7/31 Deadline Deals: Corey, Oneil, JA, Gaby, J-Mac, Jon, Freddy Join / Renegade, Tony, Jose, Jay, Kip, Ollie, Robby, Supe Go

1987 - The Pirates traded RHP Don Robinson to the San Francisco Giants for C Mackey Sasser and $50K. Robinson did everything from starting to closing for the Giants from ‘87-91, with a slash of 42-33-14/3.56. Sasser played a dozen games for the Buccos and then was traded to the New York Mets after the season as part of the deal for 1B Randy “Moose” Milligan. 

1993 - RHP Jon Lieber was traded by the Kansas City Royals along with reliever Dan Miceli to the Bucs for closer Stan Belinda. Lieber won 38 games in five seasons with Pittsburgh before being traded to the Cubs for Brant Brown, Miceli had 24 saves/10 holds/5.41 ERA in four Pirates campaigns and Belinda lasted two years for KC, settling into a bridge role out of their bullpen.

2001 - The Pirates traded the well-traveled LHP Terry Mulholland to the LA Dodgers for pitchers Mike Fetters and Adrian Burnside. Mulholland, from Uniontown, pitched for 11 teams in a 20-year major league career with a pair of stints with the Cubs, Phils and Giants. The FO also swapped RHP Mike Williams to the Astros for RHP Tony McKnight. It was actually worked out as more like a lend-lease, as Williams signed with the Bucs again as a free agent after the season.

2002 - The Bucs sent first round bust OF Chad Hermansen, 24, to the Cubs for 35-year-old OF Darren Lewis, who refused to report to the Pirates (he was ticketed as outfield depth) and retired instead. Chad hit .209 for the Cubs before moving on. The deal’s personnel package was restructured; along with Chad, the Pirates sent OF Aron Weston to Chicago (he topped out at AA) and the Cubs shipped pitchers Ricardo Palma (he reached AAA and pitched for the Venezuelan WBC team) and Tim Lavery, who was sent to A ball and retired at age 23, to replace Lewis.

2003 - Pitchers Brandon Lyon, Anastacio Martinez and Jeff Suppan were traded by the Bucs to the Red Sox for LHP Mike Gonzalez, 2B Freddy Sanchez and cash in a redo deal. Originally, Gonzalez had gone to Boston for Lyons and Martinez a few days earlier, but Lyons flunked the physical, causing a reworking of the swap. The mulligan panned out pretty well for the Bucs.

Jody Gerut - 2005 Topps

2005 - The Cubs sent young OF Jody Gerut to Pittsburgh for vet OF Matt Lawton. Chi-town shipped Lawton to the Yankees for a minor leaguer in August. Gerut, hampered by a bum knee, barely played and was released after 2006, appearing in just four games as a Pirate.

2006 - Busy at the deadline: The Pirates traded pitchers Roberto Hernandez and Oliver Perez to the New York Mets for OF Xavier Nady. Pittsburgh also sent RHP Kip Wells to the Texas Rangers for RHP Jesse Chavez, traded OF/1B Craig Wilson to the New York Yankees for RHP Shawn Chacon and acquired RHP Brian Rogers from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for 1B Sean Casey. Nady hit .301 in three Pittsburgh seasons, Chavez was flipped in the 2009 offseason for 2B Aki Iwamura, Chacon gave the Bucs two workmanlike campaigns (7-7-1/4.44) and Rogers was ineffective, getting into 13 games over two years and posting a 9.28 ERA.

2007 - The Bucs traded OF Rajai Davis and IF Stephen McFarland to the San Francisco Giants for RHP Matt Morris, who was being paid $7.5M in 2007 and under contract to make $9.5M in 2008 with a $1M buyout for 2009. He was released on April 27th of 2008 after going 3-8/7.04 in 16 Pirate starts, costing the club piles of dead money; many believed this deal was the final nail in GM Dave Littlefield’s coffin. Rajai finished in the Mexican League and now has a position in MLB Baseball Operations. 

2007 - Another rumored shuffle didn’t get done; there were hot and heavy talks with the Tigers to send SS Jack Wilson to Motown, but the deal fell through although Detroit agreed to take on his contract and offered one of either P Jair Jurrjens/Dallas Trahorn, but Littlefield wanted Craig Monroe, per Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette. The Bucs had already chased Toronto away by asking for Troy Glaus straight up for Wilson. Relievers Damaso Marte, Salomon Torres and Shawn Chacon were also dangled without success (all were on contractual short leashes: Chacon left as a free agent while Torres was traded during the offseason and Marte lasted until the 2008 trade deadline).

Brandon Moss - 2009 Topps Heritage

2008 - Jason Bay and Josh Wilson were traded to the Boston Red Sox in a three-team deal that sent Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Andy LaRoche & Bryan Morris to the Pirates from LA, and Brandon Moss & Craig Hansen shipped to the Bucs from Beantown. None of the prospects panned out for Pittsburgh, and Bay’s career was hamstrung by injury. Reports were that Tampa Bay offered SS Reid Brignac & RHP Jeff Niemann for Bay, but the Bucco FO wanted Wade Davis, David Price or Jeremy Hellickson instead of Niemann, ending that talk in a hurry. Miami was also a player for Bay and offered a package anchored by OF Jeremy Hermida and RHP Ryan Tucker, but the Pirates didn’t bite; they were focused on an 18-year-old outfielder named Mike Stanton.

2010 - A lot of wheeling and dealing: RHP James McDonald was traded to Pittsburgh with OF Andrew Lambo by the LA Dodgers for RHP Octavio Dotel and cash. The Bucs also flipped LHP Javier Lopez to the  SF Giants for RHP Joe Martinez and OF Joe Bowker. In a bigger house cleaning/change of scenery deal, SS Bobby Crosby, RHP D.J. Carrasco and RF Ryan Church were sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash, C Chris Snyder and SS Pedro Ciriaco. J-Mac had a promising start but crashed in 2013 while Lambo couldn’t overcome a spate of injuries; the other players were given MLB auditions but didn’t leave much of an impression with the organization.

2011 - OF Ryan Ludwick was sent to the Pirates by the San Diego Padres for cash as the Bucs hoped to make a late push for respectability. He hit .232 with two homers during the dog days and then signed with the Cincinnati Reds in the off season, with 2014 being his last MLB season.

2012 - 1B Gaby Sanchez and RHP Kyle Kaminska went from the Marlins to the Pirates for OF Gorkys Hernandez and 2013’s sandwich compensation draft pick five minutes before the deadline expired. Gaby stayed as a platoon 1B and bench bat through 2014 with Pittsburgh, hitting .241, and then went to Japan to play. Before that trade, the Bucs dealt 3B Casey McGehee to the Yankees for RHP Chad Qualls; both ended up as stretch run rentals for their respective clubs.

