7/17 Through the 1970s: Dock's 13, Roberto Rocks, 1,000 For Ralph, Duelin', Hans Day, Lotta Wins, Gotta Score..., Game Days, Cobra ASG-MVP, HBD Jerry, Chummy & Jim

1866 - RHP Jim Handiboe was born in Columbus, Ohio. Jim’s big league stay consisted of a season with the American Association Alleghenys in 1886, where the 20-year-old put up a 7-7/3.32 slash, going the distance 12 times. That gave him an OPS+ of 100, making him the poster boy for a league-average pitcher. Apparently the team thought he needed a little more seasoning; Jim toiled in various whistle stops until 1901, retiring at age 34. 

1873 - RHP George “Chummy” Gray was born in Rockland, Maine. His tale is that of a AAAA pitcher getting his moment in the sun. After back-to-back 20 win seasons, Gray tossed a no-hitter with one walk for Buffalo in 1899. He got his reward when the Pirates brought him up for the last month of the season. Gray went 3-3/3.43 in nine games, completing six of his seven starts. Chummy then rattled around the minor leagues for a few more years, but never again returned to the majors, eventually hanging up the spikes after the 1901 season. He passed away in 1913 at age 40 in Rockland of TB.

1888 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys lost, 2-0, to the Philadelphia Quakers, dropping a three-game set at Exposition Park by 1-0, 1-0, and 2-0 counts. The middle game was the most frustrating when a ninth-inning hit-and-run single followed by an unpopular safe call at third led to the game’s only run. The Pittsburgh Press described it this way: “ …the umpiring...looked to be decidedly against the locals in the ninth inning. Twice it looked like Andrews (Quaker CF Ed Andrews who scored the game winner) was out. The first time on strikes (and)...again in deciding him safe at third when Billy Kuehne (Alleghenys’ 3B) had touched him fully two feet from the base. It looked as though another serious mistake had been made in favor of the visitors by the tenth man...There is little wonder that the indignation of the crowd knew no bounds but let it be said to its credit no act of violence was done.” For his part, the ump was indignant at the fans’ reaction and said he called the game in good faith while Philly manager Harry Wright claimed the “locals had no business to kick.” The Alleghenys batsmen then shook their lethargy, going on to win 11-of-13 while averaging 5-1/2 runs per game, although they were whitewashed 20 times during the year.

1890 - For the first time, two eventual 300-game winners were opponents as Tim Keefe of the Giants faced Pittsburgh's Jim 'Pud' Galvin in a Players League (which was considered a major league) match-up. New York easily beat the Burghers, 8-2. O’Keefe did his part, tossing a four-hitter (The Pittsburgh Press wrote “the wonder is that the Pittsburgs were allowed to score at all.”) while Pud was rattled for a dozen knocks. They met again in 1892, and after that, the next time two 300-winners battled was in 2005 when Greg Maddux met Roger Clemens.

Pud Galvin - 2005 Pioneers Of Baseball

1907 - “The veteran Vic Willis was on the slab...and he tied knots in the home bunch from first to last. He allowed but two hits, one a scratch...” per the Pittsburgh Press, and he led the Bucs to a 2-0 win over Christy Mathewson and the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. Matty only allowed four hits, with the Pirates not lighting up the scoreboard until the eighth inning with an unearned run. The insurance marker came in the ninth frame when Ed Abbaticchio bounced a drive off the wall; it caromed into a dirt pile by the fence and it took two Giants to eventually dig it out. By the time the excavated ball was quarried and made it back to the infield, Abby had rounded the bases.

1908 - It was Honus Wagner Day at Exposition Park, and before the game, players from both teams lined up to honor him. He was speechified, then gifted with a $700 gold watch and an Elk’s pin with a diamond worth four bills. The tribute was originally scheduled for the 16th, but Hans asked that it be moved so it wouldn’t conflict with the annual orphan’s picnic. The Boston Doves won the game 4-0 behind ex-Pirate Tommy McCarthy’s five-hitter. It could have been worse - the Doves tacked on six more runs in the eighth, but the game was called because of darkness before the Pirates could bat, nullifying the six-pack. Hans finished the game equally in the dark by going hitless. 

1914 - In one of the great pitching duels of early baseball, Babe Adams lost to the Giants Rube Marquard, 3-1, in 21 innings at Forbes Field. Babe surrendered 12 hits without a walk; it’s the longest outing without a free pass in MLB history. New York’s Larry Doyle's inside-the-park home run was Babe’s downfall. The key play was when Honus Wagner was called out for interference in the sixth inning. He slid into third and headed home when the ball disappeared from view; it ended up tucked in his uniform. Wagner was, per the Pittsburgh Press “...trying to hide a ball and score off the trick...” and ump Lord Byron rang him up for the subterfuge. As the Press reported “...the decision caused a mighty howl, which was participated in by many of the players and by Manager Fred Clarke, who applied a flow of profanity to the umpire, which was anything but pleasing to the disgusted spectators. Clarke’s language on this occasion...will not win ball games.” The Pirates appealed Byron’s call of Hans' suspected hidden ball trick (he apparently pleaded that the ball got caught up in his flannels) to the league with no luck.

1930 - OF/PH Jerry Lynch was born in Bay City, Michigan. Lynch started (1954-56) and ended (1963-66) his career in Pittsburgh, spending the seven middle years with the Cincinnati Reds. He hit .263/45/188 as a reserve Pirate outfielder and primo pinch hitter. Lynch had 116 pinch hits during his 13-year big league tour with 18 HR, and is still high on the hit lists for PH.

Jerry Lynch - 1964 Topps

1936 - 1936 NL MVP Carl Hubbell of the NY Giants started a 24-game winning streak with a 6-0, five-hit win against the Pirates at Forbes Field, the longest victory run in MLB history.  He was finally stopped by the Brooklyn Dodgers on May 31st, 1937. In his 28 outings during the span, he had 24 wins, two saves and just two no-decisions with 19 complete games in 24 starts.

