks, holding on for his 23rd save after allowing the first two batters to reach base, but stranding Reds at first and third at the end.

8/22 Through the 1960s: Big 3, Hammerin' Hans, Swatfest, Tom & Vic Gems, Game Days, 50/50, Long Series, K-City, HBD Doug, Lyle, Swats, Howie & Ned

1857 - CF and manager Ned Hanlon was born in Montville, Connecticut. He played in 1889 and 1891 for the Pirates, hitting .252 with a year in between spent as a Pittsburgh Burgher in the Players League where he hit .278. He was a player/manager all three years, and “Foxy Ned” was credited with coming up with tactics such as the hit-and-run and the Baltimore chop. Hanlon was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans’ Committee in 1996.

1881 - RHP Howie Camnitz was born in Covington, Kentucky. The curveballer pitched nine seasons for Pittsburgh (1904-13), going 116-84 with a 2.63 ERA and posting three 20-win seasons. Camnitz was a member of the 1909 World Series club and spun 240+ innings for seven consecutive years. He finished his career by pitching a couple of years in the upstart Federal League for the Pittsburgh Rebels, earning his release in 1915 after a hotel fight (and a fading arm). Howie factoids: He was called “Rosebud” as a kid because of his red hair, tossed a curfew-shortened five inning no-hitter in 1907, was an early Bucco brother act with his sib Harry in 1909 and finally, became a car salesman after he retired.

1881 - 1B Harry “Swats” Swacina was born in St. Louis. Harry played the first two years (1907-08) of his four-year career (he played a couple of seasons in the Federal League) with Pittsburgh as a bench guy, batting .210 but earning a rep as a gold-glove defender. Per Brian McKenna’s book “Early Exits,” it wasn’t Swacina’s weak bat that ended his big league stay; it was a nasty letter to owner Barney Dreyfuss complaining about club practices that in effect got him blackballed. Swacina did carve out a long pro ball career from 1901-23 before he finally hung up the spikes. We assume his nickname is the shorthand form of his last name.

1893 - RHP Lyle Bigbee was born in Waterloo, Oregon. A farm boy with an imposing build, Lyle was a three-sports star at Oregon. Then he worked in the shipyards and the service before beginning his brief MLB career. In 1920, he worked for the Philadelphia A’s and the next year the Pirates brought him up from the minors where he joined his brother, Carson. The curveball whiz worked just eight IP for the Bucs, albeit with a 1.13 ERA, and was cast loose. His control was always an issue (he walked 29 hitters in 53 big league innings) and never made it back to the majors. He retired at age 30, playing semi-pro ball (he was a decent hitter & played some OF) while working as a farmer, watchman and in the shipyards for his daily bread.

Lyle Bigbee - 1922 American Caramel

1903 - The Pirates beat the last place Phillies 7-4 in the second game of a doubleheader sweep at Philadelphia. With that win, the Pirates had 1,409 wins and 1,409 losses since playing MLB in 1882, originally as the Alleghenys of the major league American Association (one of a couple of recognized-by-some Pittsburgh baseball birthdays). Even with several storm-tossed decades of losing ball, since the opener of that twin bill the Bucco franchise hadn’t dipped below .500 overall until 2025 and yo-yos back & forth now. 

1906 - Vic Willis edged the New York Giants’ Christy Mathewson 2-1 in a duel at Exposition Park. After falling behind in the first inning, the Pirates evened the score in the fifth on two errors followed by two walks, then took the marbles in the ninth when Claude Ritchey walked, was bunted to second, and scored with two down on Fred Clarke’s double to right center.

1907 - As the Pittsburgh Press reported “It was a regular swatfest from start to finish, the Buccaneers having no mercy...but hammering the ball to all corners of the lot” in a 20-5 win over the NY Giants at the Polo Grounds. George Gibson, Ed Abbaticchio and Alan Storke had four hits each while Tommy Leach and Fred Clarke had three. Lefty Leifield cruised to the win.