Gaby Sanchez - 2013 Topps

2015 - The Bucs picked up 1B/OF Michael Morse, who had just been traded to and DFA’ed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, for OF Jose Tabata and cash. The Beast hit .275 with a .390 OBP in 45 games during the stretch, mainly off the bench. Morse was released the next year, then signed with the Giants in 2017, which was his final MLB campaign while Tabata played in the Latino and indie leagues through 2021. In a late deal spurred by AJ Burnett’s trip to the DL due to elbow inflammation, Pittsburgh then sent minor league RHP Adrian Sampson to Seattle for veteran lefty JA Happ, who turned in a masterful slash of 7-2/1.85. Sampson is in the Nats’ system through 2025 while Happ retired following the 2021 campaign after toeing the rubber for eight teams over 15 MLB seasons.

2017 - LHP Tony Watson (5-3-10, 3.66) was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a pair of prospects, SS Oneil Cruz and RHP Angel German. Tony joined the club in 2011 and was seventh in franchise history with 450 appearances, but had lost his closer job to Felipe Rivera and was in his walk year. He retired in 2022. Cruz went from the Pirates starting SS to CF while German topped out at AA. The Pirates picked up 40-year-old rental RHP Joaquin Benoit from the Phillies for 23-year-old Bradenton Marauders closer RHP Seth McGarry. Both are now out of baseball.

2018 - Busy day. First, they sent a ton of potential talent in OF Austin Meadows, RHP Tyler Glasnow, both at one time the top-rated Pirates prospects, and a PTBNL (RHP Shane Baz, the Pirates 2017 first-rounder, #12 overall) to Tampa Bay for RHP Chris Archer. Archie, 29, joined Jameson Taillon at the head of the rotation, a spot he wouldn’t hold for long. He injured his thoracic nerve and won just six games in Pittsburgh in two seasons and some change. He left to rejoin his old club as a FA for 2021, but injured his forearm after one start for the Rays and went to the Twins. Archie took a job in baseball ops for the Dodgers in ‘24. Austin suffered from anxiety issues and hasn’t played since 2023. The oft-injured Glasnow later was dealt to the LA Dodgers and Baz is now with the Baltimore Orioles.

2018 - The Pirates snagged RHP Keone Kela, 25, from the Texas Rangers for minor league LHP Taylor Hearn, 23, and a PTBNL, who ended up being 3B Sherten Apostel, 19, a Low-A prospect who played for the Rangers, then in Japan and has been out of the pro game since 2024. Kela was the Rangers’ closer, but the Bucs added him for depth to their bullpen’s back end. He was effective but injury prone, and left for the Padres as a free agent after the 2020 season. He had TJ surgery in 2021 and is now throwing in Mexico. Hearn was having a breakout campaign at Altoona and was the top-ranked Pirate organizational southpaw starter before being traded. He’s now pitching in Japan. 

Keone Kela - 2020 Pirates wallpaper

2019 - OF Corey Dickerson was traded to Philly for $250K in international bonus credit. Corey came over from Tampa for RHP Daniel Hudson and minor league IF Triston Gray. He hit .303 with a 121 OPS+ in 2018-19 and won a Gold Glove in his first season, but injured his shoulder in ‘19, got into just 44 games for Pittsburgh and was moved in the walk year of his contract. Injuries have plagued him throughout his career; he played for eight teams before retiring to coach prep ball in 2024. Huddy retired after the 2024 campaign and Gray made his debut in ‘24 and is now playing for the Twins. 

2025 - The Yankees snagged RH closer David Bednar (17 saves, 2.37 ERA) for minor league Cs Rafael Flores, 24, and Edgleen Perez, 18, along with 21-year-old CF Brian Sanchez. After an early season demotion, The Renegade returned with a vengeance. He hadn't blown a save and put together a two-month, 23-outing stretch without allowing an earned run in ‘25; the Renegade has been strong in ‘26, too. Flores was the Yankees' No. 8 prospect per MLB.com and was recently promoted to AAA, batting .279 with 23 doubles, 16 homers and 60 RBI between the two levels though struggling some in AAA (.211). He was the Yankees' minor league player of the year in 2024 and considered just about big-league ready if he can keep his tweaked swing, but wasn’t considered a very strong plate defender, with talk of his MLB home being at first base although he has mainly caught for the Pirates. The other pair are playing in Class A. 

2025 - The Pirates closed a couple of late-hour moves after the Bednar deal: LHP Bailey Falter, who was 7-5/3.73 and on an economical $2.2M deal with three years of arb ahead, was traded to the Kansas City Royals for lefty reliever Evan Sisk, 28, who after four years in AAA has appeared in five games for KC, and 1B Class A prospect Callan Moss; one media source said he was told that Bailey was dealt because he was arb-eligible in ‘26. Sisk started ‘26 at Indy and was called up before going on the IL while Moss has been solid at AA Altoona. For the closing act, the Bucs sent LHP Taylor Rogers to the Chicago Cubs for 22-year-old Hi-A OF Ivan Brethowr in an old-timey salary dump (the Pirates were on the hook for the final two months of Taylors’ $12M contract). They held on to the walk-year guys Tommy Pham, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andrew Hainey. All three were released - Hainey was the first to go a month later (signed by the Dodgers), IKF joined him a couple of days later (signed by Boston) and Pham alone finished out the year (signed by the Phillies).

7/31 Through 1964: Maz Muffs, Bananas Bobby, 19-Innings, Game Days, Gee Whiz Deal, '61 All-Stars, HBD Mike, Frank, Elmer, Peanuts & Joe

1870 - C/1B Joe Sugden was born in Philadelphia. Sugden spent the first five seasons (1893-97) of his 13-year big league career with Pittsburgh, hitting .277. He also played for the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Spiders, the White Sox and Detroit Tigers. Joe went on to become a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals before passing away at age 88 in his hometown.

1892 - LHP Erv ”Peanuts” Kantlehner was born in San Jose. Working mostly as a starter for the Bucs from 1914-16, he slashed 13-29-7/2.85. He made the Bucco record books by tossing a shutout in his first start on 4/17/1914, a 2-0, four-hit, complete-game win over St. Louis (Paul Maholm and Nick Kingham matched the feat, but neither went nine innings). Erv later coached high school baseball. Thought to have gotten his nickname while in the minors, Diamonds In the Dusk said in his bio that it was “...because all southpaws are considered a little bit nuts.” His heater earned him an alternative handle, ”The Teuton of Speed.”