1939 - Newly acquired Bucco outfielder Chuck Klein made his first appearance back in Philadelphia since leaving the city where he spent 10 years as a player. He celebrated the homecoming by jacking a pair of homers to lift the Bucs to a 7-4 win at Shibe Park. The Bucs released Klein in August and he returned to his old club, retiring in 1944 as a Phil.

1952 - Ralph Kiner hit a two-run shot in the ninth frame to walk-off the Phils at Forbes Field, giving the Bucs a 4-2 victory and sweep of a twin bill. He also joined the 1,000 hit club; he would end his career with 1,451 knocks. The blast off Karl Drews made a winner out of Ted Wilks, who tossed a scoreless inning in relief of Woody Main. Clem Koshorek and Pete Castiglione joined Ralph by banging a pair of hits. The Pirates took the opener, 2-1, behind Cal Hogue’s four-hitter. Catfish Metkovich singled home rookie Dick Groat in the third frame to knot the score, and Groat drove in Clyde McCullough two innings later with the game winner. It was a rare twin win day as doubleheaders weren’t the clubs’ strong suit; they swept just three in 23 double dip tries.

1966 - The Pirates swept a twin bill from San Francisco at Forbes Field, 7-4 and 7-1, to vault over the Giants into first place behind the pitching of Steve Blass and Tommie Sisk. Matty Alou and Donn Clendenon collected four hits during the DH, with Clendenon homering. In a wild race, the Bucs would finish third with a 92-70 slate, three games behind the Dodgers.

1970 - Roberto Clemente led the Bucs to a 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Forbes Field with three hits, falling a double short of the cycle. He tripled and scored the tying run in the sixth, homered for the eventual game winner in the eighth, and threw out Tommy Helms at the plate in the ninth. Dave Giusti, the Bucs third pitcher, ran his record to 8-0 with Roberto’s help.

Roberto Clemente - 1970 Topps Super

1971 - A deserted Forbes Field was lit up by a fire under the right field stands. It was the second blaze and left such severe structural damage that its demolition, already scheduled by its new owners, Pitt, began almost immediately. Now the former ballyard’s footprint is the site of Posvar Hall, with home plate still showcased in the building and a bit of the brick & ivy wall still remains standing.

1971 - Dock Ellis won his 13th straight game without a defeat over the Padres at Three Rivers Stadium, 9-2, with Bob Robertson’s three-run homer providing all the scoring the Docktor would need. Manny Sanguillen had four knocks and Roberto Clemente added three more raps to aid the cause. Dock’s next outing would be a no decision before the Dodgers ended his streak. 

1978 - The Pirates bullpen imploded in the ninth inning at TRS, allowing San Diego to score three runs to tie the game at six as they rallied from a fourth-inning 6-1 deficit. The Padres tacked on another run in the 10th frame to take the lead, but the Bucs weren’t quite done. With Rollie Fingers on the hill, Bill Robinson reached on an error and Willie Stargell singled through a shift before Rennie Stennett’s rap tied the game. Ken Macha, who ran for Willie, and Stennett tagged and moved up a base after Ed Ott’s line out to left. San Diego decided to not walk Manny Sanguillen with lefty John Milner on deck, and The Roadrunner made it a bad choice by banging a ball off the left field wall for a long single and walkoff win, with the dub credited to Kent Tekulve.

1979 - The National League won its eighth straight All-Star Game, 7-6, at the Kingdome in Seattle. Pittsburgh’s only representative, Dave Parker, threw out runners at home & third and was named the game's MVP. The Cobra went 1-for-3 with an RBI and was intentionally walked once. Future Bucco Lee Mazzilli tied the game in the eighth inning with a pinch-hit home run and then put the Senior Circuit ahead in the ninth frame by drawing a bases-loaded walk to finish as the MVP runner-up to Parker. This ASG was the only one ever played in the Kingdome; by the time the Midsummer Classic returned to Seattle in 2001, the Mariners were playing in a new yard, Safeco Park.

7/17 From 1980: Record Rally, Alex Trips, 5 For KY, Streakin', Game Days, Loaiza-TVP, Felipe & ASG, Termarr #1, Youth Served, HBD Brian

1982 - RHP Brian Rogers was born in Dallas, Texas. He joined the Pirates in 2006 after a trade with the Detroit Tigers for Sean Casey, was sent to AA Portland, and was called up at the end of August. He didn’t fare very well, and was sent back to the minors the following campaign, getting just three more not-so-successful outings with the big club and finishing his career with a Bucco slash of 0-0/9.28 in 13 games. Rogers was released in mid-June of 2008 and got short minor-league stints with the Tigers and New York Mets to end his pro career at age 25. He went to work for a resort in Hawaii, got his degree and is now a manager.

1983 - The Pirates whipped the San Diego Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium by a 5-4 score, concluding their best-ever west coast trip by taking 9-of-10 games. The Buccaneers ran their winning streak to eight games to reach .500 on the season. The Corsair attack was powered by Jason Thompson, who had three hits, including a homer, and three RBI. Dave Parker and Dale Berra also chipped in three knocks to key a 13-hit outing. Lee Tunnell took the win and Kent Tekulve picked up the save. Pittsburgh kept on keepin’ on against the left coasters; right after the trip, LA, SF and SD came calling to TRS and the Bucs took 8-of-11.

1988 - The Pirates ran their winning streak to nine games when they held off the Giants, 5-4, at Three Rivers Stadium. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a Mike Dunne RBI grounder and a two-out, two-run knock by Darnell Coles. San Francisco used a pair of homers to tie it up before the Bucs regained the lead in the eighth frame on Barry Bonds’ long ball, stroked with two outs and two strikes, to take a 5-3 edge. Jim Gott finished it up, though with some drama - a pair of walks (one intentional) sandwiched around a double narrowed the gap to one run, then he survived Harry Spilman’s long drive to center that Andy Van Slyke had just enough room to corral to save the win for Jeff Robinson. The streaky club lost the next day, took three in a row, then dropped 15-of-23 on the way to a roller-coaster 85-75 campaign. 

