7/2 Through the 1980s: In A Pinch, Rallyin', Game Days, Kelly Joins, Thomas POTM, HBD Nyjer, Sean, Tony, Fred & Ed

1859 - OF Ed Beecher was born in Guilford, Connecticut. Ed began his short but active MLB career with the Alleghenys in 1887, batting .210. He played for four years with five teams - Pittsburgh, the Washington Nationals, Buffalo Bisons, Philadelphia Athletics and Washington Statesmen - in three different major leagues, the American Association, National League, and the Players Association. He got into 283 games as a career reserve with a lifetime .269 BA.

1864 - C and utilityman Fred Carroll was born in Sacramento, California. In his seven years (1885-91) with Pittsburgh teams, he played for the Alleghenys, the outlaw Burghers and the Pirates, hitting .284 over his career. Fred set a major league record with nine hits in a doubleheader on July 5th, 1886, against the Baltimore Orioles and was the first Pittsburgh player to hit for the cycle on May 2nd, 1887, versus the Detroit Wolverines. A bit quirky, at the beginning of the 1887 season Carroll buried his pet monkey, which had served as an unofficial team mascot for the squad, under home plate at Recreation Park in a pre-game ceremony per local Bucco lore.

1889 - The Pittsburgh Press front page headline poked some fun at the “Poor Phillies” as Pittsburgh took their fifth straight win from their cross-state rivals by a 10-5 score. The Alleghenys scored nine times in the last two innings on six hits (five singles and a double), abetted by two walks, two “muffs” and two “wild throws,” per the Press. Fred Carroll and Jocko Fields had three hits each and Harry Staley got the win in front of 1,500 fans at Exposition Park.

1892 -  The Pirates bought the contract of minor league OF Joe Kelley from Omaha. Joe was a 20-year-old who had a cup of coffee with the Boston Beaneaters (Braves) in 1891. Kelley hit a lackluster .239 and in early September was traded with cash to the Baltimore Orioles for OF George Van Haltren. Kelley ended up in the Hall of Fame after 17 campaigns with a .317 BA while Van Haltren, another excellent player, stayed through 1893, hitting .338, and then was sold to the New York Giants where GVH played for a decade and hit .321.

Tommy Sheehan - 1925 photo/Library of Congress

1925 - The Bucs edged the Cards 2-1 at Forbes Field as Tom Sheehan outpitched Dolf Luque. Kiki Cuyler tripled home Max Carey and then was plated by Clyde Barnhart in the sixth inning for the Pirates scores. It marked the last stand of a NL record 150-game scoring streak by the Buccos that began on July 4th, 1924 when the Reds shut them out the next day, 8-0.

1927 - Pittsburgh scored twice in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings to beat the Reds 7-6 at Forbes Field after trailing 6-1 after six frames. The clinching blow was Clyde Barnhart’s two-run, walk-off homer to left field in the ninth inning off Art Nehf. Mike Cvengros, the Pirates third twirler of the day, tossed six shutout innings of relief and was rewarded with the win.

1949 - The Chicago Cubs and particularly Andy Pafko had a bad day at Wrigley Field, losing to the Pirates, 8-3. Pafko hit into a Rube Goldberg bases-loaded triple play in the third inning. He was called out in the dugout after Pete Castiglione at third knocked down his liner (actually, it popped out of his mitt), tagged the runner at third, then stepped on the base for the force. In the confusion, he then threw the ball to home, and the catcher went to first for the force on Pafko, who thought his drive had been caught cleanly and was wandering to the bench. After the umpires had a confab (“A crazy quilt affair that had to be unraveled by Umpire-in-Chief Lou Jorda,” per the Pittsburgh Press), the calls stood. Ralph Kiner hit his 20th homer as Tiny Bonham picked up the win.

1953 - OF Tony Armas was born in Puerto Piritu, Venezuela. The Pirates signed Armas in 1971 just before his 18th birthday and he spent six seasons in the minors before he got a September call-up in 1976, appearing in four games and going 2-for-6. He was traded in the off-season as part of the Phil Garner deal and developed into one of the AL’s top sluggers, leading the league in HRs twice and RBIs once playing for Oakland, Boston and California. He played for 13 seasons in the junior circuit, hitting 22+ dingers for six straight years and earning two All-Star slots. Tony then continued his career in Venezuela and continued to rake; he now coaches in the Venezuelan League. Tony is a member of the  Venezuelan and Caribbean Baseball Halls of Fame. His son, Tony Armas Jr., pitched for 10 years in the majors, making a Bucco stop in 2007.

Tony Armas - photo via Mainline Autographs

1958 - 3B Frank Thomas was named the National League Player of the Month for June. The 29-year-old had been named to his third All-Star team and hit .275 with seven homers and 29 RBI during June. This was the first year for the award; Willie Mays had won the initial honor in April and Stan Musial was next in May. Both cooled off as neither one got a POTM vote in June.

1961 - In the eighth inning, pinch hitters Johnny Logan, Rocky Nelson and Smoky Burgess banged out consecutive hits, a Pirate record, to prime a four-run rally that led to a 7-6 win over the SF Giants at Forbes Field in the opener of a twin bill. Hal Smith led the way with three RBI. The Bucs swept easily, rolling 9-0 in the nitecap behind Bobby Shantz’s five-hitter and three RBI each from Roberto Clemente and The Tiger, Don Hoak. The Pirates overcame a pair of pretty fair pitchers, beating Mike McCormack and Juan Marichal.

1968 - The Mets scored a first-inning run off Al McBean and that would be it as the Bucs eked out a 2-1 decision at Shea Stadium. Pittsburgh knotted the score in the sixth frame when Willie Stargell opened with a double off Dick Selma and came around on a Billy Maz knock. The game-winner was thanks to a ninth-inning Met miscue. With two outs and Donn Clendenon on second base, Manny Mota rolled one to short; Bud Harrelson booted the ball and Clendenon came home. ElRoy Face came in to work a 1-2-3 ninth frame to save the Pirates’ win, the Bucs fifth straight. McBean earned the victory, tossing five-hit ball with seven Ks. 

1974 - 1B Sean Casey was born in Willingboro Township, New Jersey and raised in Upper St. Clair. Casey played 12 years in the show and made a stop in Pittsburgh in 2006, batting .296, lasting until the deadline when the Pirate wheelers-and-dealers moved him to the Tigers. Sean is known as “The Mayor” because of his affability - no foe nor fan he’s run across has ever been given the silent treatment by Casey - and the time he’s dedicated to community causes. He now is with the MLB Network, on the speaker’s circuit and a podcaster.