1896 - Per Gregory Wolf of SABR: “In a game against Cincinnati at League Park, (Pirates pitcher) Lefty Killen charged home plate to argue a decision made by umpire Bud Lilly, who had changed his call on a fly down the left-field line from foul ball to fair.” According to the Pittsburgh Daily Post, Lilly “let go at” Killen, apparently under the impression that the pitcher planned to strike him. Killen retaliated by landing “a couple of blows on (Lally’s) face” before a melee erupted with players, spectators, and police rushing onto the field. When order was finally restored, Killen was under arrest, escorted to the local police station, and ultimately fined $25 while team owner William Kerr publicly condemned the umpire for provoking the incident. Pittsburgh won the contest
in spite of the rhubarb, 9-7. The incident was typical of the short-fused Killen. Wolf noted “The ‘grave objection to Killen is his temper,’ per Sporting Life. ’He is as obstinate as a mule.’”

1912 - The Pirates scored three runs in the 19th inning and then barely held off Boston to take a 7-6 decision at the South End Grounds. 38-year-old Honus Wagner was the man of the hour, stealing home and later driving in the game-winning run for Pittsburgh against the Braves. The game was a duel turned into a slugfest - it was 2-2 going into the 18th when both clubs scored twice, and five more runs were scored in the 19th. Otto Hess of the Braves had an excuse; he went all 19 frames. For the Bucs, Hank Robinson and Howie Camnitz faded in relief of Marty O’Toole, who called it a day after 12 innings. Camnitz got the win despite giving up two runs in the last frame.

Hank Robinson - 1913 Voskamp

1913 - Hank Robinson won his 12th game, defeating the Brooklyn Superbas at Forbes Field by a 3-2 count with Dots Miller chasing home a pair of runs and Fred Kommers plating twice. It was early in a stretch that saw the Bucs win 8-of-9 games and put Pittsburgh’s record at 47-46; they remained above .500 for the rest of the campaign and finished the season in fourth place with a 78-71 slate. It kept a franchise-high 15-year streak of winning records, begun in 1899, intact, although it would end in 1914 when the Pirates came in seventh at 69-85.

1914 - RHP Elmer Riddle was born in Columbus, Georgia. The 10-year veteran tossed his last two campaigns (1948-49) in Pittsburgh, winning an All-Star berth the first season while posting a 12-10/3.49 line. He faded badly in ‘49, winning just one game in his final year while hobbled by a bum wheel. He toiled briefly as a scout for Kansas City afterward. He passed away there at the age of 69.

1939 - The Pirates obtained 6'9" LHP Johnny Gee from Syracuse of the International League for $75,000 and four players. Nicknamed “Gee Whiz,” he lasted parts of four seasons (1939, 1941, 1943-44) with the Bucs, winning five games. Also known as “Long John” (and less kindly, as the “$75,000 Lemon,” the price paid for his contract), he never fully recovered from a 1940 arm injury. Gee was the tallest person to play MLB until 6’10” Randy Johnson debuted for the Montreal Expos in September, 1988. Not too surprisingly, Long John also played pro hoops for the NBA Syracuse Nationals (1937-39). Gee later became a teacher, coach, and high school principal.

1944 - RHP Frank Brosseau was born in Drayton, North Dakota. A first-round pick of the Bucs in the 1966 secondary draft, he was inked from the U of Minnesota as an OF’er. When his bat proved weak, he was converted to the mound. That got him a shot in the show with the Pirates, albeit just for three games in 1969 and 1971, working 3-2/3 IP and giving up two runs on two hits with two walks and two whiffs. He finished his pro career in 1971 at AAA Charleston.

1953 - Murry Dickson broke a personal five-game losing streak and the team’s four-game skid by scattering eight hits to defeat the Chicago Cubs 4-0 at Forbes Field. Although Bruins had runners aboard in every frame but one, only three Cubs reached second and just one made it as far as third. C Nick Koback had a memorable day; not only did the rookie collect his first MLB hit, a ninth-inning single, but he called a shutout in his first big league start behind the dish.

Bobby Bragan makes the news - 8/1/1957 Press/Les Biederman

1957 - Manager Bobby Bragan was ejected for arguing a call (actually, he held his nose) during a 4-2 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. After being tossed, he went slightly bonkers. Bobby got an orange drink from the stands and he offered them all a sip while ordering hot dogs for the boys in blue, but they weren’t placated. After their report to the league, Bragan was fined $100 and threatened with suspension if he didn’t clean up his act. After the game, Bragan was quoted by the Pittsburgh Press’ Les Biederman as saying “My only regret is that the hot dog didn’t arrive in time.” Bragan was fired three days later and replaced by Danny Murtaugh on a temporary basis. The fill-in Murtaugh managed until 1964 and was brought back as skipper three more times.

1959 - RHP Mike Bielecki was born in Baltimore. His first four big league years (1984-’87) were spent in Pittsburgh, where he went 10-17/4.57. He was the Pirates first round pick in the 1979 draft (secondary phase) and went on to have a workmanlike 14-year MLB career.

1961 - C Smoky Burgess, OF Roberto Clemente, RHP ElRoy Face and 1B Dick Stuart repped the Bucs in the second All-Star game of the year at Fenway Park, a 1-1 tie called after nine innings because of rain. The next ASG tie wouldn’t be until 2002 when the game was controversially called after the sides ran out of pitchers. Clemente went 0-for-2, Burgess & Stu 0-for-1, and the Baron of the Bullpen was given the day off by manager Danny Murtaugh.

1962 - The National League owners unanimously rejected a proposal by Commissioner Ford Frick to include inter-league play at the annual scheduling meeting held in Chicago. The idea dated back to 1903 when the NL and AL first made peace, but wouldn’t come to fruition until 1997.

1964 - It happens to the best. The San Francisco Giants took advantage of three errors by Bill Mazeroski and three more by his teammates to edge the Bucs 8-6 at Forbes Field. Maz's last error, a dropped catch on a potential around-the-horn DP ball in the ninth, would have ended the game with the Pirates on top 6-5 had he held on to turn the pivot. Other Pirates miscues were owned by 3B Bob Bailey, who committed two errors on one play, and C Jim Pagliaroni’s misthrow.

7/31 From 1965: JHK Hot, AJ & Jose Gems, Tim Debuts, Game Days, TSN Scoop, Strike Ends, Pops HoF, JVW Signs, Draftees Inked, HBD JJ

1968 - The Pirates used a triple play to squelch a Reds comeback in a tight contest and then turned it on to run away from Cincinnati at Crosley Field, 10-1. Up 2-1 with Dock Ellis on the mound, the pair of Reds aboard on walks were off and running on a 3-2 pitch to Tommy Helms. He lined the ball to Gene Alley, who flipped it to Bill Mazeroski and then on to Donn Clendenon to defuse the jam. Roberto Clemente and Clendenon homered in a victory that wasn’t iced until the Bucs scored six times in the last two frames. It secured a twin bill split as Bob Moose and the Buccos were dusted 8-2 in the opener. Clendenon had five hits and Manny Mota collected four during the day.