1998 - The Bucs traded RHP Esteban Loaiza to the Texas Rangers for RHP Todd Van Poppel and 2B Warren Morris. The Pirates plugged Van Poppel into the rotation to replace Loaiza while Morris was considered the key as a lefty-hitting, power-bat second baseman. It didn’t work out quite as planned. TVP lasted 10 weeks for Pittsburgh while Morris was released after the 2001 season. Loaiza pitched for another 10 seasons (albeit with seven teams), topped by a 21-9/2.90 campaign with the White Sox in 2003 when he was an All-Star and Cy Young runner up. TVP pitched through 2004 while Morris played for six more organizations, with his only MLB stops at Detroit in 2003 plus an ‘02 cup of coffee with Minnesota, before playing his last pro game in 2005.

Estaban Loaiza - 1998 Donruss

1998 - After trading scheduled starter Esteban Loaiza before the game, the Bucs called on reliever Mike Williams to make the bullpen start, hoping for two or three frames. He lasted five strong innings, giving up a run, and Jason Christiansen picked up the final 12 outs in the Bucs’ 5-1 win over Montreal at Olympic Stadium. The Bucs offense wasn’t very exciting in grinding out five runs, but Aramis Ramirez and Expo pitcher Javier Vazquez ignited a couple of bench-clearing dances, the first caused by a basepath bump by Vazquez when he tried to swat the ball out of Ramirez’s glove on a tag play followed by A-Ram taking a pitch off the shoulder and charging the mound with bad intentions. Both hotheads were ejected after the HBP festivities (and would later earn five-day suspensions), but Elmer Dessens started off the Expo half of the frame by coming in high and tight on Rondell White, ringing the bell for round three. The rest of the night was all baseball, with Lou Collier collecting three raps to lead an 11-hit attack. The suddenly battlin’ Bucs went on a rampage afterward, winning 7-of-9 games before settling back into the doldrums.

1999 - In a wild 13-10 win over the Cleveland Indians at Three Rivers Stadium, Kevin Young homered twice to drive in five runs and Al Martin also went yard two times to plate three more; both had three hits, as did Adrian Brown. The teams combined to bang out 32 hits and together burned through 13 pitchers during the game, played in front of 43,299 fans, many from Ohio for the weekend. The Bucs led throughout the contest, though the Tribe cut the lead to a single run in the sixth and two in the eighth, to net Kris Benson the win, saved by Mike Williams.

2003 - The Brewers and Bucs exchanged grand slams in a 7-5 Milwaukee win at PNC Park. Ex-Bucco John Vander Wal clocked a first-inning salami off Kris Benson; Craig Wilson pounded a pinch-hit grannie in the fifth off Wayne Franklin, but to no avail as it was already 7-0 Brew Crew at that point.

2007 - LHP Daniel Moskos, the Pirates first round draft pick and fourth overall, agreed to a deal including a $2.5M signing bonus. The Clemson junior was selected as a back-end bullpen option for the Pirates bullpen, although he made 10 starts for the Tigers as a junior. He got his only MLB action in 2007, slashing 1-1/2.96 in 312 Pittsburgh outings but with a 1.56 WHIP and just four K’s per nine innings. The Bucs waived him in June of 2012, and Moskos then pitched through 2018, working for various farm clubs and in Mexico and the indie leagues.

Alex Presley - 2011 Bowman Chrome

2009 - It took 14 innings, but the Bucs ended a streak of seven losses in eight games going into the All-Star break with a 2-1 win over the Giants at PNC Park to resume the season. Garrett Jones homered off Bob Lowry at PNC Park for the walkoff winner; he also brought home the first run with a long ball off of Tim Lincecum. The pitching duel, begun by Paul Maholm and Lincecum, featured 13 pitchers between the two clubs, with Evan Meek getting the win. 

2011 - Alex Presley had three hits and three RBI as the Pirates won a 7-5 decision in 11 innings at Minute Maid Park. Chris Leroux won his first (and only) MLB game and Chris Resop earned his first big league save as the Bucs burned seven pitchers in a game Kevin Correia started. KC only lasted five frames, but had a key hit when he banged a two-out, two-run double after the ‘Stros intentionally walked Eric Fryer to get to him (to shake some salt into the wound; Fryer came around to plate on Kevin’s two-bagger). A couple of future Bucs toed the rubber for the Astros - starter Wandy Rodriguez and eventual loser Mark Melancon (two unearned runs did him in).

2013 - The International League won the AAA All-Star Game, 4-3, over the Pacific Coast League. The big bop was delivered by Pirates C prospect Tony Sanchez of the Indy Indians who banged a three-run homer in the second inning and won the game MVP. He got a late call to the big club that season, hitting .233 in 22 games. Tony got into 29 more games with the Pirates over the next two seasons, was released and then bounced around among various organizations in the minors as a depth player through 2019, getting one last MLB at bat for the Bravos in 2017.

2016 - Starling Marte went boom against ex-Bucco Ollie Perez in the 18th inning to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 win over Washington at Nationals Park; he had chased home Adam Frazier in the sixth with the Pirates first run. The Pirates took a 1-0 lead into the ninth frame in a duel between Chad Kuhl and Max Scherzer, but Daniel Murphy homered off Mark Melancon with two outs and two strikes to pave the way for some bonus baseball. The Bucs took a shot at ending it in the 16th inning when Josh Harrison doubled, but not-so-fleet catcher Eric Kratz (who caught all 18 innings) was cut down at home. The two clubs shuffled through 17 pitchers (Pittsburgh used nine) with Jon Niese getting the win after three innings atop the mound to earn his final MLB victory.

Starling Marte - 2016 Topps

2018 - Closer Felipe Rivero got his first All-Star nod (some thought the honor was a year overdue) as the only Pirates ASG rep at Nationals Park, the yard where his career started. The American League prevailed over the senior Circuit in 10 innings by an 8-6 score that saw a record 10 homers belted between the clubs, but they couldn’t dent Felipe. In his inning of work, he fanned a pair, walked one and gave up a single on a routine fly that was lost in the lights.

