6/11 Through 1964: 7-RBI Frank, Stans, Deac Zippos, Clarke 5-er, Yde Leads, Lloyd Gets Dizzy, Game Days, MLB Push, HBD Dave, Frank & Len

1901 - The Pirate faithful saved the day for the Bucs in a 4-0 win at Exposition Park over Christy Mathewson and the NY Giants. Thunderstorms were predicted for the area, and by the start of the fifth a deluge began, with the Giants pleading for a rain-out. But umpire Hank O’Day  followed a league directive that games not be called until the fans in the uncovered parts of the park deserted their seats, as the NL figured if the paying customers could brave the elements, so could the players. He pointed to the mass of Pirate rooters packing the bleachers (they drew 7,000, a huge showing, for the highly anticipated Matty/Schoolmaster Sam Leever match, of which 4,000 seats were in the open) and said play on - and no stalling shenanigans either, he warned. The G-Men went down in order, and with the game safely in hand the soggy crowd headed for shelter as the game was called, ending in the Buccos favor. Wee Tommy Leach had three RBIs and scored the other run while Leever gave up two hits in his short outing.

1903 - Deacon Phillippe tossed his third straight whitewash, a three-hitter, to defeat Brooklyn 9-0 at Exposition Park for the Pirates ninth consecutive win. The Pittsburgh Press wrote “Deacon Phillippe was the artist and he has never been in finer form.” Phillippe posted 2.43 ERA and won 25 games that season, but only ended up with one more shutout. Eddie Phelps spanked three hits and Claude Ritchey added a pair against the Superbas.

1909 - Player/Manager Fred Clarke banged out five hits to lead the Pirates to an 8-1 win over the Brooklyn Superbas at Forbes Field for Pittsburgh’s 11th straight victory. Clarke had a double, triple, a pair of stolen bases and three runs scored. Lefty Leifield claimed the win.

1913 - Len Levy was born in Squirrel Hill. The Allderdice grad did about everything you could do for the Pirates without playing. He was a batboy, a Forbes Field ticket-taker, a minor league player, bullpen catcher, PR man, scout and coach in both the Pirates system and for the big league Bucs; he’s the guy that you saw in the first base box as Maz galloped by after his Series-winning homer in 1960. Older yinzers will remember him from his later days when he ran an Oakland car lot, Forbes Field Auto, that was popular with the players. After he retired, he was inducted into the W PA Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Len died at age 79 in 1993.

Len Levy - 1977 TCMA 60's Pirates

1918 - Pittsburgh’s Roy Sanders and Boston's Bunny Hearn battled for each other for 16 innings before the Bucs won 3-2 on a bases-loaded squeeze play by Howdy Caton. Sanders allowed just one hit over the last eight innings at Braves Field after Boston had taken an early 2-0 lead in the second, tossing 14 consecutive goose eggs. The Braves had plenty of chances early on, with 11 hits but they stranded 13 runners during the contest.

1925 - Emil Yde did it all. The multi-tasking lefty scattered nine hits and went 3-for-4 with a double and triple, three runs and three RBI to carry the Pirates to an 11-3 win over the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. He did have some help with the lumber - Johnny Rawlings had three hits while Max Carey, Kiki Cuyler and Johnny Gooch each collected a pair of knocks.

1927 - The Brooklyn Robins crashed Big Poison’s party to take an 11-10 win at Forbes Field by scoring four runs in the ninth. Waner had just been married the day before, and the Pirates held a “Paul Waner Day'' for him, where he was gifted with a car and then celebrated with three hits. He was joined in the hit parade by LF Clyde Barnhart, who also collected three knocks to run his multi-hit streak to 10 games. That string was snapped the next day when he could only manage a double against Brooklyn in another run-and-gun 11-10 loss.

1929 - OF/3B Frank Thomas was born in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. The local kid spent half of his 16 year career as a Pirate (1951-58) before being traded to the Reds, starting an eight-team journey during the second half of his MLB days. His Bucco line was .275/.363/.562 and he was a three time All-Star. Frank was as noted for his contract fights as he was for his 286 career homers. When he retired, he settled in Ross Township with his wife Dolores and eight kids, participating in old-timer games and fantasy camps. He passed away in 2023 at the age of 93.

Little Poison - 1933 Goudey Big League

1933 - The Bucs had lost 8-of-11 and that trend looked like it would go on as they went into the ninth at Sportsman Park down 7-1 to St. Louis. But the Pirates were game to the finish, sending 14 batters to the plate (10 of the first 11 batters reached), resulting in seven hits, three walks, and three gifts: an error, a passed ball, and a wild pitch. When the smoke cleared, they had tallied 10 times, with Little Poison Waner driving in four runs on two singles and the final three runs charged to reliever Dizzy Dean; all unearned, as the Cards fell, 11-7. The Redbirds were equally frustrated in the second game of the twin bill - they collected eight hits off Larry French, but stranded 11 runners as they were dropped, 3-0. Tony Piet scored twice. The sweep tightened up a National League horse race as just 1-1/2 games separated the New York Giants, St. Louis Cards and Pittsburgh.

1938 - Bill Swift went the distance in a 4-3 win over the Phillies at Forbes Field. Not only did he go wire-to-wire to claim the win, he provided the muscle behind the victory when he bopped a two-out, three-run homer in the second, sending a curve ball over the wall in left center. It was his third and final MLB long fly - though a hurler, he posted a .227 BA for the Bucs over eight seasons to go with his 91-79-18/3.57 slash from the bump. 

1948 - Dave Cash was born in Utica, New York. Drafted in 1966, he played his first five seasons in Pittsburgh (1969-73) and replaced Bill Mazeroski at second base in 1970; he in turn was bumped off the position by Rennie Stennett. Cash hit .285 as a Bucco and was in the league for a dozen campaigns, having three All-Star seasons with Philly. Dave coached/managed for the Oriole organization and is now retired and living in Tampa. Dave Parker said that Cash had a locker room nickname, explaining that “...he was so cool, we nicknamed him ‘A.C.’”

Frank Thomas - 1958 Topps

1958 - Birthday boy Frank Thomas hit two homers, one a grand slam, and drove in seven runs as the Pirates pounded the Giants 14-6 at Seals Stadium. Bill Mazeroski also went long and had three hits with three runs chased home; Roberto Clemente and Bill Virdon added three raps as the Pirates rolled up 18 hits. Vern Law got the win with ElRoy Face finishing up.