Sean Casey - 2006 Topps Heritage

1976 - Bill Robinson’s pinch-hit homer game in the 10th inning gave the Pirates a 10-9 win over Philadelphia, fittingly on the first ever Fireworks Night at TRS. The Zambelli’s didn’t provide the only boomers. Robinson’s blast was one of three home runs for the Bucs as Willie Stargell connected in the first inning and Richie Hebner went deep in the eighth. The Bucs almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, blowing an early 6-0 lead before long-balling to the win.

1980 - OF Nyjer Morgan was born in San Francisco. He hit .286 from 2007-09 for the Bucs before becoming a part of the Joel Hanrahan deal with the Washington Nationals. “Tony Plush” (his alter ego’s self-given “gentleman’s name”) made the transition from junior hockey to the MLB. He played for the Pirates, Nats, Milwaukee Brewers and Cleveland Indians in the MLB with additional stops in Korea, Japan and Mexico before he took his last at bat in 2017 at age 36.

1988 - A very wild pitch cost the Pirates a 2-1 decision against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. Doug Drabek was working on a two-hit shutout in the eighth inning when he gave up a leadoff single and was pulled by Jimmy Leyland after 112 pitches for Dave Rucker. A walk, bunt and intentional pass loaded the bases with an out, and Barry Jones climbed the hill. His 0-2 slider was in the dirt, hopped past C Junior Ortiz and allowed two G-Men to score when Junior couldn’t locate the bouncing ball; his relay home to Jones to catch the second runner was late, wasting Drabek’s start and Darnell Coles’ solo shot.

7/2 From 1990: Fraze Afire, Jay Plates 8, 7 For Sluggo, Varsho 6'er, 5 A-RamBIs, Game Days, Cutch & Tomlin POTM, Mitch & Kendall AS, RIP Tom, HBD Caleb & Jared

1990 - RHP Jerad Eickhoff was born in Evansville, Indiana. A 15th round draft pick of Texas in 2011, he spent his first five MLB years (2015-19) with the Phils, making 80 starts and slashing 21-30-1/4.15. He got a brief stay with the Mets in 2021 and signed with the Pirates as a NRI for 2022. He was sent to Indy and called up in mid-June to take up the slack when Zach Thompson was injured. Eickhoff started and allowed 10 runs on 10 hits (two homers) in 4-1/3 IP, becoming the first Pirates pitcher to allow 10 runs in his first start. He was DFA’ed and went unclaimed, returning to Indy two days later and then became a FA.

1990 - The San Diego Padres took a 3-0 lead in the first inning but never scored again as the Pirates came back for a 4-3, 14-inning win at Jack Murphy Stadium. Jay Bell broke a 3-3 tie when he chased home Jose Lind with the winning run. Andy Van Slyke’s two-run homer in the sixth frame was the Buccos' big blow. Bob Patterson earned the win in relief after three scoreless frames.

1991 - Jim Leyland took Gary Varsho off the bench and into right to give Mitch Webster a break, and Varsho made the skipper look clairvoyant. With his mom, dad, and sis in the stands at Wrigley Field after a 500-mile ride from their Wisconsin home, he collected three hits - his first two MLB homers, a triple, and a sac fly for good measure - and chased home six runs to lead the Bucs to a feisty 13-4 win over the Cubs. All the Buc bats were smokin’ as the club banged out 22 hits, the most since a 23-knock assault in 1979. Bobby Bonilla and Spanky La Valliere had four hits, while Varsho and Chico Lind posted trips to allow Doug Drabek to go into cruise control for the complete game victory. The feisty part came as the Pirates felt the Chicago pitchers were playin’ high and tight with them, leading to some dugout yelping and short tempers.

1992 - LHP Randy Tomlin was named the Pitcher of the Month. The southpaw went 5-1/2.22 in June on his way to a 14-9/3.41 campaign, the only year he posted double digit victories. His career was shortened by a bum shoulder, and now Tomlin’s the skipper of Liberty Christian, a prep school in Virginia, and a college summer team. He previously coached at Liberty U and with the Nats.

Sluggo - 1993 Upper Deck

1993 - Don Slaught had himself a day with two homers and seven RBI as he led the Pirates to a 10-9 win in the lidlifter of a twinbill with Cincinnati at Riverfront Stadium. Orlando Merced banged out four hits, scoring three times and plating a pair. Dave Otto got the win after relieving Zane Smith; Blas Minor earned a hold and Stan Belinda got the save. It was the first doubleheader for the Bucs since September of 1991; 1992 was the first season in the 20th century that the Buccaneers didn’t play two. The second game saw the Reds bats continue to bang with a 9-1 decision over the Pirates and Tim Wakefield.

1996 - LHP Caleb Ferguson was born in Columbus, Ohio. Ferguson was a Dodger product who had worked seven seasons with a slash of 19-13-6/3.64 with 11K per game, and was a spot starter through 2023, a role the Pirates hoped to restore after signing him as a $3M free agent in ‘25. 

1997 - Jason Schmidt tossed a five-hit, 10-K complete game, coming within an out of a shutout, to sweep the White Sox 3-1 at TRS. The pitching was stellar throughout the three games; the staff gave up just two runs. Dale Sveum homered, then the Bucs added a pair of runs in the sixth inning on an error and sac fly. It was a good news day early on as 2B Tony Womack was selected as the Bucs All Star before the game. 

1998 - C Jason Kendall was the only Bucco named to the National League All-Star team; it was his second selection in the past three seasons. He was strong from start to finish, ending the year batting .327 with 12 homers, 95 runs scored, 75 RBI and 26 stolen sacks. And although he was the only Pittsburgh player on the squad, he had plenty of acquaintances in the dugout - Florida’s Jim Leyland was the manager with his old Buc assistants Rich Donnelly, Tommy Sandt, Milt May and Bruce Kimm, along with Pirates pilot Gene LaMont, who was named a coach.  

Jason Kendall - 1998 Topps Stars

2001 - The Bucs bopped the Reds 10-5 at Cinergy Field with the winning spread provided by Aramis Ramirez’s five RBI. A-Ram had three hits and a walk, falling a triple shy of the cycle, with Jack Wilson and Brian Giles also holding up their end by collecting three hits apiece. Jason Kendall chipped in with three runs scored on two hits and a free pass. For Cincy, home was anything but sweet; they dropped to 10-29 at Cinergy with the loss to Jason Schmidt.

2002 - The Pirates were run over by the Brewers at PNC Park by a 12-6 count, but did their share to help break the MLB record for homers hit in a day when 53 batters blasted 62 long balls. The Bucs contributed four as Kevin Young, Jack Wilson, Abraham Nunez and Adam Hyzdu all went long in the loss. It was the first home run of the season for Wilson, Nunez and Hyzdu.