1969 - Five Pirates pitchers (Luke Walker, Joe Gibbon, Bob Moose, Lou Marone and winner Chuck Hartenstein) held the Los Angeles Dodgers to six hits over 15 innings and kept the Buccos alive until Al Oliver’s sinking liner found grass to score Matty Alou for a 2-1 victory at Forbes Field. The teams exchanged runs in the seventh inning on LA’s Bill Sudakis’ solo shot and Jose Martinez’s pinch-hit single that plated Freddie Patek. The Bucs banged out 15 hits, 14 of which were singles, hit into three twin killings, had a runner thrown out at home plate, and left 13 ducks on the pond until Scoops’ walkoff game winner. Roberto Clemente had four hits while Oliver and Freddie Patek banged out three each.

1976 - Al Oliver was featured as the cover story of The Sporting News in an article titled “Batting Demon.” It was his third All Star year, and he finished the season with a.323 BA and .839 OPS. He played 18 years of MLB ball and finished up with a .303 lifetime BA and seven ASG games.

1979 - IF Jason Joseph “JJ” Furmaniak was born in Naperville, Illinois. A three-time All-Star in the minors, Furmaniak had a cup of coffee with the Bucs in 2005, getting into 13 games and hitting .192 after being dealt to Pittsburgh by the San Diego Padres in exchange for C David Ross. He signed with Oakland in 2007 and played 16 games for them before going to Japan for a season. JJ then finished out his career in the minors, with 2011 being his last campaign.

JJ Furmaniak - 2006 Bowman

1981 - The player’s strike ended after 42 days of headbutting. In the settlement, teams that lost a top free agent would be compensated from a pool of players left unprotected from all of the clubs (who could protect 26 players) rather than just the signing club, a procedure that lasted until 1985. The union agreed to restrict free agency to players with six or more years of major league service. Reportedly, the negotiations were so bitter that after the deal, Players Association rep Marvin Miller and the owners' negotiator Ray Grebey refused to pose with each other for the traditional “done deal” photo. The year became split season, with first-half winners meeting second-half titleists to determine the champs. It was a weird campaign and the schedule never came close to catching up - the Pirates and Cards played 102 games during the season while the Giants got in 111 contests.

1983 - Rookie Jose DeLeon held the Mets hitless for 8-1/3 innings before Hubie Brooks singled, but Mike Torrez countered with 11 shutout innings as New York won 1-0 in 12 frames. In his previous start, DeLeon had held the San Diego Padres hitless for 6-1/3 innings. Manny Sarmiento took the loss when the Pirates opted to go for a double play with an out in the 12th, but George Foster hustled up the line to beat the relay to first. The day was a double dose defeat for the Bucs as they lost the twin bill’s lidlifter 7-6 after blowing a 6-1 lead. Jim Bibby took the loss in the 11th to waste Jason Thompson’s first-inning grand slam.

1985 - The Pirates scored twice in the bottom of the 10th frame to rally past the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 at Three Rivers Stadium. Cecilio Guante picked up the win in spite of himself, allowing a home run in the top of the 10th and tossing a wild pitch in the ninth inning that tied the game. Former Bucco Kent Tekulve suffered the loss after Steve Kemp lined a two-out walkoff single to left to bring home Larry McWilliams, pinch running for Jason Thompson. The prior batter, Marvell Wynne, hit into a force that plated Lee Mazzilli and knotted the score again.

1988 - Willie Stargell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as the sole honoree that year. Stargell played his entire 21-year career (1962-1982, playing 2,360 games) with the Pirates, batting .282 with 2,232 hits, 475 home runs and 1,540 RBI. Captain Willie’s home run and RBI totals remain first on the club’s all-time list, as are his 937 walks and 953 extra-base hits.

Sid Bream - 1990 Homers

1990 - Bob Patterson came in cold and still tossed five shutout innings after Bob Walk bruised his finger trying to handle a first-inning comebacker. The Buc bats broke loose to make it an easy day for Patterson by taming the Cubs 9-1 at Three Rivers Stadium. Wally Backman, Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla combined for eight hits and six runs scored while Sid Bream homered and drove in three Pirates. The win moved the Bucs into a first place tie with the Mets; they won the pennant by four games with 95 victories, their first flag since 1979.

1992 - Knuckleball specialist Tim Wakefield made his debut against the Cards at TRS, replacing Zane Smith, who was hurt, and pitched his way to a 3-2 win over former Bucco Jose DeLeon. He was in hot water early, giving up a couple of unearned runs in the fifth inning after working his way out of earlier jams; he stranded nine Redbirds during the course of the day. He left the bases full of Redbirds to close out the frame and cruised afterward. The flutter ball hurler posted a line of six hits, five walks and 10 whiffs - and three wild pitches. He got all his support from a pair of bombs, a two-run shot by Barry Bonds and a solo homer off Jay Bell’s bat, and made the three scores stand up. The Bucs moved into first place after the victory and never looked back.

1997 - Kevin Young played through a case of the flu, and the pregame chicken soup worked its magic as his three-run, eighth-inning homer on a two-out, full-count pitch carried the Bucs to a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies at TRS. Jason Schmidt went eight frames for the win with Rick Loiselle earning the save by striking out the side in the ninth around a single.

2000 - 1B/OF John Vander Wal, 34, signed a two-year contract extension valued at $3.7M with another $300 K available in bonus money. JVW ended the year slashing .299/11 HR/94 RBI and hit .278 the next season until he was traded to the San Francisco Giants at the 2001 deadline. He finished his career in 2004, playing for five different teams over his final four campaigns.

2012 - AJ Burnett held the Cubs hitless through 7-2/3 innings before giving up his only knock, a single to right by Adrian Cardenas, as the Bucs won 5-0 at Wrigley Field. Burnett tossed a 108-pitch complete game while Neil Walker chased home all five runs with a granny and sac fly.

AJ Burnett - 2012 Topps Update

2013 - The Pirates won their fourth straight in a five-game series (they would lose the next day, 13-0) over St. Louis Cardinals with a 5-4 win at PNC Park. With Card ace Adam Wainwright on the hill, Pittsburgh rallied three times to tie the game, 4-4, in the fifth inning. The score stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth frame. Neil Walker opened with a single and tagged to second after Pedro Alvarez’s drive to left died in the corner for the second out. Russell Martin turned on a slider and lined it into short left center for the game winner. The Pirate bullpen tossed five scoreless innings in the victory, with Tony Watson getting the win and Mark Melancon earning the save. The Pirates extended their National League Central Division lead to 2-1/2 games with the decision.

2015 - Behind Starling Marte’s ninth-inning defensive prowess and Jung-Ho Kang’s stick, the Pirates snapped a six-game losing streak at GABP by hanging on to beat the Cincinnati Reds, 5-4. Marte threw out Brandon Phillips at home for the second out of the ninth, then made a tumbling, grass-top grab of Todd Frazier’s low, hooking liner to end the game, giving Mark Melancon his 31st straight save conversion. JHK ripped three straight doubles, scored twice (once on a heads-up sprint home following a short wild pitch) and drove in a run. Kang finished July with a .379 BA & 13 extra-base hits, the most productive month for a Pirate rookie since Paul Waner hit .381 with 14 multi-base whacks in September, 1926. Jeff Locke got the win for the Bucs to even his record at 6-6.