2021 - MLB teams were not-too-surprisingly 314-0 when leading by six or more runs after eight innings this season, but Jake Stallings and the Pirates put an end to that streak when The Cheetah’s two-out, first-pitch grand slam that hugged the left field line carried Pittsburgh to a 9-7 win over the Mets at PNC Park. Down 6-0 going into the eighth in front of a season-high 27,229 fans, John Nogowski’s double and a grounder made it 6-2 before Wilmer Difo dropped a three-run bomb midway up the Clemente seats to turn it into a one-run game. The Mets rallied to tack on a ninth-inning insurance tally before a hit batter, walk and infield rap filled the sacks with two away for the Bucs, setting the stage for Stallings. Despite giving up the late run, Clay Holmes got the win. Fun fact: It was the third Bucco walk-off grannie at PNC Park, joining those swatted by Rob Mackowiak (2004) & Brian Giles (2001), and the 10th in Pirates history. Not-so-fun fact: The Pirates reversed roles on New York by jumping to a 6-0 lead in the next day’s game only to lose via a two-run, ninth-inning homer, 7-6. It was the first time in National League history that opposing teams lost 6-0 leads in consecutive games.

2022 - The draft began in Los Angeles and the Pirates selected SS Termarr Johnson, 18, from Mays HS in Atlanta as the fourth overall pick of the draft. Termarr (throws right, bats left) was projected as perhaps the best hitter in the draft, but on the smallish side at 5-8 and projected as a second baseman, although the Bucs started him out at short. He had a college commitment to Arizona State, but a $7,219,000 check countered that. With comp pick #36, they chose soph RHP Thomas Harrington, 21, from Campbell University; he was more reasonably priced at $2,050,000. In the second round with pick #44, they claimed Florida redshirt sophomore LHP Hunter Barco, 21, who had TJ surgery in May and before that was considered a Top 15 draftee. Hunter made his organizational debut in July, 2023, in the Florida Complex League after signing for $1,520,000.

2023 - The long-promised youth rebuild arrived at PNC Park. Six players who were in the minors in June - RHP Quinn Priester, C Endy Rodriguez, 2B Nick Gonzales, SS Liover Peguero, 3B Jared Triolo and RF Henry Davis - all started. And it was a rough start, matching the weather and a delayed opening pitch. Priester retired the first nine Cleveland Guardians, then had the wheels come off. The bullpen added gas to the fire, the five rookies in the batting order went 2-for-17 with a walk, and the young guns absorbed an 11-0 beatdown. Rome wasn’t built in a day...

7/16 Through the 1960s: Splish Splash Starg, Carlos Da Man, Bomb's Away, Happy Jack's Run Ends, Chief Rolls Threes, Knot Hole, Game Days, Teke Signs, HBD Howdy

1885 - In perhaps the earliest “knot hole” day promotion in the City, William Nimick, part-owner and president of the Alleghenys, announced in the Pittsburgh Sun Telegraph that all Saturday games at Recreation Park (nee Union Park) in Northside would feature dime admissions for children. The yard was the Alleghenys home until 1891, when the team moved to Expo Park. The concept was carried over to Forbes Field games. (S/O to @19thCenturyBucs).

1894 - SS James Howard “Howdy” Caton was born in nearby Zanesville, Ohio. He spent his four year MLB career (1917-20) with Pittsburgh, hitting .226 as a reserve infielder. Howdy never did hit a homer, but he did leg out 16 triples. After his Bucco tenure, he played for local teams in the Midwest League including his hometown Zanesville Greys squad for several years and had a day job as a city worker for Zanesville. Howdy also answered to the nickname Buster. 

1902 - “Happy Jack” Chesbro had his franchise-record 41-inning scoreless streak come to an end during his 9-1 win over Boston at Expo Park. His stats were still flashy - his record to date was 15-2/1.97 while he finished the year with a 28-6/2.17 mark for the pennant-winning Pirates. Ginger Beaumont was a homer shy of a cycle and Kitty Bransfield also added three hits as Pittsburgh banged out 15 knocks. Every Buccaneer in the lineup scored, had an RBI, or posted both.

1910 - Chief Wilson had three hits, including two triples, and the Bucs scored three times in the eighth off Christy Mathewson to sweep a four game set from the NY Giants at Forbes Field by a 6-3 score. With two outs in the eighth frame, Fred Clarke and Honus Wagner banged back-to-back doubles for the lead. The insurance markers came on a John Flynn RBI knock followed by Bill McKechnie’s drive that glanced off a glove to score Flynn. Deacon Phillippe got the win.

Chief Wilson - 1910 Tip Top Bread

1918 - The Bucs sent reserve 3B Gus Getz to Indianapolis of the American Association for minor-league vet SS Roy Allam. It ended up a minor deal. For the Pittsburgh-born Getz, it was the end of his seven-year MLB career. Ellam auditioned for the shortstop spot but hit just .130 in 26 games, and the stint was the last of his brief big league career (he played 10 games for the Reds).

1920 - Lefty Earl Hamilton pitched 16 shutout innings before running out of gas and losing 7-0 to the New York Giants. NY’s Rube Benton went the distance for the win at Forbes Field, tossing a seven hitter. The game featured outstanding defense, with the Pittsburgh Press citing “remarkable work in the field” and “fielding thrills” provided by both nines. It spotlighted Pirates birthday boy SS Howdy Caton’s lunging grab behind second and spin-a-rama toss to first to retire Frankie Frisch as “the greatest play witnessed on the local lot in several years.”

1950 - The Bucs scored three times in the eighth and once in the ninth inning to edge the Boston Braves 6-5 at Forbes Field. Ted Beard (whose ball hit the right field roof and bounced over it, making him  the first batter since Babe Ruth in 1935 and just the second in Forbes Field's 41-year history to clear the stadium's 89-foot-high roof), homered. Then Gus Bell went long after Ralph Kiner was intentionally walked with two down in the eighth to tie it. Earl Turner cracked another two-out dinger in the final frame to win it for Hank Borowy. Pittsburgh dropped the opener of the twin bill, 9-5. MLB set a record of 37 HR launched on this day; the Bucs contributed five long balls to the cause - Bell (2), Beard, Turner and Danny O’Connell’s blast in the first game.