2004 - Jason Bay drove in eight runs for the second time as a Buc, slamming a homer and three doubles, as the Pirates mashed the Milwaukee Brewers 13-2 in the nitecap of a twi-lite DH sweep at PNC Park, falling one short of Johnny Rizzo’s 1939 single-game franchise RBI mark of nine. Josh Fogg worked into the seventh for the win. Pittsburgh took the opener 8-1 behind Ollie Perez, who punched out 11 in seven frames. He was backed by Tony Alvarez, who swatted a grannie & doubled to plate four runs, and Jack Wilson, who hit his only MLB inside-the-park homer. The win was the Buccos sixth straight victory, a run that reached 10 wins.

2012 - Andrew McCutchen was named the National League’s Player of the Month for June, batting .370 with seven homers, 26 RBI and 19 runs scored. It was the first time he took the honor and he was the first Bucco since Jason Bay in 2006 to claim the award. It was the cherry on top for Cutch; the day before, he had been selected to play in the All Star Game for the second straight year.

Casey McGehee - 2012 Topps Opening Day

2012 - The middle of the Pirate order was on fire against the Astros at PNC Park, leading the way to an 11-2 win. Andrew McCutchen, Garrett Jones, Neil Walker and Casey McGehee went 12-for-20 with five doubles, two homers, nine runs scored and 10 RBI. James McDonald got the win with help from Jared Hughes, who mopped up the final two frames after Mac hit 110 pitches.

2019 - Adam Frazier had a night at PNC Park. Back in his familiar leadoff spot after being dropped to the 7/8 spots in the order, he followed a 5-for-6 game with a 4-for-4 night, hitting a three-run homer and scoring three times to lead the Bucs to a 5-1 win over the Cubs. The game was just three innings old when a two-hour rain delay hit, forcing both teams to switch starters. The Pirates used six pitchers to get through the game, with Clay Holmes getting the win, his second MLB victory. Fraze became the first Buc to bang out seven straight hits since Freddy Sanchez in 2009 and the first to have back-to-back four+ hit games since Neil Walker in 2015. He also jumped his BA from June 30th’s .254 to .276 after the two-day hit barrage.

2021 - Early Pittsburgh player agent Tom Reich (Allderdice, Pitt, Duquesne) passed away in Los Angeles at age 82. He started his career in 1970, representing Pirates Dock Ellis, Dave Parker, John Candelaria and Manny Sanguillen. The feisty Reich also handled deals for stars like Joe Morgan, George Foster, Jack Clark and Sammy Sosa before branching into hockey.

2023 - RHP Mitch Keller was named to the National League All-Star team, the first Pirates starting pitcher to be selected to the ASG since AJ Burnett and Gerrit Cole repped the Buccos on the 2015 Midsummer Classic squad. Keller (9-3/3.34) ranked second in the NL in strikeouts (118), third in wins, sixth in WHIP (1.10), and ninth in batting average against (.223). Also, skipper Derek Shelton was named to Philly manager Rob Thompson's NL All-Star Game Coaching Staff.

7/1 Through the 1970s: 1-Hit Woodie, Ponder Swap, Bucs Baptize Sportsman, Duelin', Game Days, Bush Inked, HBD Gunner, Al, Red & Dutch

1891 - OF Fritz “Dutch” Sheeren was born in Kokomo, Indiana. Fritz’s family moved into the Pittsburgh area when he was young and opened a saloon; from those beginnings, Sheeren went on to Lafayette College, where he starred in baseball and football, and had a brief MLB career with the Pirates from 1914-15, hitting .265 in 15 games. He played through the 1916 season in the minors before getting on with his life’s work. It appeared he did remain a home boy; he died in Kittanning and is buried in Marienville outside the Allegheny National Forest.

1901 - The Bucs were blanked 1-0 by the Phillies at the Baker Bowl, the only time during the 139-game season when Pittsburgh was shut out, setting a 20th century NL record. Jack Chesbro tossed a four-hitter for Pittsburgh, while the Bucs banged nine hits off Red Donahue but couldn’t dent home.

1911 - The Pirates dropped a hard-fought 3-2 decision to the Cardinals, in part because they lost a fight with the umpire. The rhubarbs began with a tag play at second that the Pirates figured they had made; the ump begged to differ. Infielder Bill McKechnie slammed his glove in disgust and was banished; a new rule made that action an automatic ejection. Manager Fred Clarke put in his two cents worth later about St. Louis doctoring the ball and was given the thumb too. Dots Miller later joined the gang given the heave-ho for tossing his mitt. As a result, Hans Wagner ended up playing three positions as the Pirates tried to cobble together a lineup (Clarke was a player/manager, so the Pirates had three starters kicked out, and benches were short in that era). There had been a bottle-throwing incident the day before, and Clarke told the Pittsburgh Press that he believed that had influenced the umpires, who didn’t want to risk running a gauntlet of missiles launched from the Robison Field stands again. 

1913 - RHP Frank “Red” Barrett was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Frank worked during the war years of 1944-46 and tried to make a comeback in 1950 with the Pirates, going 1-2/4.15 in five outings after being purchased from New Orleans. Red had a long professional career, lasting from 1935-50 (he won 141 games in the minors), and afterward he was a farm league player/manager through 1953. He then moved back home and opened Red Barrett’s Drive In, a gas station/diner, in Leesburg, Florida, near Orlando.

Elmer Knetzer - 1914 Cracker Jacks

1915 - It was a mixed bag for the Federal League Pittsburgh Rebels against the Baltimore Terrapins at York Road Park. In the opener of a twin bill, the Pittsburgh Feds were shut out 6-0 by Jack Quinn. A little break between games did the Rebs bats a world of good and they bounced back to take the nitecap by a 13-5 tally, becoming the first big league team to score in every inning since 1894. Ed Konetchy and Jim Kelly homered to pave the road for Elmer Knetzer. It was the end of a long road trip, with the Rebels winning 11-of-18 matches after dropping 7-of-10 on a western swing (in that era, the far west was St. Louis, KC and Chicago) that opened their trek. Sadly, they were rained out in Pittsburgh upon their return and had to hop a train for four more games, splitting a set with the Chicago Whales before spending most of the summer at home, where they had 59-of-85 remaining contests booked at Exposition Park.

1916 - The Gunner, Bob Prince, was born in Los Angeles. Prince was an army brat and was always on the move; he graduated from Pittsburgh’s Schenley HS and went to Pitt, where he lettered in swimming. After gigs with WJAS and KDKA, he teamed with Rosey Rowswell in 1948 as a Bucco broadcaster and became the main announcer in 1955 when Rowswell passed away. He and partner Nellie King were let go in 1975 after a long running dispute with KDKA management. Prince returned to the booth in May, 1985, just weeks before he died of cancer.

1916 - Behind a Honus Wagner homer and Ray O’Brien’s ninth-inning single, Al Mamaux’s four-hit effort was enough to down the Cincinnati Reds and Elmer Knetzer 2-1 at Redland Field. Mamaux was pretty good with the stick, too, hitting a double and triple while scoring the winning run with two down in the ninth. Hans’ fourth-inning homer made him the oldest player, at 42 years and four months, to hit an inside the park four-bagger.