1910 - Honus Wagner led the Bucs to a 6-2 & 8-4 doubleheader sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies at Forbes Field, going 7-for-7 with two homers, three doubles and a sac fly. The Bucs set a record in the second game by being the first MLB team to hit three homers in an inning when pitcher Howie Camnitz (on his b-day), Vin Campbell and Hans connected. It was Camnitz’s only MLB home run, and some credit the outburst to the debut of the new cork-center NL ball.

Honus Wagner - 199 Brunner's Bread

1912 - Hans Wagner hit for the cycle in an 8-6 loss to the NY Giants at Forbes Field in the nightcap of a Forbes Field doubleheader played in front of 27,000 fans, a sell out. At the time, Hans was the oldest player in the league at age 40. In the twin bill's opener, Howie Camnitz out pitched Christy Mathewson for a 3-2 victory, with Hans going 3-for-4. On the day, the Dutchman had seven hits, scored five runs, plated four Buccos, and swiped two sacks.

1917 - The Pirates lost the longest game (by innings) that they ever played 6-5 in 22 frames to the Brooklyn Robins at Ebbets Field despite Carson Bigbee’s six hits (Bigbee set the MLB record with 11 at-bats in a single game). The game was the longest in National League history to that point. Poor Elmer Jacobs tossed 16-2/3 innings, giving up one run - and lost. The teams only used two pitchers each, and it took four hours and 19 minutes to complete the contest. The match was, as fate would have it, the opener of a double header; the second game went two innings before being called for darkness. It was the fourth straight extra-inning game for Pittsburgh, and third against Brooklyn. The Pirates set an overtime record by playing a total of 59 innings in those four games.

1925 - Pittsburgh swept a doubleheader from the second place NY Giants by 8-1 and 2-1 scores at the Polo Grounds behind the pitching of Lee Meadows and Vic Aldridge to take a five game lead in the NL race. Kiki Cuyler had three hits, including a homer, three RBI and two runs scored in the opener, while Glenn Wright’s two-run homer in the seventh was the difference in the nitecap. The Pirates pulled away from the Giants and won the pennant by 8-1/2 games.

1928 - The Bucs big three of Paul Waner, Lloyd Waner and Pie Traynor led Pittsburgh to a 10-3 win over the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. Big Poison and Pie had three hits and three RBI apiece while the Waner brothers each scored three runs. Erv Brame tossed a six-hitter for the win.  

Doug Bair - 1990 Homers

1949 - RHP Doug Bair was born in Defiance, Ohio. Doug was a second round pick of the Bucs in 1971 out of Bowling Green University, beginning and finishing his 15-year career in Pittsburgh. The middle reliever tossed here for a minute in 1976 as a rookie and closed out his 15-year career in 1989-90 with the Pirates, posting a Bucco line of 2-3-1/3.12 in 70 outings.

1952 - Ralph Kiner found a letter threatening his life unless $6,200 was stashed in a cab the next evening. Ralph called the police and then went out and hit his 27th homer of the year. He was under police guard for a while, and though the authorities suspected and questioned a taxi driver who they believed cooked up the plot, no one was ever charged and the case went cold.

1962 - Tom Sturdivant’s knuckler fluttered its way past the Colt .45 bats for eight whiffs as he tossed a three-hit, complete game whitewash against Houston at Forbes Field, winning 3-0. Bob Skinner’s two-run triple followed by Roberto Clemente’s sac fly in the third provided all the Bucco runs. Clemente preserved Snake’s shutout (he also had an outstanding curveball) by making a wall-crashing grab of Jim Pendleton’s ninth-inning drive with a runner on second.