1962 - Dick Stuart hit two homers with five RBI (he actually drove in all six runs; one scored on a DP ball) to lead the Bucs to a 6-1 victory at Wrigley Field against the Cubs and Don Cardwell. Big Stu knew it was his day from the start - his first homer was a 250’ flare that hopped into the Chicago bullpen (then on the field in foul territory) and lodged under a bench; Billy Williams couldn’t find it until Stuart, with Bill Virdon ahead of him, crossed the plate. Cardwell said afterwards that he was hoping one of the boys in the pen would have casually dropped a warm up ball for Williams to play, but alas, no Chi-town improvisers thought that fast. It was Stuart’s first inside-the-park circuit; he would repeat the deed one more time in his career. Stu’s second dinger was a legit three-run bomb to left in the sixth. Joe Gibbon went seven frames for the win.

1964 - Pirates owner John Galbreath came out in support of unifying the leagues under one roof and run by the MLB commissioner while eliminating separate league control of umpire crews, PR, legal, and other administrative functions. It took awhile, but in 2000, the National League and American League merged into a single entity known as Major League Baseball. The most obvious result to the fans was the umpiring consolidation, but as we’ve seen over the intervening years, the business clout of a single entity has proven to be potent.

6/11 From 1965: Cole Home Debut, PNC Run Record, Cutch Marks, Game Days, TSN Coverboy Cobra, Cam Canned, Nick, Carmen & Jared Drafted, HBD Brock

1969 - The ‘Stros were cruising with a 6-3 lead going into the sixth at the Astrodome when the Bucs erupted. They cut the lead to a run via some small ball and then came the blast; Roberto Clemente launched a grand slam. It was his only hit, but he scored three times with an intentional walk, HBP and stolen base while adding an outfield assist to his basket. The Bucs banged out 15 hits in the 13-8 victory with Freddie Patek and Matty Alou chipping in three each. Houston helped - they committed four errors, leading to three unearned runs. Steve Blass got the win with Bruce DalCanton and Chuck Hartenstein mopping up.

1977 - Dave Parker was featured as the cover story of The Sporting News in an article titled “Wham.” He was a National League whammy during the campaign, leading the league with a .338 BA, 215 hits and 44 doubles to go with 21 HR, 88 RBI and 107 runs scored to earn his first All-Star berth with six more appearances to follow, three with the Pirates.

1982 - Lee Lacy, playing in place of an injured Dave Parker, lined a Larry Christenson curveball over the wall in right center with one away in the ninth to give the Bucs a 1-0 victory over the Phils at Veterans Stadium. Teke Tekulve tossed three frames of one-hit ball for the win in support of John Candelaria’s strong six-inning start as the pair combined for the Pirates first shutout of the campaign. Christenson went the distance, striking out 11 Bucs.

1985 - The Pirates romped over the Cards 13-2 at TRS. All 12 Bucs with an at-bat had hits (five had multi-hit days) and 11 scored and/or drove in a run. Joe Orsulak led the parade with three hits while Tony Pena and Bill Madlock homered. Rick Reuschel went seven innings for the win; he added two raps and three RBI to the cause, with Al Holland closing the book. 

Brock Holt - 2013 Topps

1988 - OF/IF Brock Holt was born in Fort Worth, Texas. Taken in the ninth round of the 2009 draft by the Bucs, he played some in 2012 for Pittsburgh, hitting .292, before being sent to Boston as part of the Mark Melancon trade. He soon became a valued plug-in guy for the BoSox, hitting .270 and playing every position but pitcher & catcher during his seven years in Beantown. Brock’s last couple of seasons were nomadic and he last played in 2021.

1990 - After the Bucs batted in the third inning at Busch Stadium, it was 6-0 in their favor. By the time the Cards finished in the seventh frame, it was 6-6. That woke up the Pirates; they answered in the eighth with a Chico Lind leadoff double. He scored on Jeff King’s single, and JK became an insurance run after Jay Bell’s second triple of the match. And they needed it; the Redbirds led off their half with three straight singles to pull within a run before eventual winner Bill Landrum settled in to close the gate the rest of the way for an 8-7 victory. The top of the order - King, Bell and Andy Van Slyke - banged six hits (three triples and a double), drew five walks, scored six times and drove in five runs. Barry Bonds added three more raps during a 14-hit attack.

2000 - The Bucs scored three runs in the first, five in the 10th and not much in between, but it was a strong enough mix to down the Kansas City Royals 10-6 at Kauffman Stadium. Warren Morris and Adrian Brown combined for eight hits, three RBI and six runs at the top of the lineup while Brian Giles was the big gun at crunch time, driving in three clutch runs with a game-tying double in the ninth and then banging a two-run homer in the 10th.

2001 - Kevin McClatchy fired GM Cam Bonifay after seven losing seasons featuring several costly and questionable free agent signings, replacing him with interim GM Roy Smith. Dave Littlefield was named the full-time replacement a month later. Littlefield couldn’t get the Bucs’ motor running either (he was generally forced to make moves for financial rather than baseball reasons) and was swapped out for Neal Huntington in September, 2007. 

A-Ram - 2003 Topps Series One

2003 - Aramis Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 22 games by going 3-for-5 against the Blue Jays at the SkyDome in an 8-5 loss and bringing his batting average up to .309; it had been sitting at a sickly .218 on May 14th the day before he began his run. Toronto’s Mark Hendrickson and Aquilino Perez teamed up to end A-Ram’s string the next day.

2005 - The Pirates exploded for 20 hits to beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 18-2, pushing across the most runs scored by the club at PNC Park (it was tied in a 2019 game but has yet to be topped) as the Bucs scored three times in the opening frame and never looked back. Jose Castillo homered and knocked in a team-high five runs. Daryle Ward had four RBI and Ryan Doumit had three hits and three RBI. Seven Buccos had two or more hits. Ollie Perez struck out 10 batters in seven innings for the win.

2013 - First overall pick of the 2011 draft, RHP Gerrit Cole, made his MLB debut at PNC Park and earned an 8-2 win over the San Francisco Giants in front of 30,614 fans; some 10,000 were walk-ups who rolled to the North Shore just to see Cole Train in action. Gerrit pitched to contact, giving up two runs on seven hits with two K in 6-1/3 innings, using up just 81 pitches and registering 99 on the radar gun a couple of times during the evening. Pedro Alvarez went 3-for-3 with a homer, two runs scored and three RBI to spark the Bucco attack.