1918 - RHP Al Tate was born in Coleman, Oklahoma. Al was a minor league hurler who lost three years to WW2 and returned to baseball in 1946. The Pirates inked him then and sent him to the minors; he got two Bucco appearances (one start) and went 0-1/5.00 in his only MLB duty. He spent 1947 as a Pirates farmhand at Albany and played one more year in the Pacific Coast League before he retired.

Hal Carlson - 1921 photo George Rinhart/Getty

1920 - The Pirates played St. Louis in the Cards first game at Sportsman’s Park (also the home of the AL's St. Louis Browns; the Cards rented it off them) after the Redbirds flew the outdated Robison Field coop, which was built in 1893. The Bucs took the debut game 6-2 in 10 innings, with Hal Carlson getting the win and Babe Adams picking up the save. The Pirates 10th had a little of everything - a walk, steal, error, two singles, a pair of doubles - and they added up to a big inning to send 20,000 plus St. Louis fans home disappointed.

1921 - The Bucs sent 28-year-old RHP Elmer Ponder to the Cubs for 31-year-old OF Dave Robertson. Ponder was coming off an 11-win/2.42 campaign for Pittsburgh and Robertson posted a .300/10/75 line for Chicago in ‘20, but both were approaching the end of their MLB trails. Elmer had a 3-6/4.74 slash with the Cubs to finish the year. They traded him to the Pacific Coast League LA Angels, and he spent the next six years working in the PCL. Robertson was hot, hitting .322/6/48 for the Pirates, then held out in the spring. The Pirates released him, and he was signed by the Giants. Used mostly as a bench bat, it was his swan song in the show, and he spent the next six seasons on the farm, mostly with Norfolk of the Virginia League, serving as player/manager for four years.

1926 - The Bucs broke an eight-game losing streak by spanking the Cards at Forbes Field 7-3 as Kiki Cuyler and Pie Traynor each drove in three runs. Don Songer got the victory with Babe Adams picking up a save. In spite of that losing string, they claimed first place three weeks later before eventually fading to third with an 84-69 slate, five games out.

1926 - The Pirates signed Bullet Joe Bush, recently waived by the Washington Senators. Joe had won 107 games for three clubs from 1920-25, but the 33-year-old was in the midst of an 1-8/6.69 campaign for the Sens. The Bucs got their money’s worth as Bullet Joe went 6-6/3.01 for them the rest of the year but fell apart in ‘27 and was released in June. He would appear in just 14 more games after that and was out of the league by the summer of 1928. 

Joe Bush - Conlon Collection/TSN

1940 - The Pirates scored once in the ninth inning to tie the game and added another in the 10th frame to nose past the Chicago Cubs 4-3 at Wrigley Field. Vince DiMaggio was the Corsairs’ hitting star, going 3-for-5 with a homer, double, two RBI and two runs scored. Mace Brown, the third Buc hurler, got the win in relief after pitching scoreless ninth and 10th frames.

1960 - Speed kills, and the Bucs proved it to LA at Forbes Field when they raced to a 4-3, 10-inning victory in front of 27,312 fans. In the extra frame, Joe Christopher was on second with two outs and the Pirates down 3-2. Roberto Clemente rolled one to SS Maury Wills and it hung up in his webbing for just a tick, but that was enough to allow the Great One to beat the throw by a whisker. Meanwhile, Christopher kept flying around the bases and slid in just ahead of Gil Hodges' toss to home to tie the game. C Johnny Roseboro jawed at ump Al Barlick, but the man in blue stuck to his call that Roseboro had missed the tag. Dick Stuart then blooped a single into short right and Frank Howard was a bit leisurely getting to the Texas Leaguer. Roberto, like Joe before him, had the pedal to the metal and the surprised Howard, seeing Clemente dashing plateward, gunned his throw up the third base line allowing Arriba to score standing up. In the clubhouse, Clemente said “My foot was sore...I didn’t want to play anymore and I tried to end the game.” Mission accomplished, Roberto. Gino Cimoli drove home two runs in regulation while Fred Green earned the win in relief of Vern Law; Law tossed 9-2/3 innings with Green getting the last out of the 10th.

1966 - Rookie Woodie Fryman one-hit the Mets at Shea Stadium on the way to a 12-0 win. Fryman faced the minimum 27 batters and came within a gnat’s eyelash of perfection. Ron Hunt, who led off the game with a single, was caught stealing by C Jim Pagliaroni and Fryman mowed down the next 26 NY hitters. Jose Pagan chipped in with three runs scored, four RBI and one of the Pirates’ four homers.

7/1 From 1970: Redbeard Slammin', 7 For Bell, Boppin', Zane Maddux, Duelin', Game Days, Young Guns, Fraze, Cutch, Hanny All-Stars, Konnor Cover

1972 - Roberto Clemente’s seventh-inning homer helped the Bucs rally to take a 2-1 lead over the Chicago Cubs at TRS. After the Cubbies answered with a pair of their own to regain their edge at 3-2, Clemente homered again in the ninth inning with Milt May aboard for a walkoff 4-3 win. Both homers came off Fergie Jenkins, who lost to Dave Giusti in relief of Bob Moose.

1978 - It was a pitcher’s duel between Jim Rooker and the Mets’ Kevin Kobel at TRS. With the score 0-0 in the bottom of the eighth, Skip Lockwood took the ball for NY. An infield knock by Manny Sanguillen and two-out walk to Duffy Dyer set up Willie Stargell, who lined a single over second to chase home the Road Runner with the game winner. Rooker got the win and Kent Tekulve came in for the save. The two combined for a four-hitter to post the 1-0 victory.

1990 - LHP John Smiley came off the DL after breaking his hand in mid-May and was understandably rusty, giving up five runs in four innings against the Giants at Candlestick Park. But his teammates picked him up with homers from Barry Bonds, Jeff King, Sid Bream and Jay Bell (three of the blasts were two-run shots) as Pittsburgh rode the longball barrage to a 9-5 win against San Francisco and stayed a game up in the National League East standings. 

1992 - Zane Smith tossed a 97-pitch, five-hit, complete-game gem in a 1-0 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, walking one and fanning one (the last batter). It was the sixth of seven “Maddux'' outings of his career (complete game shutout w/fewer than 100 pitches). He had entered the contest having gone nine games without a win. St. Louis’ Mark Clark was the tough-luck loser, giving up just four knocks in his eight frames. It was the Bucs second straight shutout of the Redbirds, the only time during the campaign that Pittsburgh hurlers would put up back-to-back zeros. The pitching for both teams was brilliant; the Pirates won the series two games to one, outscoring the Cards by four-runs-to-three during the set. Gary Varsho’s single in the fourth inning plated Andy Van Slyke, who had opened the frame with a double, for the game’s only tally. The contest took just two hours and four minutes from opening pitch to the final out.