1969 - Dock Ellis became the third straight Bucco starter to strike out 10 or more hitters in a game for the first time in club history when he K’ed 10 in a 8-2 win over Cincinnati at Forbes Field in front of 28,184 rooters, the biggest baseball crowd in Oakland since Opening Day. Roberto Clemente tripled and had four RBI while Al Oliver added a homer. The streak started when Luke Walker whiffed 11 in a 5-1 win against Houston on the 19th, followed by Bob Veale winning a 1-0 decision with 10 punch outs the next day against Denny Lemaster and the Astros, with both performances also tossed at Forbes Field. The whiff run ended in the second game of a twilight doubleheader when Steve Blass and Bruce Dal Canton came close but only could punch out nine, though the result was still good - the Bucs swept the twin bill by a 5-3 score on rookie Oliver’s two-run, ninth-inning walk off homer to extend their winning streak to six games.

8/22 From 1970: Candy & Nellie Gems, Boom Josh & Sid, Game Days, RIP Alfredo, Bucs HoF, Gregory Goes, HBD Chris & Drew

1970 - The Pirates beat Los Angeles 2-1 in 16 innings at Dodger Stadium. Roberto Clemente went 5-for-7 and scored the winning run when he led off the 16th with a single, stole second and came in on Jerry May’s two-out knock to left. Four Pirate pitchers scattered seven hits, with Bruce Dal Canton getting the win, but they kept it interesting by issuing 11 walks; they even allowed LA pitcher Don Sutton to steal the only base of his career. The Dodgers refused the visitor’s generosity, though - LA went 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

1972 - Nellie Briles tossed a one-hitter, giving up just a two-out, seventh-inning single to Ken Henderson, a high liner off of Willie Stargell’s mitt, to beat Juan Marichal and the SF Giants 1-0 at Candlestick Park. The game’s only score came in the first when Roberto Clemente reached on a two-out, two-base throwing error by 2B Tito Fuentes and came home on Pops’ double. Henderson was the only Giant baserunner; Briles didn’t walk anyone and whiffed six during his gem.

1974 - A sad day in Pirates history. The Salem Pirates of the Carolina League were playing the Rocky Mount Phillies at Salem's Municipal Stadium. Right fielder Alfredo Edmead charged in on a Texas League bloop, while 2B Pablo Cruz drifted back for the play. Edmead collided with Cruz - who, coincidentally, had signed Edmead to his first pro contract moonlighting as a part-time scout for the Pirates - striking his head on Cruz's knee, knocking Edmead unconscious. Phillies pitcher Jim Meerpohl related the incident to The Sporting News: "Cruz was seated on the ground, rolling up his pant leg, still very much in pain, but then we saw he had a knee brace, the old-fashioned kind with steel braces on each side. That damned steel had been like an axe to Edmead's head, with his left side of his skull from the frontal lobe across the top to the back of his skull sliced open about three-quarters of an inch and the bleeding was horrific." Edmead died an hour later from massive brain trauma and loss of blood at Lewis-Gale Hospital in Salem. At the age of 17, Edmead remains the youngest death of any professional baseball player in history, per Wiki. Still haunted, Cruz told Peter Gammons of Sports Illustrated in 2018 that “I have prayed for Alfredo every day since that night. I didn’t know that night how it happened. But it happened, and every day I think about Alfredo, I say a prayer for him, I grieve for him.”

Richie Zisk - 1975 Kelloggs 3-D Super Stars

1975 - Pittsburgh swept the Reds in a doubleheader at TRS by 7-2 and 4-2 tallies. In the opener, Richie Zisk homered twice and Rennie Stennett had three hits to support Larry Demery. John Candelaria spun a four-hitter in the second game, backed by homers smoked off the bats of Dave Parker and Richie Hebner. Both teams would go on to win their divisions, with the 108-win Reds sweeping the NLCS against the Bucs and then winning the World Series against the BoSox.

1979 - The Pirates scored twice in the seventh and added two more in the eighth to rally past the SF Giants at TRS, 8-6. Tim Foli had four RBI, and his two-out, two-run single up the middle drove in the winning runs in the eighth. Dave Parker also collected his 1,000th hit. Kent Tekulve, the last of four Pirate pitchers, got the win after tossing two scoreless innings of relief.