Gerrit Cole - 2013 Panini Hometown Hero

2020 - On the first night of the five-round draft, the Pirates chose SS Nick Gonzales with their first pick (7th overall - New Mexico State), a guy who sported a good stick but was switched to 2B. He signed for $5.4M, slot value, and after a not-so-impressive 35-game run in ‘23, he incorporated his lessons and claimed the position late in ‘24 after starting at Indy. He’s now at the hot corner. They next landed righty Carmen Mlodzinski with their competitive balance pick (#31, South Carolina) and agreed to a $2M bonus, $300K under slot. He was sharp out of the pen in ’23, but the ride was bumpier in ‘24; he’s yo-yoing between the pen and rotation now. The next day, the Bucs took RHP Jared Jones, a Texas commit, in the second round (#44: La Mirada HS CA) and inked him to a $2.2M deal, roughly $500K over slot. It was worth it; he slotted into the ‘24 rotation and joined Mitch Keller and Paul Skenes to form a young core, although elbow surgery scrubbed his ‘25 campaign; he returned at the end of May, 2026. They closed the action by taking three more righties - Nick Garcia (#79, Chapman U; $1.2M, $400K over slot), Jack Hartman (#108, Appalachian State), and Logan Hofmann (#138, Northwestern State). They all signed by July 2nd. Garcia and Hartman were traded for Connor Joe and Ji-Man Choi while Hofman stumbled, pitched in the Frontier League, tossed in Germany (he won the league’s Best Pitcher award in 2025) and then flipped from player to teacher - he’s now the pitching coach for the Saskatoon Berries Baseball Academy. 

2023 - Andrew McCutchen had a list of milestones to check off during his second tour with the Bucs and he nailed a big one on this day, lining a leadoff single to left for his 2,000th career hit to become just one of five active players in the 2K club. The crowd of 26,770 at PNC Park gave him an ovation and congratulatory messages flashed across the scoreboard. It was a deja vu moment; Cutch’s first hit was on June 4th, 2009, also against the Mets at PNC Park as the Bucs’ first batter. Mitch Keller had a strong outing to run his record to 8-2 with David Bednar picking up save #14 in a 2-1 victory. In the fourth, Jack Suwinski hit a solo shot, then Tucupita Marcano singled home Ji Hwan Bae, who had doubled. Keller & Company made the two runs hold up.

2025 - In his 12th season in Pittsburgh, Andrew McCutchen hit his 241st home run as a Pirate (325 overall) against Miami at PNC Park, jumping ahead of Roberto Clemente for third place in team history. Cutch now trails just Ralph Kiner (301) and Willie Stargell (475) among Bucco bombers. The dinger broke up a tight game, with the three-run shot giving the Buccos a 4-0, fifth-inning lead. Bailey Falter lasted into the sixth of an eventual 5-2 victory with David Bednar earning the save. Cutch had three hits and Ke’Bryan Hayes a pair to account for five of the Pirates seven knocks.

6/10 Through 1974: Kiles-Gibbon, B-2-B-2-B, Burner Byrne, Ump-Mania, Game Days, Satch HoF; HBD Pokey, Hank, Specs, Danny, Vic & Jap

1882 - IF William “Jap” Barbeau was born in New York City. Barbeau spent four years in the show, and only one of those seasons was he a full-time guy. That was for the Pirates in 1909, but after he hit .220, he was sent to St. Louis late in the season as part of the Bobby Byrne deal. He played MLB ball for part of 1910 and was done, although he did carve out a 14-year pro career. He got his nickname because he was short - 5’5” - and per Alfred Spink in his 1910 book The National Game, “owing to his swarthy appearance,” leading a Columbus writer to pin the “Jap” tag on Barbeau as a minor-league rookie in 1905.

1890 - OF Jocko Fields of the Pittsburgh Burghers hit the first home run at Exposition Park (the third incarnation of the yard) in a 10-4 win over the aptly named Chicago Pirates. Fred Carroll banged out four hits and Ed “Cannonball” Morris went the distance for the win. The Burghers were part of the Players League and were manned primarily by guys who had previously played for the Alleghenys & jumped leagues, such as Fields, Carroll and Morris.

1891 - It was early in a tough year for Pittsburgh. Although the pitching was solid, the hitting ranked either seventh or eighth in the counting stats, the club went through a pair of managers and finished last in the National League with a 50-88 record. But today at the Polo Grounds, all was well - Pud Gavin cruised as the Bucs scored eight times in the first frame to run away with a 14-6 win. The Pirates banged out 15 hits and Ump Tim Hurst put on a show of his own. The Commercial Gazette wrote “...he seems to have a great penchant for calling strikes balls and balls strikes. He also seems to have a mania for getting in the way of the fielders. Some of his decisions on the bases were enough to take the hair off the heads of all good rooters.” The squad needed some help - this was only their second victory during a 16-game swoon.

1905 - Vic Harris was born in Pensacola, Florida. His family moved to Pittsburgh in 1914, and OF Vic spent 23 years playing for the Homestead Grays, hitting .299. He was also a player-manager for the Grays, winners of nine consecutive Negro National League pennants from 1937-1945 (he was off during the war years of 1943-44 when Candy Jim Taylor took over).

Vic Harris - Helmar Big League Brew Famous Athletes

1905 - RHP “Deacon Danny” MacFayden was born in Truro, Massachusetts. He spent 17 years in the majors, mostly with the Boston Red Sox and Bees, and his last full campaign was in 1940 with the Pirates when he went 5-4/3.55 and then was released at the age of 35. After his pitching days, Danny became the baseball coach at Bowdoin College from 1946 to 1970. Per Wikipedia, Danny’s serious demeanor won him the nickname "Deacon Danny" while New York World-Telegram sports writer Dan Daniel, a critic of his play, called him "Dismal Danny." 

1911 - The Bucs ran Brooklyn in circles at Forbes Field. Bobby Byrne stole 2B, 3B, and home in the sixth inning, swiping third base while the Superbas argued the original call at second. The Pirates pulled off a pair of double steals (they stole six bases, all in the sixth inning) and an uncredited triple steal that was instead ruled an error on the throw. When the dust settled, Pittsburgh had a 9-0 win over Brooklyn. But it was an all-around fine game by the Pirates. Beat man Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press wrote “The Pirates played like real champions...they fielded like fiends, ran wild on the bases and hit when hits meant runs.” Fred Clarke and Newt Hunter each had three hits while pitcher Babe Adams added a pair of knocks while posting 10 whiffs.