Orlando Merced - 1996 Select

1996 - During a 4-1 win over Chicago at TRS, RF Orlando Merced pulled off an unassisted DP, catching Mark Grace's liner and then beating Scott Bullett to 1B. He also started another DP, gloving a short pop and catching Doug Glanville off second with his throw to Jay Bell. Merced added a pair of hits, two RBI and a run scored to help Danny Darwin pick up the win.

2006 - The Pirates and sponsoring PNC Bank took trinkets to a new level with the “Young Guns - Doumit, Duke and Duffy” (Ryan Doumit, Zach Duke, and Chris Duffy) triple bobblehead giveaway. 37,111 fans flooded PNC Park (playing the Detroit Tigers, whose fans travel well, on a Saturday night helped the draw, too) to get theirs as the Bucs won, 9-2. Jose Bautista and Sean Casey each had three hits and Matt Capps got the win in relief of Tom Gorzelanny. One bummer: manager Jim Tracy missed the promo memo as none of the “Young Guns” played.

2012 - CF Andrew McCutchen and righty reliever Joel Hanrahan were voted to the All-Star game via the Player’s Ballot, both earning their second appearance. The game took place on 7/10 at KC’s Kaufmann Stadium and ended up in an 8-0 NL runaway. Cutch went 1-for-2 while Hanny faced one batter and K’ed him.

2014 - Down 2-0 in the ninth and held to just two hits over eight innings by Arizona’s Wade Miley, the Bucs made up for lost time at PNC Park. Neil Walker opened with a single to center, then pinch hitter Gregory Polanco dumped a knock to left. With an out, Starling Marte chased a pair of sliders, then reliever Addison Reed hung one over the plate and Marte bombed it for a two-run double off the center field wall. He scooted to third when SS Nick Ahmed's throw to the plate got away, then Andrew McCutchen was walked intentionally. Ike Davis hit for Gaby Sanchez and dropped a broken-bat jam shot into right to plate Marte as the Bucs rallied to take a 3-2 victory. Ernesto Frieri picked up his first win as a Bucco after tossing a scoreless ninth, with his bacon being saved by Josh Harrison, who threw out a runner at home from short right field.

Neal Walker - 2015 Topps

2015 - The Buccos flexed their muscles against the Tigers at Comerica Field in a 9-3 win. The Bucs banged out 21 hits, their most since 2004, and drilled four homers. Two were by Neil Walker, and three were launched in one frame by Walker, Starling Marte and Pedro Alvarez. Every Pirate starter had a knock and seven had multi-hit nights against Detroit, led by The Pittsburgh Kid and Marte with four each while Gregory Polanco added three more. AJ Burnett coasted to his seventh victory, going the distance.

2018 - 3B Colin Moran became the second Pirates player to hit two grand slams in his rookie season after a two-out, bases-juiced long fly off Tyson Ross in the fifth frame as the Bucs defeated the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, 7-5. (The first Bucco rook to hit two grannies in his debut year was Wally Westlake in 1947.) Kyle Crick earned his first MLB win as one of seven Corsair hurlers to work the contest. Corey Dickerson and Elias Diaz also homered for Pittsburgh.

2019 - The Pirates put on a fireworks show a couple of days early by bashing the Chicago Cubs, 18-5, at PNC Park; the 18 runs tied the Pirates 2005 record for most tallies at PNC Park in a game. Josh Bell, a Home Run Derby contestant at the All-Star Game, vouched for that decision by banging three homers, the first Bucco lefty since Wille Stargell against the Bravos in 1971 to loft three big flies, bringing his mid-season total to 25 dingers. He also added a personal best seven RBI. Adam Frazier had five hits, including four doubles, to tie an MLB record held by several; he’s the only Pirates player beside Paul Waner to accomplish that feat (later matched by Kevin Newman in 2021). Also drilling the ball all over the yard was Colin Moran, who also bopped out five hits, including a pair of two-baggers. The Pirates collected 23 hits, the most ever by them against the Cubbies, to allow Trevor Williams to win on a day when he didn’t have his best stuff, a flaw that was neutralized by the lumber as the Bucs set season-high marks in runs (18), hits (23), doubles (seven) and homers (five).

2020 - The Pirates reported to Spring Training 2.0 at PNC Park for a proposed starting date of July 24th, with a 40-man roster to prepare for the coronavirus-shortened season and 20 more top farmhands working out at PNG Park in Altoona (formal workouts began on the 3rd). That was the Pittsburgh organization for the year; the minor league season was canceled entirely, though the Bucs, like most of MLB, paid the farm hands under contract but without a team to play for a stipend of $400/week through July 31st. Spring training and the season had been on hold since March 24th before MLB struck a deal with the Player’s Association.

Fraze - 2021 Topps ASG

2021 - Adam Frazier was pawing at the dirt during a pitching change in the fifth inning of the Brewers match at PNC; a few seconds later he was tipping his hat to the crowd who were cheering the announcement that he was on the NL All Star team for the first time (he knew already via Shelty). The 29-year-old Frazier, a two-time Gold Glove finalist who was hitting .328, was the first Pirates 2B to earn a starting spot in the Midsummer Classic since Bill Mazeroski in 1967 and the first to win his spot through fan voting since OF Andrew McCutchen in 2014, easily beating out runner-up Ozzie Albies and third-place finisher Gavin Lux. Fame is fleeting - three weeks later, he was traded to San Diego for IF Tucipita Marcano, OF Jack Suwinski and a minor league pitcher (Fraze returned as a free agent in 2025). Adam collected a hit against Milwaukee, but the team didn’t put on an All-Star show, losing 7-2.

2022 - The Pirates hosted the Brewers at PNC Park, and ouch... The Crew won 19-2, banging five homers, five doubles, and batting around not just once, but twice. Youngster Roansy Contreras, who would go on to have a pretty good campaign, was the first pitcher Milwaukee sent nine batters against. That was the second inning, and he was sent to the showers down 7-0. The eighth inning was worse. Rookie Cam Vieaux took the hill and was to bite the bullet for the bullpen...and he sure did have plenty to chew on. He faced 13 batters, and the first 10 reached base; it took him 48 pitches to get an out and 56 to close the frame, the most since Russ Ortiz of the Giants threw 62 second-inning balls to the Cards in 1999. In lieu of an MLB mercy rule, utilityman Josh VanMeter finished it up, giving up two runs on 18 final frame flings to close the book.