1982 - Charley Feeney of the Post Gazette wrote “Two bloops by the Pirates and one blooper by the Dodgers in the 14th inning capped a 4-3 win for the Bucs at Three Rivers Stadium.” The bloops were by Mike Easler and Dale Berra and the blooper made by LA’s Pedro Guerrero, who after a long run let Berra’s dink get past him, allowing The Hit Man to score the winning run. Easler had three hits while Berra and Jason Thompson had two apiece. Don Robinson, who worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the 14th (LA stranded 13 runners), got the win. He followed Rick Rhoden, Enrique Romo, Rod Scurry and Kent Tekulve in the four-hour game. Richie Hebner started in right field, the first time he played an MLB game in the pasture. Chuck Tanner used The Gravedigger there 20 more times during the season to get his bat in the lineup.

1986 - The Pirates “Salute to the City” promo night at TRS looked more like a salute to Atlanta as the Braves jumped off to a 4-0 lead after seeing just 15 first-inning pitches from starter Larry McWilliams. But Jim Winn (who won) and Barry Jones combined to toss 8-2/3 frames of one-run ball (Pat Clements got the other out) and the bats came alive. Pittsburgh tied the game quickly, also plating four runs in the first, and then iced it when they tallied eight times in the sixth inning to surge a 16-5 romp. Sid Bream led the charge, going 5-for-5 with a homer, five RBI and four runs scored, getting a curtain call from the faithful (their love would later change). Johnny Ray had three knocks and scored four times, Jim Morrison went deep with three hits/three runs driven home, and RJ Reynolds also chased home three runs. 27,517 fans were in the house and got to see old Bucco skipper/current Brave manager Chuck Tanner get the thumb after starting a losing rhubarb with plate ump Tom Hallion during the Pirates sixth inning explosion.

Sid Bream - 1986 Topps

1990 - RHP Drew Hutchison was born in Lakeland, Florida. Drew was the return for Francisco Liriano plus minor leaguers Reese McGuire and Harold Ramirez in a 2016 contract-dump deadline deal with Toronto. He got into six games that year with no decisions and a 5.56 ERA, spent 2017 at AAA Indianapolis and then was DFA’ed at the end of the year. He bounced around and last played in 2024 in Mexico. McGuire was released by the White Sox in 2026 while Ramirez played for five MLB clubs and is now plying his trade in Mexico.

1990 - RHP Chris Stratton was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. A first round pick of the Giants in 2010, he went 15-14/4.63 for SF from 2016-18, then was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2019. He was beat up there, DFA’ed, and purchased by the Pirates who were thin in pitching after a rash of injuries. The converted starter was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals with Jose Quintana in 2022 and last pitched for the LA Dodgers in 2025.

1992 - It was a day of threes and twos for the Buccos in their 9-2 win over the Giants at Candlestick Park. Three Pirates homered, Barry Bonds and Jay Bell had three RBIs, and Bonds and Jeff King had three hits. Doublets registered were two-run homers by Bonds, Bell and Mike LaValliere, Spanky had two RBI, Alex Cole and Andy Van Slyke scored twice and Bell had a pair of knocks. It all added up to Doug Dabek’s tenth win of the campaign.

1998 - 45,082 fans jammed TRS to see Mark McGwire and weren’t disappointed; he got a big cheer when he stepped to the plate and an ovation when he sent a Francisco Cordoba offering 477’ for his 52nd homer, the first NL player to hit that mark since George Foster in 1977. With that out of the way, the Bucs rolled to their sixth straight win by a 14-4 count. Jason Kendall (three runs, two RBI) and Tony Womack (two runs, one RBI) had three hits while Kevin Young chased home four runners to pace the attack. Cordoba lasted six frames, giving up three long balls, but had plenty enough support to claim credit for the win.

Jason Kendall - 1998 Pacific Aurora

2007 - The Bucs bashed six homers (Nate McLouth - two, Freddy Sanchez, Xavier Nady, Jason Bay, Jack Wilson) to bang out an 11-2 decision over the Colorado Rockies and old matey Josh Fogg at Coors Field. Sanchez had four hits and three RBI to plow the road for Tom Gorzelanny’s win with Frankie Osoria and John Grabow finishing up the final three frames.