1920 - RHP Johnny “Specs” Podgajny was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. Podgajny put five years in the big leagues, and was a regular from 1941-43, mostly with Philadelphia (he was a teammate of Danny Murtaugh) who served with the Pirates in ‘43. He went 0-4/4.57 in 15 games with five starts and then was out of MLB except for a brief 1946 stint with the Indians. He ended his 12-year pro career after the 1950 campaign. “Specs,” of course, wore glasses.

1929 - C Hank Foiles was born in Richmond, Virginia. He played for the Pirates from 1956-59, starting two seasons. Foiles was an All-Star in 1957, hitting .270 and throwing out 38% of the base stealers trying his arm, but his bat didn’t hold up over time, as his four-year Bucco BA was just .230. Hank put together an 11-year big league career, playing for six clubs. He was a touted multi-sport guy as a preppie and in college - he was an All-Southern Conference gridder - and is enshrined in the Virginia, Hampton Roads and Granby HS Sports Hall of Fames. Foiles passed away on May 21, 2024, less than three weeks before his 95th birthday.

Bill Swift - 1936 National Chicle Pastel

1935 - Paul Waner, Arky Vaughan and Pep Young hit back-to-back-to-back HRs in the eighth inning off Benny Frey during the Pirates 14-1 win against the Reds at Forbes Field, the middle win of a five-game victory run. Gus Suhr also went yard and Bill Swift earned a complete game victory. Every Bucco had a hit and either scored or drove in a run; six did both, including Swift. The batfest wasn’t witnessed by many rooters; only 1,186 fans showed for the contest.

1969 - The Bucs traded RHP Ron Kline, 37, to the Giants in return for LHP Joe Gibbon, who was 34. Kline had spent his first six years in Pittsburgh (1952, two years military, 1955-59) and returned for 1968-69, slashing 66-91-14/3.77 as a multi-role twirler for the Buccos. Gibbon had a similar resume; his first six seasons (1960-65) were spent as a Pirate followed by a second stint in 1969-70; his local line was 44-46-18/3.61.

1971 - The Baseball Hall of Fame's new Special Committee on the Negro Leagues formally selected Satchel Paige for induction on August 9th. Paige made stops with the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords during his storied career that carried him through the Negro Leagues, the Dominican League, countless barnstorming nines and finally MLB.

1973 - IF Calvin "Pokey" Reese was born in Columbia, SC. A first round pick of the Reds in 1991 out of high school, he played second for the Bucs in 2003-04, hitting .254 but losing most of the second season to injury. His nickname didn't have anything to do with his pace (he stole 144 bases in his career), but there are two nana tales: Reese was born with a hernia that caused his navel to poke out, so his grandma called young Calvin "Pokey." The second story has it that Reese got his moniker because he was a chubby baby and his grandmother called him Porky, which came out “Pokey” with her southern drawl.

6/10 From 1975: Charlie Sharp, Dewey Damage, Go Mo, Q-Ball, Pops Pop, Game Days, Danny POTW; RIP Gunner, HBD Carlos

1977 - It took 11 innings, but the Bucs defeated the San Diego Padres 10-7 at TRS. Willie Stargell hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning - Pops timed his only hit of the night well - to score Dave Parker and Al Oliver for the walkoff win. Bill Robinson had three knocks and three RBI while Rich “Goose” Gossage got the win. He came on during the eighth inning and pitched four scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out four.

1978 - 1B Carlos Rivera was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Rivera was drafted in the 10th round by the Bucs in 1996 out of high school. He got the call to Pittsburgh and saw action in the 2003-04 seasons, hitting .218 off the bench. After his last season with the Bucs, Rivera took his game south, playing in AAA, Mexico and Puerto Rico through 2015. 

1985 - The Gunner, Bob Prince, died of pneumonia and cancer at the age of 68. The long time Pirate broadcaster last called a game May 20th, when a rain delay sent him to the hospital and he never recovered. He served a 28-year stint as the voice of the Pirates on KDKA, famed for his “Gunnerisms” and hometown boosterism. Prince was posthumously awarded the Ford C. Frick Award by the Baseball Hall of Fame for broadcasters in 1986.

1989 - Rey Quinones was the unlikely hero as the Pirates walked off the New York Mets at TRS 6-5 after Q’s two-out blast in the ninth snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Rey also got the Bucs within a run the inning before when he was chased home by Barry Bonds to cut the Mets’ lead to a run (he returned the favor by driving in Bonds in the final frame). Bob Kipper got the win as he, Jeff Robinson and Neal Heaton put up zeroes in relief of Randy Kramer. It was a dramatic weekend of ball - it also took overtime to finally win the Friday game played the night before in ten innings, 4-3.

Rey Quinones -  1989 Donruss

1992 - RHP Jeff Robinson was selected off waivers by the Bucs from the Rangers. He was the second Jeff Robinson to join the Leyland-era Pirates; the original came from the Giants and tossed from 1987-89 with the middle name of Daniel; today’s pickup went by Jeffrey Mark. He replaced Dennis Lamp in the bullpen, but only lasted until July 25th, when he was released after posting a line of 3-1/4.46. It was the 30-year-old’s last major league stop.

1996 - RHP Danny Darwin was named the National League Pitcher of the Week. THe spun two dubs for the Bucs, tossing 16 scoreless innings & giving up just 10 hits with no walks and six whiffs. Before catching fire, Darwin hadn’t won a game since April 22nd and was 2-6.

2000 - The Kansas City Royals edged the Pirates 2-1 in 12 innings. But don’t blame 2B Warren Morris; he went 5-for-6 during the match, and had four more raps the next day. The Bucs banged out 13 hits, but they were all singles and they stranded 13 runners. Pittsburgh didn’t get on the scoreboard until there were two outs in the ninth inning to prolong the drama at Kauffman Stadium.

2001 - The Bucs were 3-of-21 on the road and looked like they were going to take another one on the chin when they entered the eighth down 8-4 (it was an 8-1 deficit after three innings) to the Twins at Hubert Humphrey Metrodome. They showed some fight, loading the bases to start the frame, but only cashed in once after Pat Meares’ bullet to third became the second out instead of the game-tying shot. But they kept comin’ - three hits, sandwiched between a pair of walks, gave Pittsburgh an 11-8 edge, keyed by Brian Giles two-out, two-run triple. Mike Williams tossed a zero in the Twinkies half and struck out the side in the ninth as the Pirates finally took home a road win. They worked hard for the victory; Jason Schmidt didn’t make it through the second inning and left the game behind by seven runs, but Dave Williams, Scott Sauerbeck and the soon-to-be-traded Williams (the trio gave up no runs on five hits in 7-1/3 IP with eight whiffs) kept Minnesota at bay. It was the second time in three weeks that the team rallied from a seven-run hole but didn’t help in the long run; the club still lost 100 games.