1953 - Pittsburgh’s happy feet and a day by Carlos Bernier snapped the Pirates 10-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Milwaukee Braves at Forbes Field. In the fourth, the Bucs set up shop when Eddie O’Brien and Danny O’Connell inadvertently ran a double steal. Caught off base after a missed bunt, O’Brien redeemed himself by dancing into third after the Braves tried to pick him off at second, with O’Donnell steaming into second during the festivities. Bernier singled them both home and went to third on Paul Smith’s knock. Smith stole second without a throw, and then Carlos stole home, drawing a wild throw to the plate during his dash that allowed Smith to come around, too. Bernier later tripled and scored to help Bob Friend to a complete game victory.

Carlos Bernier - 1953 Topps

1960 - The Bucs jumped ahead of the Cincinnati Reds, 2-0, in the first inning, but found themselves down 5-2 going into the seventh at Forbes Field. Maz’s homer tightened it up and Don Hoak’s two-out, bases-loaded single an inning later tied it. The Pirates came all the way back when pinch hitter Dick Stuart, batting for reliever Earl Francis, drilled a walkoff homer over the left field fence with an out in the ninth for a 6-5 victory. Francis, who worked two scoreless frames, claimed  the Pittsburgh win.

1969 - Willie Stargell cannon-balled a pitch 495’ into the municipal swimming pool behind Jarry Park Stadium in the eighth inning as the Bucs beat the Expos, 8-7. The Pirates scored three times in the eighth and three more times in the ninth to claim the win. Roberto Clemente had a two-run, two-out single in the final frame, followed by the eventual game-winning knock, a Richie Hebner single that scored Stargell. Chuck Hartenstein got the save, even though he gave up a ninth-inning homer (the Expos hit four long balls), to close the victory for Joe Gibbon. It was a win, but not one of the team’s finer outings - they committed three errors, hit into four double plays and lost a run when Manny Sanguillen left third base too soon on a tag. Fun fact: The Expos later presented Willie with a life preserver to commemorate “all the swimmers he chased out of the pool” (christened as “La Piscine de Willie” - Willie’s Pool) with his Jarry Park blasts.

1969 - Pirates scout Dick Coury signed 22-year-old RHP Kent Tekulve as an undrafted free agent out of Marietta College. The contract was offered following a tryout at Forbes Field, where Tekulve didn’t pitch during the audition but in a private bullpen session after the main event, per Bob Hurte of SABR, and then was sent to Geneva farm club. Teke was a late bloomer, not cracking the Bucco roster until 1974, but made up for lost time - he tossed for a dozen years for the Pirates, making 722 appearances with a 2.68 ERA, 70 wins and 158 saves as a rubber-armed reliever. He put together a 16-year MLB career with 1,050 outings and a line of 94-90-184/2.85, working 90+ games three times and once pitching nine straight games before hangin’ up the mitt at age 42. (His retirement was 20 years to the day after he signed his first pro contract, on 7/17/89). Tekulve then worked for the Wild Things, as a Bucco scout, and finally a broadcaster before having a heart transplant in 2014 and retiring in 2017. He joined the Pirates Hall of Fame in 2023.

7/16 From 1970: Duelin' Doug, Dual Dave, Robby Rocket, TRS Opens, Game Days, Fraze Dealt, Skenes & ASGs HBD Ildemaro

1970 - The first game at Three Rivers Stadium, located near old Exposition Park, the home of the Pirates from 1891-1909, was played. The Dukes of Dixieland played, Billy Eckstine sang the National Anthem, and Pie Traynor tossed out the first pitch. Cincinnati’s Tony Perez hit the park's first home run as the Bucs lost to the Reds, 3-2. Richie Hebner had the first Pirates hit in the new ballyard and scored the first run in the stadium’s history when Al Oliver doubled him home in the first inning to chase in the park’s first RBI; Pops hit the first Bucco homer and was rewarded with a $1,000 prize by a local retailer. Dock Ellis started and took the loss. The Pirates rocked their new uniforms of stretch cotton and nylon (they were the first MLB team to sport knit outfits) in front of 48,846 fans.

1971 - Bob Robertson became the first player to blast a shot into the upper left field deck of Three Rivers Stadium when he connected off of San Diego’s Steve Arlin in the seventh with the eventual game winner in a 2-1 Pirate victory. Al Oliver added three hits, Richie Hebner singled home a two-out run and Bob Johnson went the distance while tossing a six-hitter for the win.

1972 - Reliever Dave Giusti had a day every reliever dreams of as he got a win and save in a twin bill against the Astros at TRS in front of 49,341 fans. Giusti worked 2-1/3 IP, giving up two hits and fanning a pair in twin 3-2 Bucco wins. His victory came in the 10th inning after Bob Moose started the opener and he got the last out of the nightcap to save Bruce Kison’s win.

1978 - The Bucs swept the Phillies by 3-2 and 10-6 scores in a Three Rivers Stadium twinbill, but the big news was that Dave Parker was back. The Cobra missed 15 games with a broken cheek suffered in a collision at home, but sporting a variety of masks (a goalie mask when at bat and football face bar attachment for his helmet in the field), he returned to action. The Cobra drew an intentional walk in the 10th inning of the opener, setting up Bill Robinson’s game-winning knock, and his triple in the seventh frame of the nightcap tied the score and triggered an eventual five-run outburst to break the game open. Parker went on to take the NL MVP title, but the team was a couple of bricks shy, finishing second with 88 wins, 1-1/2 games behind Philly.

1985 - The Senior Circuit took a 6-1 decision from the Americans at the Metrodome in the All-Star game. For the second season, C Tony Pena was the only Buc on the team, and he struck out against Dan Petry. There was a local connection: Ex-Buc Dave Parker won the first Home Run Derby. The honorary captains were players from the 1965 All-Star game, recognizing the first ASG held in Minnesota, with hometown hero Harmon Killebrew, who homered in the ‘65 Classic and Sandy Koufax, 1965’s winning pitcher, on tap.