2024 - All the Bucs drafted pool-eligible players were signed, sealed and delivered when the last holdout, top pick Konnor Griffin, inked his contract. The 2024 Top-10-Picks: 

• CF/SS Konnor Griffin (1st round/Jackson Prep - MS). $6,532,025/slot $6,216,600. Konnor was the Gatorade High School Player of the Year. 

• RHP Levi Sterling (Comp Round A - Notre Dame HS - CA) $2,511,400 (full slot)

• SS Wyatt Sanford (2nd round/Independence HS - TX). $2.5M/slot $1,984,800. His dad, IF Chance, was also drafted by the Pirates and made his MLB debut here in 1988.

• LHP Josh Hartle (3rd round/Wake Forest) $850,000/slot $920,800.

• 3B Eddie Rynders (4th round/Wisconsin) $649,700 (full slot).

• OF Will Taylor (5th round/Clemson) $500K/slot $471,400.

• RHP Matt Ager (6th round/UC-Santa Barbara) $357,400/slot $359,900. 

• LHP Connor Wietgrefe (7th round/Minnesota) $247,500/slot $281,500.

• RHP Gavin Adams (8th round/Florida State) $172,500/slot $224,500. He missed the 2024 college season following TJ surgery. 

• SS Duce Gourson (9th round/UCLA) $187,500/slot $196,100. 

7/30 Deadline Deals: IKF, De La Cruz, Felipe, Joe, Derek, J-Hey Join; Ke'Bryan, Ric-Rod, Shark, Gorzo, Grabow, Kris, Schmidt, JVW Go

2001 - The Bucs sent RHP Jason Schmidt and OF John Vander Wal to the Giants for OF Armando Rios and RHP Ryan Vogelsong. Schmidt went 7-1 the rest of the year for San Francisco and then signed a big four-year contract. Vander Wal played on four teams in the following four years, retiring in 2004. Rios tore his ACL on August 1st and got into 78 games over two years before he was released. Vogelsong underwent Tommy John surgery in September. When Vogey returned after missing all of 2002, he went 10-17/5.82 over four years and then left for Japan, where he tossed for three years before making another MLB comeback.

2004 - The Pirates traded RHP Kris Benson and IF Jeff Keppinger to the NY Mets for 3B Jose Bautista (who they had lost in the 2003 Rule 5 draft), IF Ty Wigginton and RHP Matt Peterson. Bautista became the 10th major leaguer to play for four teams in a season, having been on the rosters of Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Kansas City. In fact, he was actually on five teams, as he was acquired by the Mets from the Royals but sent to Pittsburgh the same day. Benson, the other key player in the deal, won just 27 more games in his career. Interestingly, GM Dave Littlefield reportedly rejected an offer for Benson made by the Phillies for a power-hitting prospect named Ryan Howard, who would eventually become a National League MVP. The Bucs thought they had a Howard clone already in their system with Brad Eldred. After falling domino was 3B Chris Styne, who was released the next day as his roster spot was made redundant by Wigginton.

2009 - The Pirates shipped lefties Tom Gorzelanny and John Grabow to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for IF Josh Harrison and RHPs Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio. Gorzo was converted to a bullpen guy for several clubs, Grabow’s last MLB season was 2011, Hart & Acasio succumbed to injuries and J-Hay ended up the keeper of the deal. For the Pirates, it was the end of a 10-day purge. Besides Gorzo and Grabow, they had earlier dealt away Freddy Sanchez, Jack Wilson, Ian Snell and Adam LaRoche. Harrison and Ronny Cedeno were the only prospects netted from those three deals to become starting players for Pittsburgh, who flipped a rebuild into a veteran purge.

Derek Lee - 8/2011 Jared Wickerham/Getty

2011 - The Pirates traded minor league 1B Aaron Baker to the Orioles for 1B Derrek Lee, the first time that Pittsburgh was a buyer at the trade deadline since dealing for SS Shawon Dunston in 1997 to bolster the “Freak Show” lineup. Baker never made it past the AA level while Lee hit .337 with seven long balls for the Pirates in 28 games (he missed a month with a wrist injury) as Lyle Overbay’s replacement before retiring at the end of the year at age 35.

2012 - In a trade of 2006 first rounders, Pittsburgh sent RHP Brad Lincoln to Toronto for OF Travis Snider. The change of scenery didn’t help either player much - Lincoln’s MLB career ended after the 2014 season and Lunchbox bounced around before retiring in 2022.

2015 - Keep the phone charged: The Pirates acquired veteran RHP Joe Blanton, 34, from the Royals for $660K after he had been DFA’ed. Blanton went 5-0/1.57 for the Pirates during the dog days. RHP Vance Worley was released to make room for him; 2017 was the last MLB season for both. In another deal, RHP Joakim Soria was picked up by the Pirates from the Tigers for Altoona SS prospect JaCoby Jones. The Detroit closer, slotted to work the back end of the bullpen behind Mark Melancon and Tony Watson, made 29 Bucco outings with a 2.03 ERA, one save and 11 holds. Soria retired in 2022 and Jones was released by Kansas City in 2022. Finally, IF Justin Sellers, who had been DFA’ed, was sent to the Chicago White Sox for cash and played into 2016.

2016 - The Pirates sent closer Mark Melancon and $500K to the Washington Nationals for a pair of hard throwing lefties (both touched 100), reliever Felipe (Rivero) Vazquez and prospect Taylor Hearns. The Shark was a bullpen back-ender that came over in the Joel Hanrahan deal with Boston. In four years w/Pirates, he went 10-10-174/1.80. Vazquez was on his way to becoming one of the league’s elite back-end relievers after taking over the closers’ job in 2017 from Tony Watson until he was arrested for child porn. Hearns was a 21-year-old lanky southpaw with an upper 90s heater and control issues who was already on the Bucco radar; he was the Pirates 22nd-round pick in 2012, but didn’t sign and went to Oklahoma Baptist. He’s currently tossing in Japan after a stint with the Rangers and Braves. Melancon turned into a costly Nats rental, later signing with the Giants, then with the Braves, moving on to the Padres and was last with the D-backs. He last pitched in 2022 after missing all of the ‘23 campaign with a shoulder injury before retiring to take a coaching job at San Diego State. 