Brian Giles - 2001 Upper Deck Vintage

2008 - Ryan Doumit had a big day, going 4-for-4 with two homers and two doubles, but Washington came out on top by playing late long ball at TRS to claim an 8-7 win. Paul Maholm gave up four Nat homers (three in the seventh inning alone) and Matt Capps blew his first save when he served up a two-out, two-run, first-pitch homer to Lastings Milledge in the ninth. It was a brutal defeat; the Bucs had just put up a pair in the eighth to regain the lead before Milledge’s dagger.

2015 - The Bucs shut out the Brewers at PNC Park by a 2-0 score. The runs resulted from a Starling Marte knock and Pedro Alvarez blast that traveled 438’ and cleared the right field stands. But the story of the night was Charlie Morton, who went 7-1/3 IP, giving up three hits, three walks and K’ing six. Charlie set a couple of personal bests during the night. He won five in a row for the first time in his career and started a season off 4-0 for the first time.

2017 - The Bucs were losing by a 6-4 count at PNC Park going into the seventh when Jordy Mercer banged a two-run triple and John Jaso’s pinch-hit, ground-rule double plated Jordy with the game winner in a 7-6 decision over Miami. Andrew McCutchen added a pair of doubles among his three hits, giving him 500 career extra-base raps, along with two RBIs and a run scored to help give the Pirates fourth pitcher, Daniel Hudson, the win with Felipe Vazquez notching the save. The lineup’s 5-through-8 hitters (Josh Bell, Cutch, Elias Diaz, Mercer) went 11-for-16 with five ribbies and five runs scored as Pittsburgh posted 16 hits against five Fish twirlers.

6/9 Through 1954: Same Page, Elbie En Fuego, Fast Start, 56 Goose Eggs, Game Days; HBD Cobra, Julio, Quail, Roy & Charles

1860 - Charles Power was born in Johnstown. He was a minor league pitcher who developed a bum arm and turned briefly to umpiring. He became the sports editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch in 1893, then was a boss for area minor leagues. He ran the Steel and Oil League in 1895, a local collection of eight teams that Hans Wagner passed through, and then stayed on when it became the Interstate League the following year until 1900. His last executive hurrah was in 1907 when he presided over the short-lived Class D Western Pennsylvania League. 

1902 - GM Roy Hamey was born in Havana, Illinois. Hamey replaced Ray Kennedy as Bucco GM following the 1946 campaign after serving as Business Manager of the Yankees. He hired Billy Meyer (a Yankee farm manager) as the Bucs' skipper and dealt for vets like Tiny Bonham, Bob Chesnes and Hank Greenberg, but the team was a second-division club for most of his tenure, and he was swapped out for Branch Rickey after the 1950 season. Hamey ran the Phillies for five years after that without much more success, and then returned to New York after the 1960 World Series, and in his three years there, the Bronx Bombers averaged 103 wins. His last gig was as interim Chief Executive of the Seattle Pilots in 1969, running operations until Bud Selig bought the team.

1903 - The Pirates streak of putting up 56 straight scoreless frames came to end when Kaiser Wilhelm gave up a fourth inning run to the Phils in a 7-3 Bucco win at Expo Park. The run of goose eggs started with two shutout frames by Ed Doheny to mercifully end a 10-2 drubbing at the hands of the Giants. Then came a streak of six straight whitewashes (a pair each spun by Sam Leever & Deacon Phillippe and one by Doheny & Wilhelm). The streak launched the team onto a 15-game winning skein, an NL title and a meeting with Boston in the World Series. The Pirates 1903 stretch still holds the MLB mark for consecutive shutouts and scoreless innings pitched, surviving a 1974 challenge that saw the Orioles tossed five straight shutouts and 54 zippo frames.

1905 - It was a wild opening frame, as attested by the Pittsburgh Press headline "Pirates Win Slugging Bee: Two Twirlers Driven Off the Rubber After One Inning." The Giants scored five runs in the top of the first off Sam Leever and the Pirates came back with six runs off Iron Man Joe McGinnity in the bottom of the frame. Deacon Phillippe of the Pirates and Christy Mathewson of NY replaced the twirlers in the second inning. It was all Pittsburgh after that, with the Bucs rolling over New York, 12-6, at Exposition Park. Fred Clarke, Ginger Beaumont, Honus Wagner, Del Howard and Tommy Leach each collected a pair of hits, while Phillippe pitched “cleverly” per the Press. To add insult to injury, the Giants were pelted with fruit as they rode along Market Street after getting into an ill-advised name-calling exchange with some Pittsburgh fans after the game.

Deacon Phillippe to the rescue - 1905 Fan Craze game card

1906 - The Phillies had an eighth inning 1-0 lead over the Pirates at the Baker Bowl. As a storm approached, the Pirates rallied in the ninth to forge ahead, and the Phils decided to give away outs‚ bean batters, toss wild pitches (the Pirates caught on and swung at them, trying to strike out on purpose) and argue almost every call in the hope of umpire Bill Klem would call the game because of the weather. Klem did cut the festivities short, all right: after seven runs crossed the plate, he declared a forfeit because of Philadelphia’s antics. The ploy almost worked as planned, though - the rain fell shortly after the game was banged.

1914 - Honus Wagner was credited (incorrectly) with his 3,000th hit off Philadelphia's Erskine Mayer in a 3-1 loss to the Phillies at the Baker Bowl. Wagner's hit, a double, came in the ninth inning. Wagner joined Cap Anson as the only members of the 3000-hit club. Hans told the Pittsburgh Press “Well, I’m glad that’s over. Sometimes I think too much newspaper talk hurts a fellow, that it acts as sort of a jinx.” It didn’t end up much of a hoodoo for the Flying Dutchman - in his 21-year career, Hans posted 3,420 hits, 643 doubles, 1,732 RBI, 1,739 runs scored, 723 stolen bases and a .328 BA. (Caveat emptor: This date was the one originally credited for the milestone hit and is still sometimes cited, but a recount by baseball archivists now date the deed to June 28th, 1914, when Hans singled off of the Reds Pete Schneider. We post both dates in the blog.)