Ildemaro Vargas - 2021 Justin Aller/Getty

1991 - UT Ildemaro Vargas was born in Caripito, Venezuela. 2020-21 was a busy time for the five-year D-Back reserve; he went from Arizona to Minnesota to the Cubs to Pittsburgh (seven games/.133 BA) and then back to Arizona within a 10-month period. The Pirates picked him up after injuries thinned the roster in May of 2021, sold him to Arizona in June when the wounded began to return, then he went to the Cubs, played three seasons with the Washington Nationals and is now back in the Arizona D-Back organization. 

1992 - Doug Drabek scattered four hits, and supported by a pair of two-out RBI hits - a homer by Andy Van Slyke and a single by Alex Cole - led the squad to victory as the Bucs defeated the Chicago Cubs 2-1 at Three Rivers Stadium. The win kept the Pittsburgh lead over the Baby Bruins and Cards at six games in the NL Eastern Division as play resumed after the All Star break.

1999 - The middle men of the Pirate order - Brian Giles, Kevin Young and Ed Sprague - each banged a homer and together drove in a total of eight runs while scoring seven times in an 11-3 win against the Cleveland Indians at TRS in front of 43,519 mixed-city rooters. The Bucs ran away and hid from the Tribe early; they were up by a 10-0 count after four frames. Francisco Cordova got the win, lasting into the sixth before three relievers carried the game home.

2002 - Brian Giles and Jack Wilson drove in all seven runs in a 7-3 Bucco win against the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Giles produced a homer and sac fly while Wilson collected three hits, including a triple, as the Pirates’ Josh Fogg outlasted Houston’s Roy Oswalt for the dub.

2005 - Behind Zach Duke, the Bucs shut out the Chicago Cubs and Greg Maddux at Wrigley Field, 3-0. The Zachster gave up eight hits, but the Buc defense turned four DPs on his behalf. Duke even helped himself with a sac fly to chase home his first MLB RBI, with the other runs scoring on a Jason Bay homer and a double by Matt Lawton, both coming with two outs. Duke finished July en fuego with a 3-0/0.87 slash and was named the NL Rookie of the Month.

Zach Duke - 2005 Topps Update

2013 - OF Andrew McCutchen, 3B Pedro Alvarez, and pitchers Jason Grilli, Mark Melancon and Jeff Locke were named to the All-Star game. It was a homecoming of sorts for Alvarez, as the game was played in Citi Field near his Manhattan home of Washington Heights, and he also participated in the home run derby. Petey didn’t make it past the first round, but his six homers were the most ever hit by a Bucco in that event until Josh Bell’s 18 in 2019. The Americans took the ASG match, 3-0, as El Toro went 0-for-1 and Cutch 0-for-2 while Grilli tossed a scoreless inning of relief. Melancon didn’t get in the game, and Locke was on ice, nursing a back injury. It was the first time since 1972 that the Pittsburgh Pirates had five players selected for the game. 

2024 - Paul Skenes took his lil' hop over the foul line, toed the rubber and worked a clean first frame (his scheduled allotment), ceding only a walk on a pitch that looked suspiciously close to strike three in his first ASG start at Globe Life Field. He became the first player in MLB history to earn an All Star nod the year after being drafted No. 1. The game went to the AL, 5-3, par for the course. Boston CF Jarren Duran smacked a two-out, two-run homer in the fifth off Hunter Greene to overcome LA's Shohei Ohtani's earlier three-run blast (Sho-Time became the first MLB player who has both an AS win and homer). The Pirates Bryan Reynolds started in left field and went 1-for-2 while Bethel Park HS/Waynesburg U/Oakland's Mason Miller earned the win. Earlier the NL topped the AL in the Futures Game, 6-1. The Bucs were repped by Altoona RHP Bubba Chandler, who spun one scoreless inning, and Greensboro 2B Temarr Johnson, who went 1-for-2.

2025 - The Pirates traded UT Adam Frazier to the Royals for IF (primarily shortstop) Cam Devanney, 28, who was optioned to Indy. Cam was hitting .272/18 HR for the Royals’ AAA Omaha club, but has never played in the show, spending the last six years in the Milwaukee/KC systems w/.253 career BA. He's an insurance policy should Isiah Kiner-Falefa land elsewhere before the deadline ends. IKF stayed, and Cam got a September callup, hitting .139 in 14 games. He’s now playing in Japan.

7/15 Through the 1970s: HoF Game, Elliott Cycle + Six, Ray & Waite Gems, 8 For Jake, Game Days, Manny TSN, Jerry, Scoops & ASGs, HBD Enrique, Don, Donn & Red

1893 - Jake Stenzel banged a homer and a triple, both with the bases loaded, collecting five hits and eight RBI as Pittsburgh crushed the Washington Senators, 19-0, at Exposition Park. The Bucs banged out a double, four triples and four homers in routing the DC squad. Sealing the deal at both ends, Frank Killen tossed a six-hitter, leading the Pittsburgh Press to write that the Sens were “...completely at the mercy of the clever left-hander.” 

1893 - LHP John “Red” Oldham was born in Zion, Maryland. Red tossed for Detroit for five years, dropped out of sight for a couple of seasons, dedicating himself to business and some indie league play, then resurfaced in 1925 at the age of 32 with the Pirates. His first season was solid enough at 3-2-1/3.91, but his big moment came in the World Series. Red pitched the final inning of Game 7 before 42,856 fans at Forbes Field. The Pirates took a 9-7 lead in the eighth and called on Oldham to put it away against the heart of the Washington Senators lineup that featured three future Hall of Famers. He caught Sam Rice looking, got Bucky Harris on a liner and then rung up Goose Goslin. His performance went downhill in 1926 (2-2-2/5.62) and was released in July.