2026 - Konnor Griffin became the first Bucco to make the cover of Baseball Digest since Brian Giles in 2003 when he graced the July/August issue as “The Natural.” Although he missed virtually all of June with a sore arm, he came back for the month’s last home set v Cincy, hit leadoff and sent the first pitch he saw over the wall in left.

6/30 Through 1974: Smokey Smokin', Stu Streak, Forbes Opens, Hans Hot, Game Days, Nixey Axed, HBD Chan, Dave, Don, Tincan, Hal, Jovo & Davy

1880 - OF Davy Jones was born in Manikota, Minnesota. After 13-years in the show, the 34-year-old Jones spent his last two campaigns (1914-15) with the Pittsburgh Rebels, where he hit .279 before an ankle injury led to his release. Jones had spent most of his MLB time holding onto a third outfield spot in Detroit between Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford, seeing considerable time as the leadoff hitter. As one would expect, Davy scored at a good pace with those two Hall-of-Fame bats behind him, and homered in the 1909 Series against the Pirates. That he ended up skipping from Motown to the Rebels was part of his MO. Per SABR’s Mike Grahek, “During his first years in the pros he jumped so many contracts that the press nicknamed him ‘The Kangaroo.’"

1892 - The Philadelphia Phillies were the home team at Expo Park for a twin bill, and they weren’t even playing the Pirates, but the Washington Senators! The Phils were making up a pair of rain dates against the Sens while the Pirates were away playing the Cleveland Spiders (Pittsburgh won 6-5). Washington had just finished a set at Baltimore and the Phils were coming off a home series, and both teams had a mutual off day scheduled. 1,200 fans showed up at the North side yard to watch the double dipper split, with each side taking a 3-2 win.

1893 - The Pirates scored seven runs in the ninth inning at Expo Park and still lost to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms by a 22-16 count. It was the epitome of ugly baseball - 38 runs, 37 hits, 24 walks and 11 errors reflected an amateur rather than pro competition. The Pittsburgh Press wrote of the walks (although noting that the ump seemed “a little off”) that “This beats anything in that line seen in a league game...Three pitchers were used by the Pittsburgs in one inning, and this, too, had never been heard of in the league.” The first six Pirates in the batting order combined for 16 hits, with George Van Haltren banging out four knocks.

1895 -  RHP Johnny Miljus was born in Lawrenceville and went to Pitt, where he was a football and baseball star. Known as “Jovo” (short for Jovan, or John in Serbian) and “The Big Serb” (a nickname hung on him by Babe Ruth, per baseball lore), he got his start with an inning for the Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League in 1915, and later joined the Bucs from 1927-28 (he fought in WW1 and was wounded in action, delaying his career), going 13-10-1/3.53. He was a multi-role hurler, and handled every chore from starting to closing. He’s best remembered for his wild pitch that allowed the New York “Murderers Row” Yankees to sweep the 1927 Series. Jovo struck out Lou Gehrig and Bob Meusel in the ninth of that game and got two strikes on Tony Lazzeri. But he muscled up on the next pitch (some say it was a spitter, though Johnny never 'fessed up) and it got past C Johnny Gooch, allowing the winning run to score. Miljus played seven MLB campaigns through 1929, with his Pirates stint tucked between Brooklyn and Cleveland stops. Johnny was thought to be the first Serbian to play MLB.

Hal Smith - undated photo Conlon Collection/Getty

1902 - RHP Harold “Hal” Smith (no relation to the future catcher) was born in Creston, Iowa. Smith broke into the big leagues as a 30-year-old, and spent his four-year career (1932-35) as a Buc, although most of his twirling in the first and last year was done for the AA Kansas City Blues. He went 12-11-1 with a 3.77 ERA as a Pirate with his time split between starting and the bullpen. Hal played for the KC Blues again in 1936, then hung ‘em up.

1903 - Honus Wagner swatted four hits for a second straight game, missing the cycle by a double (The Pittsburgh Press sidebar story was “Wagner is After Batting Honors” and he did take the ‘03 NL crown with a .355 BA) as the Pirates rolled over the Brooklyn Superbas, 17-8, at the Washington Grounds. The game was never in doubt as the Bucs ran up a 13-0 lead before the Brooklynites got on the scoreboard. Fred Clarke and Ginger Beaumont also had four knocks as Pittsburgh banged out 19 hits, allowing Sam Leever to cruise to victory.

1909 -  The fans were pumped; they began lining up 6-1/2 hours before the game for tickets as an SRO crowd of 30,338 filled every nook to watch the Pirates fall to the Chicago Cubs 3-2 in the debut of Forbes Field. It was at the time the largest gathering to ever watch a baseball game. Ed Reulbach tossed a three-hitter to top Pittsburgh’s Vic Willis, who spun a four-hitter. Honus Wagner collected two knocks and scored a run in a game that was played in one hour and 50 minutes. Mayor William Magee threw out the first ball. He was in the second tier and lobbed the ball to John Morin, Director of Public Safety, on the field below. Morin then went to the mound and threw the first pitch to open the festivities. Danny Nirella and his band played, as they would for every Opening Day at Forbes Field for the next 45 years. The ball yard was one of the nation's first made completely of concrete and steel, featuring public phones, separate ladies room, ramps rather than stairs and even included a visitor’s clubhouse. FF’s firsts: the first radio broadcast in 1921, the first fan elevator installed in 1938, the first field tarps, the first pads to cushion the outfield wall in the forties and the first All-Star (1944) game played at night. It had a print shop (Banker’s Lithographing) in its interior and in the twenties, the space under the LF bleachers was used for car sales and repairs! It wasn’t exactly embraced at the beginning; it was often called "Dreyfuss' Folly" in its conceptual years. Some folly; the yard ended up as the Pirates’ home for 61 seasons. 

1909 - LHP Harry “Tincan” Kincannon was born in North Fork, West Virginia. Harry moved to the City for work, became a sandlot star and pitched for the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1930-36, being one of just three players to transition from the original indie Craws to the Negro NL. The curve-ball specialist made one All-Star appearance for the Crawfords before he was traded to the New York Black Yankees. He finished his career after the 1939 campaign.

Nixey - 1916 Holmes Bread

1917 - Pirates skipper Jimmy “Nixey” Callahan was fired after the club staggered to a 20-40 start, and Honus Wagner took over as player-manager. The Wagner-led Bucs claimed a 5-4 win over the Reds, with the Dutchman banging a two-run double. Wilbur Cooper went the distance for the win at Forbes Field. Wagner resigned after a five-game stint at the helm; he much preferred playing to filling out lineup cards, and business manager Hugo Bezdek took the reins.

1927 - Per BR Bullpen, SS Glenn Wright, on the way home from St. Louis after being beaned while batting against the Cards, was slightly injured when the train he was riding wrecked in Ohio. “Buckshot” lost two weeks to the twin traumas, not returning to the lineup until July 14th. Lee Meadows, who accompanied Wright on the trip home, escaped shaken but unscathed.