1931 - Bill Virdon was born in Hazel Park, Michigan. The Quail came over from the Cards in 1956 and patrolled center field for 11 years (1956-66) in Pittsburgh, including the 1960 World Series season. Virdon won Rookie of the Year in 1952, the World Series in 1960 and a Gold Glove in 1962. He later coached and managed the Bucs (and later the Yankees, Astros and Expos). Bill also lent a hand at Pirates spring training until he passed away in 2021.

1931 - While defeating the local North Side Civics (a team that The Chief, Art Rooney, once played for), 16-2, four Homestead Grays' hit home runs - Oscar Charleston, Ted Page, Vic Harris (he had four hits) and Ambrose Reid; the Post Gazette wrote “extra base hits rained off the bats of the Homestead Grays.” 23-year-old righty Roy Williams barely broke a sweat during the win at Saltworks Field.

Bud Hafey - 1979 Diamond Greats

1935 - The Pirates traded 21-year-old RHP Jack Salveson to the Chicago White Sox for 22-year-old OF Bud Hafey. In this case, youth was not all that well served. Hafey played in 97 games over two years for the Bucs, batting .222, and spent one final campaign (1939) in the show with 12 more seasons served in the minors. Salveson only appeared five times as a Buc; overall, he slashed 9-9-4/3.99 after five seasons and 87 MLB outings.

1939 - IF Julio Gotay was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. He spent two seasons with the Pirates in 1963-64 and barely got a big league taste, getting just seven games under his belt (though he did hit .500) with most of his days spent in AAA Columbus. Julio spent parts of 10 seasons in the majors, mainly with the Astros and Cards, but primarily as an insurance policy infielder; only once in his career did he collect more than 250 at-bats.

1940 - The Pirates won for the fifth time in six games when they took the back end of a twin bill from Philadelphia by an 11-5 score at Forbes Field after losing the lidlifter, 6-1. Elbie Fletcher went 3-for-4 with a double and five RBI while Paul Waner matched him, also going 3-for-4 with a double, with two RBI and three runs. Mace Brown was the beneficiary of the batting boom. The good times didn’t last very long; the Bucs then lost 6-of-8.

1946 - The boys in blue really got under the skin of New York Giants manager Mel Ott. He was ejected from both games of a twin bill at Forbes Field for arguing calls (two different umpires tossed him), an MLB first. Ott should have read the riot act to his hitters instead, who were shut down by 2-1 and 5-1 scores by Bucco hurlers Fritz Ostermueller and Johnny Lanning.

Keep the Faith - Press Letter 1949

1949 - Peas in a pod: The Phillies beat the Pirates at Shibe Park, 4-3, in 18 innings. The intrastate rivals both had 16 hits in 68 at bats and committed three errors along with 21 assists. On the same day, The Press published a letter and sidebar from Sheriff Walter Monaghan urging a Pirates “Confidence Night” for the fans to rally in support of the team. He wrote “...as badly as most of us feel everytime we look at the standings, we should remember that the entire Pirates roster...must feel a whole lot worse.” The Pirates were 17-31 at the time and in last place; they finished 71-83, 26 games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1951 - Dave Parker was born in Calhoun City, Mississippi. The Cobra manned right field for 11 years (1973-83) for the Bucs while compiling a line of .305/166/758, earning four All-Star appearances and three Golden Glove awards. He was the 1978 National League MVP and the first professional athlete to earn one million dollars per year (not straight up but including deferred payments) after signing a five-year, $5 million contract in January 1979. Fun fact: Parker wore a gold necklace with a Star of David pendant although he wasn’t Jewish. When asked why, his explanation was simple: "My name is David, and I'm a star." The Buccos seconded that emotion by naming the Cobra to the Pirates Hall of Fame inaugural class.

1953 - The refusal of the National League owners to allow the Pirates to take down Forbes Field’s Kiner Korner after the trade of Ralph Kiner played into the Pirates’ hands in their 7-4 win over the Cards. Eddie Pellagrini belted a three-run pinch HR over the short porch in the eighth, after Dick Hall had earlier lofted a solo shot in the fourth into the same spot.

6/9 From 1955: Brant Fiver, Walkoffs, Starg & Robby Rally, Zisk Cycle, Game Days, Priester, Newman, Key & Sanchez Drafted

1958 - The Pirates stopped in Boise, Idaho while on a west coast trip and became the first MLB club to play a game in the state. The Bucs paid the visit as a nod to Vern Law, who was born in Meridian and honored during “Vern Law Day.” The Pirates were greeted by a crowd at the airport and driven to their hotel in a motorcade. The Boise Braves were a Class C club out of the Pioneer League and played to that level, losing to the big boys by a 17-6 count. 

1966 - For the second time in a week, Roberto Clemente homered over the center field wall at Forbes Field, becoming the first right handed batter to pull off that feat more than once. The blast came during a 4-2 loss to the Cards; the first was part of a 9-5 win over the Astros.

1968 - In a game that neither the Pirates nor Astros players wanted to play after Robert F Kennedy’s assassination, the league muscled up on the teams - “They told us we have a contract and we must live up to it...” explained Houston player rep Dave Giusti - and the Bucs defeated Houston, 3-1, at the Astrodome. Bob Moose spun an eight-inning four-hitter, closed out by Ronnie Kline. The Bucs’ Maury Wills, along with the ‘Stros Rusty Staub & Bob Aspromonte, refused to play. Wills was handed an undisclosed punishment by the team while both Astros players forfeited a day's pay and were traded after the season. MLB’s sole concession to the tragic event was that none of the day’s games could start until after RFK’s memorial service concluded.

1972 - Through his first 10 starts of the season, LA’s Don Sutton had slashed 8-0/1.14, but finally met his match with the Pirates. He suffered his first loss of the season when he gave up 10 hits and five runs (two earned) in seven innings to the Bucs at Dodger Stadium. Pittsburgh put up their five-spot in the opening frame. They didn’t exactly pound the righty; the runs scored on just three singles augmented by a trio of Dodger misplays. Still, the Pirates held their own with Roberto Clemente collecting three hits while Vic Davalillo and Al Oliver added a pair each. It was only a temporary burp for Sutton. Even though he lost his next three games, he was an All-Star with 19 wins and a 2.08 ERA and finished fifth in the Cy Young voting. 

1974 - Richie Zisk hit for the cycle against the San Francisco Giants during a 14-1 romp at Candlestick Park, with five RBI and four runs scored, but Willie Stargell outdid him in generating scores with two homers (one a grand slam), a double and six runs driven home. Bob Robertson also went long as Jerry Reuss cruised to victory behind the Bucs’ lumber explosion on the Bay.