1905 - In a showdown twin bill between the first place New York Giants and the second place Bucs at the Polo Grounds, Pittsburgh overcame a 6-0 deficit against Iron Joe McGinnity to take a 7-6 lead in the seventh, but lost 8-7 on a ninth inning homer as Christy Mathewson shut them down over the last 2-2/3 innings. The Pirates took the nitecap 3-0 behind Deacon Phillippe's four-hitter. Honus Wagner clinched the victory with a two-run homer that hit the el tracks in the eighth inning. The powerhouse Giants eventually won the pennant with 105 victories (Pgh. had 96 wins) and then swept the Philly A's in the World Series.

1908 - The Pirates tied the Boston Doves in the ninth inning thanks to a George Gibson triple and won 3-2 in the 10th when Fred Clarke was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for a walkoff plunk. Sam Leever went the distance for the victory at Exposition Park. The win put the Bucs back in the top spot, 1/2 game ahead of the NY Giants and a game up on Chicago. The pennant chase remained tight all year; the Cubs held off Pittsburgh and New York by one game.

Ray Kremer - 1932 TSN Collection

1932 - The Pirates got plenty of pitching from Ray Kremer, who tossed a three-hitter and needed it to take a 1-0 victory over the Boston Braves at Forbes Field as part of a four-game sweep of Boston. LF Dave Barbee doubled home Arky Vaughan in the fourth inning with the only score; the Buccos only had five hits off tough-luck loser Hub Pruett. Neither slabster was particularly overpowering as each posted just one whiff during their complete game outings.

1934 - Waite Hoyt tossed a one-hitter against Boston, surrendering a single to Tommy Thompson in a 5-0 win in the opener of a twin bill at Braves Field. The offense was a team effort; five Bucs had two hits and all eight position players scored and/or drove home runs. Beantown’s Ed Brandt returned the favor in the nitecap, limiting the Bucs to three hits in a 4-0 Brave victory.

1935 - 1B Donn Clendenon was born in Neosho, Missouri. An all around athlete at Morehouse College, he turned down offers from the Cleveland Browns and Harlem Globetrotters to sign with the Bucs. He spent eight years (1961-68) as a Pirate with a line of .280/106/488. Clendenon hit .302 as a rookie in 1962 (he didn’t play enough in ‘61 to qualify) and was runner up to Chicago’s Ken Hubbs in the Rookie of the Year voting. He spent a couple of off-seasons (1962-64) as an Allegheny County detective and eventually earned a law degree from Duquesne in 1978 that carried him into his post-baseball career. Family Act: Clendenon's stepfather was Nish Williams, a noted Negro League player and manager. Donn was a three-sport star as a youth, and is said to have selected baseball as his primary focus because of the respect he held for Nish.

1942 - CF Don Bosch was born in San Francisco. He started his four-year run in the show with two hitless at bats for the Pirates in 1966 after signing with the club in 1960. He went to the New York Mets in the ‘66 off season with pitcher Don Cardwell as part of the Dennis Ribant/Gary Kolb deal. At the time, Bosch was a highly regarded prospect and AAA All-Star, but fizzled in the majors, batting just .164 during his career. His last MLB season was 1969 with the Montreal Expos, and he retired from pro ball after the 1970 campaign at age 27.

Pete Coscarart - 1945 Play Ball

1945 - The Pirates bombed the visiting Brooklyn Dodgers in a Forbes Field doubleheader, slamming them by 9-1 and 15-3 tallies. In the opener, Rip Sewell cruised to victory as Frank Gustine drove home three runs. Bob Elliott hit for the cycle, chased home six runs and plated three times in the nitecap while Pete Coscarart scored five times. The Bucs launched a 19-hit onslaught to back Ken Gables, who went the distance for the win. Despite the blowouts, the teams had a spirited competition during the year with da Bums holding a 12-10 season edge.

1947 - Enrique Romo was born in Santa Rosalia, Mexico. The righty pitched for the Pirates for four seasons (1979-82), going 25-16-26/3.56 after coming over from Seattle. Before that, he had spent 11 seasons pitching in Mexico, mainly as a starter (he was converted to the pen in the majors) and was a 20-game winner for Mexico City in 1976. Romo appeared in 84 games for the World Series champs in ‘79 and was an integral part of the Buc bullpen his first two years, but went noticeably downhill in his last two campaigns, ending his six-year MLB career.

1963 - In the first game of a Forbes Field twi-light doubleheader, Alvin Dark and Danny Murtaugh sent seven future Hall-of-Famers out for battle - the G-Men had Juan Marichal, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Orlando Cepeda while the Bucs countered with Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Bill Mazeroski. In the ninth, the Dominican Dandy was cruising along with a 1-0 lead. Bill Virdon singled, Roberto doubled and Maz was walked intentionally. That made Willie - then a 23-year-old rookie who was more Pup than Pops - the hero when his single to right plated the Quail and Arriba. Marichal went on to win 25 games that year, but couldn’t overcome three HoF guys in row, with Clemente topping both teams lineups with three hits. The Pirates also took the nightcap 4-1 as Joe Gibbon bested Billy O’Dell. The pair eventually switched loyalties: three years later, Gibbon ended up with SF and Digger with the Bucs.

1967 - In the fourth inning of a game at Busch Stadium, Bob Gibson suffered a broken fibula on a line drive off the bat of Roberto Clemente. He pitched to three more batters, issuing two walks around a flyball before the leg literally snapped (and Roberto’s liner was the only hit Gibson gave up). It was a kind of karmic payback; in his book “Stranger to the Game,” Gibson said of Clemente, “I always threw at him. He swung way too hard against me...” It usually worked as Clemente hit just .208 off Gibby, but not today. The Great One collected three raps (two off relievers) to lead the Bucs and Juan Pizarro to a 6-4 win over the eventual World Champion Cards.

Roberto Clemente - 2002 Donruss Diamond Kings

1968 - The Chicago Cubs swept the Bucs at Forbes Field to send the struggling Pirates to their tenth straight defeat as Fergie Jenkins tossed a 10-inning six-hitter and singled home the winning run against Luke Walker. Pittsburgh equaled the franchise’s longest post-1900 losing streak with the 2-1 loss, but finally stopped the spin the next day by rallying for a 3-2 win over the Mets. Jerry May’s two-out, two-run double in the seventh brought home the bacon to cut the string and earn a dub for Ronnie Kline.