1931 - LHP Don Gross was born in Weidman, Michigan. Gross pitched from the pen for the Bucs from 1958-60, going 6-8 with a 3.82 ERA. The Pirates made one of their “whatever was I thinking of” deals when they got him from the Reds; they sent RHP Bob Purkey to Cincinnati, where he won in double figures for eight seasons and was named to three All-Star teams.  

1933 - 1B/OF Dave Roberts was born in Panama City, Panama. After a couple of years playing off the Houston Colt .45’s (Astros) bench, Roberts spent a year on the farm and joined the Bucs in 1966 via the Rule 5 draft, going 2-for-16 in his last MLB shot while spending most of the campaign at AAA Columbus. Afterwards, he played eight seasons in Japan (1967-74).

1934 - A small stone monument dedicated to Barney Dreyfuss was unveiled outside Forbes Field’s RF gates, leading to Schenley Park, on the 25th anniversary of the ballyard. The monument was later displayed in TRS and it’s now located at PNC Park, on the concourse behind home plate. The ceremony didn’t help the Bucs, who were 4-2 losers to the Cubs.

Dreyfuss Monument

1960 - Dick Stuart bombed three consecutive HRs to key an 11-6 win as the Pirates split a DH with the second place Giants at Forbes Field. Stuart had seven RBI in the nitecap and joined Ralph Kiner as the second Pirate to hit three homers in a game at Forbes Field. Joe Gibbon worked 7-2/3 innings, giving up six hits and a run after Vinegar Bend Mizell was chased by the G-Men in the second frame. The Bucs were flattened in the opener, losing by an 11-0 count.

1962 - The Pirates clobbered the Cards 17-7 at Busch Stadium. Smoky Burgess banged out two homers and a double, good for seven RBI. Roberto Clemente had a hot stick, too, going 4-for-5 with a homer, a double and five runs driven in. Dick Groat, Bob Skinner and Dick Stuart added three knocks apiece as the Pirates drilled 22 hits against St. Louis.

1965 - Post Gazette Sports Editor Al Abrams disclosed that in May, in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, the Pirates and the Braves were close to pulling the trigger on a Lee Maye for Vern Law, Donn Clendenon and Jerry Lynch swap. But the Bucs turned it around on the field and the deal (thankfully for Pittsburgh) fell through. Milwaukee sent Maye to the Houston Astros instead for Ken Johnson/Jim Beauchamp and he never developed into more than a platoon guy and off-season singer with the Five Crowns & the Hearts. Law won 17 games in ‘65 and a dozen more the next season, the often-dangled Clendenon played through the 1968 campaign for the Bucs, and Lynch retired as a Buccaneer at age 35 in 1966.

1973 - RHP Chan Ho Park was born in Kong Ju City, South Korea. He finished his 17-year MLB career in Pittsburgh in 2010 after being claimed from the New York Yankees, making 26 appearances and slashing 2-2/3.49. He tossed for two more years in Korea before retiring to focus on various children charities on behalf of his Chan Ho Park Dream Foundation.

6/30 From 1975: Burney-Hanny, Perez-McWilliams, Big Three, 3-In-3, 9 Straight, 8-In-4th, Mound Gems, Cutch POTM, Game Days, HBD Cole, Drew & Delwyn

1978 - The Bucs lost both a ballgame and Dave Parker in the ninth inning at TRS. The Pirates were leading 3-2 when two errors helped the Mets to four runs. The Pirates came roaring back. Frank Taveras and Omar Moreno singled with one out, and Parker followed with a triple to cut the lead to 6-5. Bill Robinson lifted a fly to RF Joel Youngblood, and his throw home beat the tagging Cobra, who tried to run through New York catcher John Stearns, a former defensive back in college. Instead Stearns exploded into him to make the tag, ending the game and breaking Parker’s jaw & cheekbone all in one fell swoop, then spiking the ball after the play. David was Cobra-tough, though, returning 16 days after his bones were set and his jaw wired shut, first wearing a goalie's mask, then a football helmet and later a cage to protect his puss. He slumped on his return - he was on a liquid diet and lost 20 pounds - but rediscovered his stroke in time to repeat as league batting champ (.334) and was voted the Senior Circuit's MVP.

1982 - The Atlanta Braves traded LHP Larry McWilliams to the Pirates for RHP Pascual Perez and minor leaguer Carlos Rios. Both pitchers were solid starters for a spell (each won 33 games during his next three seasons) in a rare even-up deal while Rios never made the show.

1983 - Utilityman Drew Sutton was born in El Dorado, Arkansas. Drew had a dizzy but brief Bucco stay. The Pirates purchased Sutton from the Atlanta Braves on May 20th, 2012. Then Tampa Bay purchased Drew from the Bucs on the next day; the Pirates had let him go as a professional courtesy because the Rays were going to add him to their MLB roster. 18 games and a month later, Sutton was DFA’ed by Tampa and claimed by Pittsburgh. He became the stuff of local folklore when Drew hit his first career walk-off home run into PNC’s batter’s eye off the Astro’s Wesley Wright to give the Pirates a come-from-ahead win after a blown save by Joel Hanrahan. The victory gave the Pirates a share of first place. Drew left as a free agent after the year, spent one more season as a 30-year-old at AAA Pawtucket in the Boston system and then retired.

1987 - IF Cole Figueroa was born in Tallahassee, Florida. He made three brief stops in the show between 2014-16 with his last hurrah in Pittsburgh. He got into 23 games in 2016, batting .154. He read the writing on the wall; he’s now with the Tampa Bay Rays as an assistant GM, putting his Sports Management degree from Florida (he was selected to the All-SEC Academic Team) to good use for a club that appreciates its techies.

Cole Figueroa - 2016 photo day/Getty

1992 - Pittsburgh eked out a 2-0 win v St. Louis at Busch Stadium. Doug Drabek tossed a three-hit, complete game whitewash with nine strikeouts. It was the third time that Drabek went the distance on the road to a career-high 10 CGs during the season. The Bucs scored both runs in the sixth off Rheal Cormier when Cecil Espy and Chico Lind’s back-to-back two-out singles plated Lloyd McClendon and Don Slaught. Espy’s was a game-winning gift; his in-between hopper got through SS Tim Jones for a single and error to score the first run and set up the second.

1997 - Jon Lieber tossed a five-hit, 10-K, complete game 3-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox at TRS, backed by homers from Kevin Young and Dale Sveum. But the most memorable part of the afternoon was Lieber’s dominance of Albert Belle, whom he whiffed four times. The 28,070 fans loved it; Belle was in the first year of an $11M contract, while the “Freak Show” Pirates had a $9M payroll for the entire team. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette headline for Bob Smizik’s game story was “Pirates Clang Belle.” Lieber also held Frank Thomas, who was making a mere $7.15M, 0-for-2, limiting the Big Hurt to a sac fly. It also launched a seven-game winning streak for the dark horse Buccos, taking them from third place to the top spot by the first week of July.