Ric-Rod - 2021 image AT&T SportsNet

2021 - Righty closer Richard Rodriguez (4-3-14/2.82 in 37 appearances) went to the Braves for RHPs Bryse Wilson, 23, (2-3/4.83 w/Atlanta) and Ricky Devito, 22. Wilson is a starter who once was a Top 100 prospect and is now with the Brewers while Devito was last with the Marlin organization in 2025. Ric Rod was banged with a drug suspension and is currently hurling in Mexico. Then LHP Austin Davis (0-1/5.59 in 10 outings) was dealt to Boston for UT Michael Chavis, 25. Chavis played 1B, 2B and LF and is currently with the Reds while Davis is out of work after San Diego let him go in May ‘25. Finally, a minor league swap: Indy LHP Braeden Ogle, 24, (2-2-1/3.18) went to the Phillies in return for C Abrahan Gutierrez, 21, who was part of a deal that fell apart with the Phils a couple of days earlier. Ogle tossed in the indie leagues and is currently a FA while Gutierrez is in the Yankees system.

2024 - The Bucs landed OF Bryan De La Cruz (.245/18/51) from Miami; the Marlins received UT Garrett Forrester and RHP Jun-Seok Shim in return. DLC has power and was under arb control through 2027. His career resume posted him as a .250 BA/20 HR guy but below par with the mitt as a corner OF'er. He flopped here, went to the NYY and is now with the Phils. Forrester was a third round pick from 2023 who was at Bradenton while Shim, a ‘23 Korean signee, was among the Pirates Top 30 prospects but has only tossed eight innings since his deal. He missed ‘24 due to shoulder problems. Toronto IF Isiah Kiner-Falefa also joined the Bucs OTD, with the Corsairs sending OF Charles McAdoo to the Jays. Kiner-Falefa has hit .292/.338/.420 with seven home runs in a breakout year for a guy who had been noted for his glove rather than stick and claimed the SS job in ‘25 as Oneil Cruz transitioned to CF. He left as a free agent and signed with Boston. McAdoo was a rising-with-a-bullet hitting prospect who’s seen time with the Jays in ‘26. In further action, San Diego sent 18-year-old LHP Ronaldys Jimenez to the Bucs for LHP Martín Pérez (2-5/5.20) and cash. Jimenez was a  lottery ticket who is still in the FCL Rookie League while Perez was more or less a Bucco salary dump who’s now with Atlanta.

2025 - 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes was sent to the Reds for LHP Taylor Rogers, SS Sammy Stafura and cash, with Cincinnati taking on his remaining contract (a $32.25M deal through 2029 with a club option). Rogers, a 10-year vet, was a 34-year-old reliever with a 2-2/2.45 line over 40 outings for Cincy who was taken on as a rental player and is now with the Twins. Stafura, 20, was a second-round pick in the 2023 draft and considered the key return for Ke’Bryan - he was the Reds' #9 prospect - with speed, a glove and developing on-base skills (.259 BA/.384 OBP in two years of A ball) who is lighting it up in 2026. Hayes was a Golden Glove guy who was always at the top of 3B defensive metrics, but injuries and his batting blahs were major hurdles as a Bucco. Then the Pirates swapped LHP Caleb Ferguson (2-2/3.74) to the Seattle Mariners for 20-year-old RHP Jeter Martinez, who has an upper 90’s heater that so far has a mind of its own when he lets it go (5.6 BB/9 IP career). He's considered to have a high upside but is still very much a cross-your-fingers guy; he’s having a bumpy ride at Bradenton. 

7/30 Through 1954: Wally Cycle, Carey On, Early Jump, Gems, Game Days, Ned Goes & Bill In, HBD Mickey, Vic, Bill, Johnny, Hal, Chuck, Casey & Bill

1870 - C/1B Bill Merritt was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. The reserve played for the Pirates from 1894-97, with a brief stop in Cincinnati (Pittsburgh was one of Bill’s six MLB outposts during his eight-year MLB stay). He hit .280 while with the Bucs, close to his .272 career average.

1886 - Enjoying an off day between games against the Metropolitans in New York, Allegheny pitcher Gentleman Jim Galvin took in the NY Giants-St. Louis match at the Polo Grounds, and ended up with the best seat in the house. Steaming over some verbal blasts unleashed during the prior day’s game, ump John Gaffney demanded a pre-game apology from the Giants. With none forthcoming, he stormed off the grounds, and Pud was pulled from the stands to umpire. He must have done OK; the Giants edged the Maroons 2-1 and he escaped in one piece.

1890 - OF Casey Stengel was born in Kansas City, Missouri. The Ol’ Perfesser spent 1918-19 as a Pirate outfielder, posting a .280 BA, and performed his famous “bird in the hat” stunt as a Bucco. He’s much more associated with the Big Apple, of course, than the Steel City. Between playing and managing, the Hall-of-Famer is the only person to have worn the uniforms of all four of New York's major league clubs - the Dodgers, Giants, Yankees and Mets.

1891 - The Pirates (it was their first season after dropping the Alleghenys brand) got off to a 31–47 start following a disastrous 23–113 season, demoted captain/manager Ned Hanlon (who had left the team in 1890 for the Pittsburgh Burghers of the Players' League before returning after that outfit folded) and hired Bill McGunnigle as skipper. McGunnigle managed the club to a 24–33 record over the remainder of the year and was  replaced in turn by Tom Burns, who didn’t make it through the 1892 season before losing his job to Al Buckenberger.

1894 - IF Chuck Ward was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He started his six-year MLB career with the Pirates, playing 125 games and hitting .236 in 1917. The next five campaigns were spent with the Brooklyn Robins, where he became the backup shortstop, playing off the bench through the 1922 season. Ward started pro ball in 1912 as a 17-year-old at Falls City and retired after the 1924 campaign with Toledo. He later managed the Rutgers nine for a dozen years.

Sam Leever - Helmar T206

1904 - Baseball had some pretty rowdy roots. Per BR Bullpen: “Cardinals pitcher Jack Taylor walked seven and tossed three wild pitches to help the Pirates beat St. Louis 5-2 at Exposition Park. The outcome was viewed suspiciously because several local gamblers had bet heavily on Pittsburgh before the game, but the real reason was Taylor and teammate Jake Beckley's late-night public drinking.” Pittsburgh Press writer Ralph Davis did note dryly that “Taylor was not hit hard, but he was inclined to be wild.” Bucco hurler Roscoe Miller’s five-hit performance from the hill played a role, too. It was the opener of a twin bill; the Pirates also took the nitecap behind Sam Leever, 2-1. “Old Sam” chipped in with a pair of hits, outdone only by Tommy Leach’s three knocks.

1905 - C Hal Finney was born in Lafayette, Alabama. He was a reserve that played for the Bucs from 1931-34 & 1936. He spent his MLB career in Pittsburgh, finishing with a .203 BA. Finney came by that BA honestly - he held the MLB record for most at bats in a season without a hit by a non-pitcher from 1936, when he went 0-for-35, until 2011. His OBP was .000 as well.