Richie Zisk - 1974 Topps

1978 - Down 8-1 after five innings, the Bucs shook their lethargy and came to life to rally past the Cincinnati Reds by an 11-9 count at TRS. They were led by Willie Stargell, who had pumped up his teammates with a short mid-game speech, and Bill Robinson. The pair combined for seven hits, including four doubles, six RBI and five runs scored. Chuck Tanner made the unorthodox move of bringing in starter John Candelaria from the pen (he hadn’t pitched in relief since 1976) and coaxed four straight outs to save Grant Jackson’s win. 

1988 - The Pirates were looking hapless at TRS against Jamie Moyers and the Cubs bullpen. They went into the ninth inning down, 3-1, and were facing Goose Gossage, a decade removed from his Bucco glory days. But Darnell Coles and Sid Bream opened the frame with doubles to cut the lead to a run and cook the Goose. A groundout and walk of Denny Gonzalez by Gossage’s relief helper, Frank DiPino, left Bucs on the corners. RJ Reynolds’ grounder to third cut down Bream, off on contact, at the dish. But the slow-footed Sid flashed some baseline footwork and did a little boogaloo before allowing the tag to be applied, and it proved a key move by allowing the Pittsburgh runners to get to second and third. Barry Bonds cashed them in when he slapped a soft two-out liner into right that plated the pair to give the Pirates a walkoff win for Jim Gott.

1989 - Pittsburgh scored in the bottom of the ninth to tie the Mets after they had gone ahead in the top half, and then plated again in the 10th to take a 4-3 win at TRS. Gary Redus’ two-out single-and-error bouncer to short scored Rafael Belliard to knot the game. Another Met miscue led to the winner. Andy Van Slyke’s single to right was misplayed into a three-bagger, and after a pair of intentional walks, Benny Distefano’s one-out grounder ended up the walkoff at-bat when the Mets couldn’t turn two, earning Bill Landrum the win. It was a good weekend for the Pirates; they walked off the Metropolitans again, by a 6-5 count, the next night.

1999 - The Pirates beat up on the Detroit Tigers 15-3 as Brant Brown smacked out five hits, including a double and homer, scored four runs and chased home five tallies. Ed Sprague and Jose Guillen each added a bomb and three RBI at Tiger Stadium while Francisco Cordova picked up the win. It was the first time the Pirates ever played a regular season contest in that ballyard (and not a minute too soon; it dated back to 1912 in its current configuration and this was the stadium’s final season). The Pirates last previous visit to Motown was in 1909 during the Hans Wagner v Ty Cobb World Series at Bennett Park, located on the same site that eventually evolved into Tiger Stadium. 

Brant Brown - 1999 Pacific Omega

2009 - C Tony Sanchez was the Pirates first selection (#4 overall - $2.5M signing bonus) in the draft. RHP Vic Black ($717K bonus) was the second round pick and is now a Pirates coach, while IF Brock Holt, who put in a decade in the league with five teams and an All-Star nod before retiring in 2022, was chosen in the ninth round. There was a great gnashing of teeth over the Pirates' cheap ways in selecting Sanchez. It wasn’t a notably deep draft. Stephen Strasburg was taken #1 while prepster Michael Trout was the #25 overall choice. Sanchez never quite made it; he got into 51 games with the Pirates (.259 BA) with one final MLB outing with Atlanta in 2017. 2019 was his last pro season.

2015 - The Pirates chose Arizona SS Kevin Newman (#19 overall, $2.175M bonus), Texas prep 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (#32; $1.855M bonus) and UCLA SS Kevin Kramer (#62; $850K bonus) in the opening two rounds of the draft. Newman made it to the show in 2018 and became the starting SS next season; he’s now with the Angels. Young Hayes took over at third in 2019 before being moved to the Reds in '25 while Kramer last played in the Brewers system in 2021. LHP Brandon Waddell, currently tossing for the Mets, and RHP James Marvel (he was called up for four starts in 2019 and last pitched in 2023) were also members of the class who made Pittsburgh stops.

2016 - The Buccos took Wake Forest 3B Will Craig (#22 overall; $2,257,700 bonus), one of the top college sticks on the board, followed by HS pitchers lefty Nick Lodolo from California (#44; he rejected $1.75M and instead honored his commitment to TCU) and Florida’s RHP Travis MacGregor (#68; $900K bonus; he’s in the Angels system now) on the first day of the draft. Craig appeared briefly for the Bucs in 2020-21 and moved on to Korea. Other draftees: LHP Braedon Ogle (now in the indie leagues), RHP Blake Cederlind (he was called up in 2020 but had TJ surgery the next year and last pitched pro in 2023), RHP Max Kranick (TJ surgery after big team cups of coffee in 2021-22 and now with the Mets) and RHP Geoff Hartlieb, who made stops in Pgh from 2019-21 before moving on to the Mets, Boston, Colorado  and currently the Yankee systems. Lodolo was drafted seventh overall by the Reds in 2019, signed for the slot value of $5.4M+ and joined their rotation in 2022. He missed much of his first two big league seasons with back and leg injuries but is now back in the saddle. 

Quinn Priester - 2020 Topps Pro Debut

2022 - Bradenton pitchers Quinn Priester, Anthony Solometo, Jake Sweeney and Yunior Thibo combined to toss a no-hitter for Bradenton in a 3-0 win over Clearwater at LECOM Park in Low Class A Florida State League action. It was the Baby Bucs’ second no-no of the year (Indy also spun one) and a good omen for the future: RHP Priester, 21, a 2019 first rounder (#18 overall) was making his first rehab start after dealing with an oblique injury and made his MLB debut with the Bucs in 2023 and is now with the Brew Crew. LHP Solometo, 19, was the Pirates second round pick (#37 overall) from 2021 and is working out of AA Altoona between a hodge-podge of injuries.

2023 - Rich Hill went a season-high seven innings as the Pirates throttled the Mets, 14-7, at PNC Park in front of 29,429 Pride Night/fireworks fans, several of whom got into a brawl in the stands, although the two teams remained peaceful on the field. It was the most runs the Bucs scored against New York since 1992, when they plated 19 times. Hill tossed 119 pitches, the second-most he's ever thrown in a game. His high count is 120, hurled in 2006 as a 26-year-old Chicago Cubbie (he’s 43 now). The last Pirates pitcher to throw 119 or more pitches in a game was James McDonald in 2012. As for the swingers, Ke'Bryan Hayes led the pack with a five-hit night, the second of his career (2020 was his first), with two doubles, four RBI and three runs. This was his fourth 3> hit night of the month. Carlos Santana and Jack Suwinski (who had three raps and scored four times) went back-to-back as Pittsburgh pounded out 17 hits, seven for extra bases. All nine players in the Pirates’ starting batting order had a hit for the first time during the season.