1999 - The Bucs rode an eight-run fourth frame to a 9-1 win over the Phillies at TRS. Brian Giles had a three-run homer, Al Martin had a three-run bases-clearing double and Brant Brown doubled in another pair as the Bucs banged out six hits with three walks in their big frame. Jason Schmidt cruised to victory with ninth inning help from Brad Clontz.

2006 - The hottest team in baseball, the Detroit Tigers (at the time, 54-25, and eventually World Series bound) rolled into PNC Park with a boatload of old Bucco honchos: Manager Jim Leyland and his coaches Gene Lamont, Lloyd McLendon, Andy Van Slyke, Don Slaught and Rafe Belliard. The Tigers won the opener 7-6 and took 2-of-3 games of the series. Motown also rostered a bunch of future Buccos during the visit - Brandon Inge, Craig Monroe, Jason Grilli and Wil Ledzema all appeared during the set and all eventually donned a Pirates uniform. 

Gorzo - 2007 Topps Gold

2007 - To protest the team’s small payroll and general ineptitude, a group called “Fans for Change” staged a walkout at PNC Park. Estimates ranged from a few hundred to a few thousand of the 26,959 on hand who strolled out of the park after the third inning. They picked a bad day for it, as the Bucs beat the Nats 7-2 behind Tom Gorzelanny, backed by a three-run homer by Adam LaRoche. Though the sentiment was widespread, the boycott had little effect.

2008 - The Pirates penciled a pitcher in the eight-hole for the first time in over 50 years when John Russell had Paul Maholm (.161) bat ahead of Jack Wilson (.312); Bobby Bragan had been the last Pittsburgh skipper to use the ploy during the 1957 campaign. It didn’t exactly juice the attack as the Bucs went down 4-3 to the Cincinnati Reds at GABP after Matt Capps gave up a two-run homer in the ninth to Junior. Maholm went 0-for-3; Wilson 1-for-3.

2009 - The Bucs traded LF Nyjer Morgan and LHP Sean Burnett to the Washington Nationals for RHP Joel Hanrahan and OF Lastings Milledge in a change-of-scenery swap. Hanrahan would become the major piece, eventually taking over as the Pirate closer. Burney tossed for eight more years while Morgan played into the 2014 campaign. They also shipped utilityman Eric Hinske to the New York Yankees for minor leaguers C Eric Fryer and RHP Casey Erickson. 

2013 - The Pirates won their ninth straight game 2-1 in 14 innings over the Brewers at PNC Park. The yard was packed with 35,351 fans on a Sunday afternoon, but the game was delayed in the second inning by rain for nearly 2-1/2 hours, and the bullpens took over with Milwaukee ahead, 1-0. Andrew McCutchen tied the game in the eighth when his two-out knock drove in Starling Marte. The Pirates left the bases loaded in the 13th to miss a golden chance, but Russ Martin, the last position player remaining, singled home Gaby Sanchez, who had an infield knock and stolen base to open the frame, with the game winner in the next go-around. Tony Watson got the win after three scoreless innings. He followed five other Pirate relievers, and the ensemble tossed 12 innings of two-hit, shutout ball without a walk, led by Vin Mazzaro’s perfect five-inning stint (it was the first Bucco five IP+ bullpen perfecto since Elmer Ponder did it in 1919). It was the first time in franchise history that the pen put up 12 consecutive zeros in one game.

Vin Mazzaro - 2013 photo Otto Greule/Getty

2017 - The Bucs were bombed by the Giants 13-5 at PNC Park to complete a San Francisco sweep, but the G-Men couldn’t slow down Andrew McCutchen. He went 2-for-2 with a walk to close out a red-hot June. He slashed .411/.505/.689 with six homers, 23 RBI and 22 runs scored, taking the Player-of-the-Month Award for a franchise record fifth time.

2022 - Michael Perez became the third Pirate in 12 days to bang three homers in a game, joining Bryan Reynolds (6/29) and Jack Suwinski (6/19), while Oneil Cruz and Suwinski added bombs of their own at PNC Park in an 8-7 win over the Brewers; all the Bucco runs were the result of long balls. Pittsburgh carried an 8-4 lead into the ninth, but Milwaukee made a game of it by scoring a trio of runs off David Bednar, who was just coming off a couple of down days with a sore back. Yerry De Los Santos came on to close the door on the Brew Crew, stranding two runners with two away, to earn a save of JT Brubaker’s win. It was the first multi-homer game of Perez’s MLB career, his first big-league four-hit game (he went 4-for-4) and the first time this season he had collected more than one hit in a contest. The Pirates made the record book as the first MLB team to have three players smack three homers in a game in the same month.

2023 - The Brewers kept surging against the Bucs - they were up 4-0 and 7-3 during various stages of the game - but they couldn’t hold back Carlos Santana, Andrew McCutchen and Jack Suwinski as the Pirates clawed back to claim a dramatic 8-7 win at PNC Park. The threesome went 8-for-13 with a pair of homers, three doubles, a walk, five runs scored, and six more driven in, capped by Santana’s two-out, ninth-inning walkoff homer - Carlos celebrated with a fierce dance before touching the plate - to take the dub. Nick Gonzales also added a two-out, two-run double to help the sixth Bucco pitcher, Carmen Mlodzinski, to his first MLB victory in front of 29,000 plus fans.

2024 - Pittsburgh beat Atlanta 4-2 at Truist Park. Barney Falter opened and the last four frames were covered by a short-handed bullpen (Kyle Nicholas, Carmen Modlzinski and Aroldis Chapman) as the trio served goose eggs. The attack was double-pronged as Oneil Cruz and Rowdy Tellez each homered and had two RBI to account for the Bucco runs. For Tellez, it was a fitting finish to a sizzling month. He ended May batting .177 (his BA for the month was .143) and was on the edge of being released, at least in the eyes of the media, when he caught fire in June. Rowdy hit .333 with three homers and 14 RBI in 66 ABs (he had just one long ball and eight RBI in April-May) and went from being one the season’s off-season busts to a Bucco fan fave.

1982 - UT Delwyn Young Jr. was born in Los Angeles. A touted minor-league prospect, Delwyn was a AAA All-Star and played for Team USA, but the Dodgers outfield was loaded and Young was sent to Pittsburgh for Eric Krebs & Harvey Garcia. He became the starting 2B, replacing the traded Freddy Sanchez. Delwyn began on fire but faded during the dog days, relegating him to a utility role in 2010. His bat slipped - he hit .238 following a .266 season - and he became a free agent. Young had a couple of bites, but never caught on in the majors again.