1909 - The Bucs ended New York Giant’s Christy Mathewson’s 13-game winning streak by a 3-1 count at Forbes Field. Tommy Leach doubled in Fred Clarke & Alan Storke, and Wee Tommy in turn was chased home by Dots Miller, all in the opening frame. That early burst was all the support Vic Willis would need, scattering nine hits for the complete game win over Matty.

1912 - OF Johnny Rizzo was born in Houston. He burst on the scene in 1938, hitting .301 with 23 HR and 111 RBI as a rookie; his HR mark for a first-year Pirate stood until Jason Bay bettered it in 2006 (Ralph Kiner tied the mark in 1946). Rizzo drove in nine runs against the Cardinals in 1939, and that’s still the team’s single-game record. He cooled off considerably after that red hot start, and early in 1940 was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Vince DiMaggio after putting up a line of .283 with 29 HR and 168 RBI while in Pittsburgh. Johnny joined the Navy in 1943 and played minor league ball after his discharge, then worked in the sporting goods business. He passed away in his hometown in 1977 at 55.

1922 - Max Carey went yard twice and Reb Russell homered once before a Sunday crowd of 22,000 at the Polo Grounds as the Pirates beat the New York Giants, 7-0. The dinger duo accounted for six of the Pirates' runs with their trio of long balls. Jughandle Johnny Morrison went the distance on the bump for the Pirates, allowing seven hits and going 4-for-4 at the dish.  

Bill Hall - 1959 Topps

1928 - C Bill Hall was born in Moultrie, Georgia. Hall signed as an amateur with the Pirates for the 1947 season. He got cups of coffee in 1954 and ‘56, with a longer look in 1958. Those three campaigns marked his MLB career, hitting .262 in 57 games before retiring after the 1960 season.

1937 - The Pirates snapped a 15-inning scoring drought in the bottom of the ninth to take a 1-0 walk-off victory from the Boston Bees at Forbes Field. Ed Brandt of the Bucs and Hub City’s Guy Bush hooked up in a twirler’s duel until an Al Todd hustle double opened the final frame. Johnny Dickshot ran for him, and an intentional walk and a sac bunt that was beat out loaded the bases. After an out, pitcher Red Lucas hit for Brandt and lifted a fly to right that scored Dickshot easily. Pittsburgh Press beat writer Claire Burcky wrote that “...(RF Gene) Moore just stuck the ball in his tobacco pocket and jogged off through the clubhouse tunnel.” Bush scattered seven hits while Brandt gave up just two raps, both doubles to Ray Mueller, the only Bee to get past first base.

1939 - OF Vic Davalillo was born in Churuguara, Venezuela. (caveat emptor; his b-day has been reported as on the 31st and in 1936, so it’s more or less around this date). He played for the Bucs from 1971-73, hitting .290 as a lefty-hitting platoon player, seeing time in the outfield and first base. Vic played on two Pirate playoff clubs and when he was traded to the Oakland Athletics in 1973, he joined a third. Davalillo was a motherland hero who played 30 seasons in the Venezuelan Winter League and still holds a handful of career records, including a .325 BA. In 2003, Vic was selected for the first class of the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame.

1948 - Pittsburgh unleashed a four-homer barrage against Brooklyn to take a 10-5 win at Ebbets Field. Wally Westlake hit for the cycle, while Max West, Monty Basgall and Clyde Kluttz went deep to chase Ralph Branca. Bob Chesnes was on the hill and went the distance for the win.

1952 - LHP Mickey Mahler was born in Montgomery, Alabama. Mickey had an eight-year MLB career and signed a free agent deal with the Pirates in 1980. He spent two September games with the Bucs, giving up seven runs in one frame though he did go 14-8/2.65 for AAA Portland of the PCL. In the off season, he was sent to the California Angels as part of the Jason Thompson deal. In all, Mahler tossed for seven big league teams, slashing 14-32/4.68.

7/30 From 1955: Josh Gifts Self, 1-Hitter, Cutch Triplet, Ladies Day, Sweeps, Game Days, Groat & ASG, Vic HoF, HBD Josh P, Josh C, Shelty & Clint

1956 - Bing Double Dips: Sports Illustrated wrote that “Bing Crosby, one of the 11-man syndicate that made the winning $5,500,000 bid for the Detroit Tigers, is also 16% owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates. When baseball Commissioner Ford Frick ruled that Crosby could own an interest in only one club at a time, the Groaner said he would keep the Pirates.”

1957 - Clint Hurdle was born in Big Rapids, Michigan. After a 10-year stint as a player and later manager of the Colorado Rockies from 2002–2009 with a World Series appearance, Hurdle took over the Pirate reins in 2011, replacing John Russell. He broke the Pirate 20-year losing season streak in 2013 when he guided the club to 94 wins and the playoffs, with two more wild card postseason appearances in 2014-15. His tenure lasted through the 2019 season (he finished with a 735-720 slate with Pittsburgh), when he was replaced by Derek Shelton. Clint worked on the field and in the front office for Colorado from 2021-25.

1958 - The Pirates got to .500 for the first time in five weeks with a rain-shortened 7-1 victory over the Cubs at Forbes Field. Winner George Witt scattered seven hits and fanned 10 before getting some eighth inning help from Bob Porterfield; the rains fell after Porterfield squelched a Cubbie rally, and 36 minutes later, the umpires called it a night in Oakland. The attack was carried by Hank Foiles’ three-run homer and a three-RBI night from Dick Stuart.

1962 - In the second All-Star game of the year, this one played at Wrigley Field, the Americans bashed the National League nine, 9-4. Dick Groat went 2-for-3 and was HBP while driving home two runs. Roberto Clemente went 0-for-2 and Bill Mazeroski was 0-for-1. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy tossed out the Midsummer Classic’s ceremonial first pitch.

Dick Groat - 1962 Topps Stamp

1968 - The Bucs swept the Milwaukee Braves 8-5 and 5-4 at Forbes Field. In the opener, Donn Clendenon’s error led to three unearned runs, but the battery (and 8-9 hitters) of the Bucs, Milt May and Steve Blass, drove in a combined five runs to overcome the boot. There was a memorable bit of glovework to help make up for the error when Roberto Clemente robbed Mike Lum. Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press wrote “Clemente took off in pursuit and ran as hard and as fast as he could. Just as he approached the wall, Clemente reached up and caught the ball, still with his back to the diamond. He crashed into the wall...and was stunned for a second but held the ball." The Great One didn’t start the evening match, but entered in the eighth inning. The game went 10 innings before Manny Mota’s roller scored Matty Alou from third. Maury Wills and Clendenon each went 4-for-5 to help Ronnie Kline, who tossed 4-1/3 innings of shutout relief for the victory.