Weekly Report: Braves Chop Bucs As Bats Cool Off, Pirates Spinning Wheel, Lowe Dodges Bullet, Pgh-Minors-MLB Notes

On the road again...

Pirates Stuff:

• IF Davis Wendzel (.246/9 HR) was called up from Indy while OF Jhostynxon "Password" Garcia was optioned down. RHP Chris Devenski (illness) was flipped from the 15-day to 60-day injured list.
• The Pirates wild weekend with Carmen Mlodzinski ended in a meeting of minds when he was reinstated for the road trip this week and piggybacked with Jared Jones on Thursday.
• Recently DFA'ed righty reliever Justin Lawrence was sold to the Minnesota Twins. He posted an 0-2/5.32 line this year for the Bucs.

Brandon Lowe - image Sportsnet Pgh.

• Brandon Lowe fouled a ball off his knee Saturday and left the game unable to put weight on it. The next day, BC said tests were negative and the team deemed the injury timeout to be day-to-day. The Pirates were hoping he'd be back for the Tuesday homestand, but he beat their clock on Sunday and pinch hit - Brandon lloked healthy enough, banging a double.
• Yeah, they keep coming - Oneil Cruz banged up his hand sliding into home on Saturday and was out of Sumday's lineup; the Bucs believe it's another day-to-day type injury and that he'll avoid a trip to the IL.
• Konnor Griffin's injury has been updated to a flexor strain; the Bucs said that will require more recovery time without gong into specifics.
• In kinda good injury news, Joey Bart is slated to begin his rehab stint this week. it's expected to be on the long side, given the nature of the injury and Joey's relative lack of action while recovering.
• Pittsburgh has four players with at least 30 RBI going into June for the first time since RBIs became an official stat in 1920. They were: Oneil Cruz - 41, Bryan Reynolds - 38, Brandon Lowe - 37 & Ryan O'Hearn - 30).

Oneil Cruz - May 2026 photo/Pirates

• The Buccos have 14 blown saves so far this year, third most in MLB.
• The Pirates had their string of scoring at least nine runs snapped at four games (since May 30 vs. Minnesota) on Thursday. It was the first time the Bucs have plated that well since 1928 (the franchise record is six straight, set in 1901).
• Indy LH reliever Joe La Sorsa exercised his contract's upward mobility clause. The Pirates have to shop Joe to the rest of the league, and if he's offered a roster spot, the team has to trade La Sorsa to the claimant or add them to their own active roster. If no one bites, La Sorsa will remain in Pittsburgh’s minor league system. It's his second try this year as the Bucs lefty bullpen has been pretty solid, blocking him from a spot here. Joe's been on three big league rosters, posting a 1-1/5.21 line in 46 outings. He was taken by the Red Sox, who bought his contract.
• Greensboro RHP Carlson Reed was picked as the Sally League Pitcher of the Week after he tossed seven perfect frames with seven K. He was joined by teammate OF Brian Sanchez, who was chosen as the Player of the Week after hitting .444 with three homers.

Game Stuff:

• The big bats were at it in Houston; Oneil Cruz & Brandon Lowe banged three-run homers and Endy Rodriguez added a two-run shot to power the Bucs to a 10-6 win. Jake Mangum had four hits and Nick Gonzales chipped in three more as the pair scored four times. Wilber Dotel tossed three scoreless frames which played an equally large role in the dub.
• Paul Skenes again gets to meet the oppo's ace; tonight it was the AL's POTM Spencer Arrighetti. But a duel it wasn't. Henry Davis hit a grannie, Nick Gonzales homered with three RBI and the Bucs were up 9-5 with two outs in the eighth. By the time the pen collected the third out, it was 11-9 'Stros and that was the final as the bullpen gave up eight runs in the seventh and eighth frames - and no, none of it was Carmen's fault; he inexplicably was never called on.
• Jared Jones toughed out a slow opening to give the Bucs five shutout frames and a 1-0 lead. The Pirates scored four more in the sixth to add to Carmen Mlodzinski's comfort. He promptly gave up a leadoff dinger, but settled in to shut Space City out the remainder of the way to earn a four-inning save of the 5-1 series-clincher. Ryan O'Hearn homered with three RBIs to provide the muscle, Brandow Lowe banged two doubles, scoring twice, and Oneil Cruz was on base four times.

Jared Jones is back - photo/Pirates

• Mitch Keller got a rude welcome to Truist Park as he frittered an early 3-1 lead into a three run deficit by the fifth frame. The Buc bats went silent after that - they had just four hits on the night - and Atlanta took the series opener 6-3.
• The Bravos banged Braxton Ashcraft around for six runs in five innings, and like yesterday ended up a 6-3 win. Unlike yesterday, the Bucs had Bradon Lowe go down in the final frame when he fouled a ball off his knee, knocking him out of Sunday's getaway day lineup.
• Spencer Horwitz led off the series-ender with a homer and Bubba Chandler went five 0ne-hit frames, but in the seventh, an error followed by back-to-back walks left the bags filled with Bravos. A call to the pen brought out Evan Sisk, and a bases-clearing double gave Atlanta the lead and the sweep, 3-2.
• The Pirates are back home Tuesday with a three-gamer v the Dodgers and three more matches against Miami.

MLB Stuff:

• C Elias Diaz, who began his career with the Bucs (2015-19) & has been with three teams since,  just signed up with Texas.
• The Dodgers just transferred RHP Tyler Glasnow from the 15-day IL (back) to the 60-day list.
• OF Jase Bowen, who the Bucs drafted in 2019 and went to San Diego as a FA during the past off season, was called up by the Padres for his MLB debut after hitting .292 with 13 HRs for AAA El Paso.
• RHP Wilkins Ramos, who pitched for Altoona and Indy last year (he was lights out for the Curve, meh for the Tribe) and moved to the Giants as an FA in the off season was called up this week.
• RHP Bryse Wilson, who toiled here in 2021-22 (4-13/5.37) was released by the Phils, his fifth MLB squad. He found no takers in the wild and was re-signed by Philly to a minor league deal.
• The Reds sold RH reliever Kyle Nicolas to the Orioles, and the O's assigned him to AAA. The Pirates had traded him to Cincy in March for IF Tyler Callihan.