2009 - The Pirates won their fifth straight game, pounding the Reds 12-2 at PNC Park as Pittsburgh jumped out to a quick 3-0 first-inning lead on the strength of four ground-ball singles and never looked back. Ryan Doumit and Garrett Jones went 3-for-5, plating three RBI each, with Dewey coming up a triple short of a cycle and even swiping a base. Zach Duke won his 10th game of the season. The streak ended the next day and the Bucs finished the season out by going 11-29.

2013 - A seven-run fifth inning carried the Pirates to a 10-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. The Bucs had just four hits in the frame, the key blow being a Jose Tabata two-out double with the bases loaded, but three walks and a bopped batter kept the party going. Garrett Jones and Jordy Mercer each hit solo home runs off the Giants Matt Cain in the second inning. Tabata finished the night 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored while Jeanmar Gomez, the second of four twirlers, earned his third win by pitching three no-hit innings. 

2014 - Josh Harrison had a career-high five RBI, all coming with two outs, to lead the Bucs to an 8-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. He had a double and a homer while Andrew McCutchen added another moon shot. Jeff Locke went six innings for the win; he gave up just two hits though the Nibbler walked an unsightly six batters. The Pirate staff gave up eight free passes, while recording just one strikeout, but the Brew Crew stranded nine runners.

Josh Harrison - 2014 Topps Update

2015 - In front of a sold-out house at PNC Park, the Pirates took a 3-2 decision from the Giants in dramatic fashion. Gerrit Cole gave up a run on a walk, stolen base, error and broken bat single; Joakim Soria gave up the game-tying run in the eighth on a walk that came home on a two-out wild pitch. The Pirates scores came when Jung-Ho Kang homered off starter Mike Leake and then off reliever Hunter Strickland. George Kontos struck out the first two Bucco batters in the ninth, then Starling Marte ripped Pittsburgh’s third homer on a first pitch cutter to walkoff with the win, claimed by Mark Melancon, who spun a six-pitch ninth. The Pirates had just four hits, and thanks to a couple of caught stealing tries, left no runners on base. Kang became the third South Korean-born ballplayer with a multi-homer game, joining Hee-Seop Choi and Shin-Soo Choo. 

2021 - The Pirates placed struggling OF Gregory Polanco on waivers; the Pirates were the only organization Polanco had played with since he was signed in 2009. El Coffee was the last remaining player from the 2013-15 Pirates playoff years, but injuries to his knee/shoulder and performance had eroded his value: from 2019-21, he hit just .197 while compiling a WAR of -3.1, and his shoulder made him an outfield liability. He’s now playing in Japan.

2025 - You couldn't ask for much more from the young Bucco arms of winner Braxton Ashcraft (5 IP, one hit, 6 K) and Bubba Chandler (4 IP, two hits, 3 K), who was called up on this day and got the save in his first outing, in a 9-0 romp over Colorado at PNC Park. The attack was started early by Andrew McCutchen, who had four RBI with two 2Bs, while Tommy Pham, Spencer Horwitz and Alexander Canario homered. Ashcraft ran his slate to 4-2/2.70 while Chandler became the first Pirate and fourth player in MLB history to earn a four-inning save in his big-league debut since saves became a stat. The pre-game was solid, too, as the Pirates introduced their 2025 Hall of Fame class of Kiki Cuyler, Vernon Law & Al Oliver and also ran a scoreboard vid tribute to Clint Hurdle, who was warmly received by the crowd of 22,826 fans upon returning to the ‘Burg as a Rox coach. And if that wasn’t enough going on for a Friday night, lady ump Jen Pawol made her Pirates/PNC Park debut and was behind the plate two days later to call Paul Skene’s start against the Rockies. The whole shebang had a fitting finish - it ended with a fireworks show.