1970 - Pirates Manager Derek Shelton was born in Carbondale, Illinois. He replaced Clint Hurdle as skipper following the 2019 campaign after serving as a bench coach for the Twins for two seasons. Before that, Derek was a quality control coach at Toronto, the Tampa Bay Rays’ hitting coach from 2010-16 and worked as the Cleveland Indians’ hitting coach for five years before that. Shelton started out managing in the Yankees system for three years (GCL, Class A short-season) and won two league championships after serving as a minor-league catcher in the NYY organization in 1992-93, with elbow surgery derailing his career. He played at Southern Illinois University. The Pirates let him go early in the ‘25 season after the Bucs stumbled coming out of the gate with a 12-26 mark. He bounced back quickly; Shelty became the Twins manager in 2026.

1975 - The Pirates had to delay the start of the game at Three Rivers Stadium by 18 minutes to let the Ladies’ Day promotion crowd of 43,260 get their fannies into their seats. It was worth the wait as the Bucs pounced on the Phils’ Steve Carlton and rolled to an 8-1 win. Jerry Reuss went the distance for the dub and Manny Sanguillen had a big day, going 5-for-5 with a homer. Al Oliver (HR, 2B), Willie Stargell (2B) and Dave Parker (2B) each had two-hit days. There were 21 knocks banged out between the two clubs, but the game still took just 2:25 to play.

1978 - IF Josh Bonifay was born in Macon, Georgia. The son of Bucco GM Cam Bonifay, the Pirates drafted Josh in 1999. He had a long and successful minor league career, mainly at Altoona. He hung up the spikes after the 2007 season and became a coach in the Pirates system. In 2011, he moved to the Houston organization and is now the Texas Rangers farm director.

Josh Bonifay - 2002 Bowmans Best

1995 - RHP Vic Willis, who spent 1906-09 with the Bucs with a slash of 89-46-3/2.08, was inducted into the Hall of Fame along with Mike Schmidt, Richie Ashburn, Leon Day and William Hulbert. Vic won 249 games in a 13-year major league career with eight 20+ win campaigns.

1995 - OF Josh Palacios was born in Brooklyn. He was a 2016 draft pick (4th round) of the Blue Jays and saw time with them in 2021 and with the Nats the following year. The Bucs selected him in the minor league portion of the 2022 Rule 5 draft and sent him to Altoona, then to Indy, where he was named International League Player of the Week. Josh was called to the big club and swatted his first MLB homer in June. He became a FA after hitting .236/12/49 in 114 Bucco games in 2023-24, joined the White Sox system and returned to Indy in ‘26.

2006 - Pittsburgh concluded a five-game winning streak by taking a 10-inning victory from the San Francisco Giants at PNC Park, 2-1. Jose Castillo’s leadoff homer in the ninth frame forced the game into extras, and Jose Hernandez’s single in the 10th scored Jack Wilson with the walkoff run. Both starters, Zach Duke and Matt Morris, put up zeroes but were gone before the seventh inning was done, and it took 11 more pitchers to finish up the contest that they had begun.

2013 - Lucky Bounces: The Pirates swept a doubleheader from the Cards by 2-1 and 6-0 scores at PNC Park to vault over them into first place in the NL Central. The opener went 11 innings, with the winning run scoring after Alex Presley’s apparent DP ball deflected off pitcher Kevin Siegrist’s glove and into left field to plate Russ Martin. Vin Mazzaro got the win. The big blow in the nitecap was Andrew McCutchen’s two-run homer, aided by Lady Luck, that bounced off Matt Holliday’s glove and into the second row of seats in left. Rookie Brandon Cumpton went seven frames for the win, tossing three-hit ball. C Tony Sanchez took his MLB bow behind the dish and became one of seven Pirates to call a shutout in his first game; the last was Jason Kendall in 1996.

2014 - The San Francisco Giants broke a six-game losing streak largely thanks to a DP via a walk. The Pirates, who had won three in a row, led 5-4 in the sixth when Chris Stewart drew a one-out walk with runners on second and third. Giant hurler Jean Machi got the ball back from the catcher and noticed Travis Snider had drifted off second base, apparently thinking it was a bases-loaded walk (he admitted after the game that was the case). Machi picked the wanderer off, and Gaby Sanchez, who was at third, was baffled by the going-ons at second and the G-Men caught him napping, too. The Bucs lost 7-5 at AT&T Park, wasting long balls by Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer.

Cutch - 2017 Topps Gold Label

2017 - The Pirates were in a four-game losing streak that had dropped them from 2-1/2 to 5-1/2 games off the National League Central lead when a pair of the Bucs big dogs, Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole, got off the leash. Cutch was up five times; he homered during three of them and walked the other two while Cole Train tossed seven innings of one-run ball with eight whiffs as the Pirates took a much-needed 7-1 win from the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. The runaway score was padded by Josh Bell’s pinch-hit dinger and Jose Osuna’s two-run triple. Cutch posted his third three-dinger game while also joining Willie Stargell (13-20+, 1964-76) and Ralph Kiner (seven-20+, 1946-52) as Pirates to hit 20 long balls in seven straight seasons with Andrew’s run starting in 2011.

2021 - The Bucs were on a four-game losing streak and had given up 34 runs in that span while scoring just four times. They sent Wil Crowe (2-5/5.89) against the Phils at PNC Park, and he proved he had some stopper stuff in him by spinning six innings of one-hit shutout ball. Chasen Shreve and Duane Underwood Jr. closed out with three more hitless frames as the Bucs snapped out of their doldrums, 7-0. The offense was balanced from top to bottom, as five guys collected two hits, six different Bucs scored and five more added RBI.

2023 - On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, 34,515 fans poured into PNC Park for the rubber match between the Phils and Bucs. Pittsburgh overcame a pair of two-run deficits to take the series with a 6-4 win in 10 frames. Philly jumped ahead 2-0, the Pirates tied it on Bryan Reynolds two-run blast, and then the Phils came back to retake the lead at 4-2. The Bucs closed in when Reynolds’ seventh inning single scored Connor Joe and tied it in the eighth after Nick Gonzales sac fly brought home Jared Triolo, who had singled and moved to third on birthday boy Josh Palacios’ double. In the extra frame, the Phils opened against Angel Perdomo by putting runners at second and third with no outs. The next batter flew out short of the track in right and Bryce Harper on third faked a tag. The Phil on second was caught off the base, misreading Harper, and Henry Davis’ relay to C Endy Rodriguez was zipped to second. That caused Harper to try to plate, and Gonzales fired the ball home to catch Bryce, a tricky but well executed DP to squelch the rally. Palacios continued to party on his 28th b-day by pounding a walkoff dinger to leadoff the frame, scoring himself and the ghost runner for the victory. The long ball came the pitch after an attempted bunt that almost got Josh beaned, and was just Pittsburgh’s second hit w/RISP in 13 tries as they stranded 10 runners to add a degree of difficulty.