1971 - The Pirates beat the San Diego Padres 4-3 at TRS by never saying die. Pittsburgh rallied to tie the game in the bottoms of the ninth, 13th and 16th innings before winning it on Roberto Clemente’s homer in the 17th. San Diego’s Danny Coombs was hit with a double whammy, credited with a blown save in the 16th and then the loss in the 17th. It was the first time in franchise history that the Bucs had overcome a pair of extra-inning deficits to win, a feat that wouldn’t be repeated again by the club until 2015 at PNC Park against the Cardinals.

1972 - Manny Sanguillen was featured as the cover story of The Sporting News in an article titled “Durable Mitt Star.” For seven of his first eight years with Pittsburgh, he caught at least 113 games (with 151 games behind the dish in 1974). The only year he didn’t was in 1973, when he auditioned unsuccessfully as a right fielder after Roberto Clemente’s death and caught just 89 games.

1975 - The National League whipped the American League 6-3 in the All-Star game held at County Stadium. Jerry Reuss pitched the first three frames, putting up zeroes on three hits with two strikeouts. Al Oliver doubled and came around to score in his lone at bat while Manny Sanguillen was planted on the bench. The contest was Hank Aaron's 25th and final All-Star affair, and the former home of the Milwaukee Braves was a fitting venue for his farewell bow.

7/15 From 1980: Cutch Streak, King V, Gems, Cobra, Rallies, Game Days, Skenes & ASGs, Hans T206, HBD Kevin & Anthony

1982 - Dave Parker came through early and late to carry the Pirates and John Candelaria to a 5-1 win over Houston in the Astrodome. His first-inning single chased home two Buccos (one aboard on an error) and his three-run, 430’ blast to center in the ninth inning off reliever Frank LaCorte iced the game. In between, the Candy Man and Don Sutton were hooked up in a dandy little duel, with Rod Scurry covering the final 2-2/3 frames without allowing a hit for the save.

1984 - RHP Anthony Claggett was born in Hemet, California. 2009 was his only MLB season, starting with the Yankees and ending with the Pirates after he was DFA’ed in late September, getting into one game and giving up a run on two hits in his inning. During the off season, Claggett was cut by Pittsburgh when Octavio Dotel was signed. He played indie ball in Australia and Japan from 2012-14. Claggett has since been a coach for College of the Desert, Riverside, San Jose State and New Mexico State. He’s now the pitching coach at Washington State.

1986 - The Junior Circuit squeezed out a 3-2 win over the National League in the Midsummer Classic held at the Houston Astrodome. C Tony Pena came on as a ninth inning pinch runner; P Rick Rhoden was also selected, but didn’t get to climb the bump. This was the last All-Star Game to be played indoors until 2011 when Chase Field hosted the match.

1991 - The 2-3-4 hitters for the Bucs were on fire against the Astros at TRS. Jay Bell, Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla went a combined 8-for-12 with eight runs chased home and scoring six times, putting together a trifecta cycle to generate an easy 8-0 romp. Randy Tomlin was sharp, too, tossing a five-hit complete game victory; if the bats don’t get ya, the pitchin’ will.

Carlos Garcia - 1994 Donruss

1994 - The Pirates erased an eight-run deficit and came back to beat Houston 11-8 at TRS after the Astros had scored seven times in the first inning. Carlos Garcia homered and plated four RBI while John Wehner and pitcher Ravelo Manzanillo both delivered two-run hits. Relievers Rich Robertson, Manzanillo (win) and Mike Dyer (save) tossed seven innings of shutout ball.

1995 - Jeff King hit two home runs with five RBI to power the Pirates past the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-2, at TRS. The Pirates jumped ahead early by a 6-0 count after two, fueled by long balls from King, Mark Parent and Jay Bell. Denny Neagle went the distance, pitching his third of five complete games during his 1995 All-Star season, his first of two (1997 with Atlanta).

1996 - IF Kevin Padlo was born in Murrieta, California, and was a 2014 draft prep selection of Colorado. In 2021-22, Padlo got to suit up with Tampa Bay, Seattle, San Francisco, Seattle again and then three games with the Pirates in 2022 after they claimed him from the Mariners. All that travel may have earned frequent flier miles but the corner infielder got just 49 plate appearances in 23 games, thanks to a .109 BA. The Pirates assigned him back to Indy after three weeks on the big league roster and released him at year’s end. He’s now in the KC Royals system.

1998 - Rookie sensation Kerry Wood helped draw 28,655 fans to TRS (half-price day helped, too) but Francisco Cordova, who last won on May 31st, stole the show by spinning a four-hit shutout with eight K in a 3-0 Bucco win over the Cubs. Cordova got all the help he needed from Kevin Young, who bombed a two-run homer and Ricardo Rincon, who nailed down the save.

2000 - A 1909 Honus Wagner T-206 baseball card was auctioned on eBay for a record $1.265M on this day; the same card was resold for $2.8M in 2007. Another version, the “Jumbo” (a miscut that was 1/16” longer than the usual size) went for $3.12M in 2016. It’s still among the top five baseball cards in value. On August 3rd, 2022, a T206 Wagner card sold for $7.25M.

Honus - 1909 T 206

2003 - The American League scored three times in the eighth inning at US Cellular Field to claim a 7-6 All-Star win over the National League in the 70th Anniversary matchup. Reliever Mike Williams was the Pirates only selection for the second straight year, and he didn’t get into either game. This contest was the first to award home-field advantage for the World Series to the winning league, a rule that stemmed from a 7–7 tie the previous year that led fans to question whether the game had any meaning. That hot-potato rule remained through 2016.

2008 - The AL continued its domination over the NL with a 4-3 All-Star squeaker at Yankee Stadium that took 15 innings to complete. It was a final tribute to the storied “House That Ruth Built” that would close its gates after the season. OF Nate McLouth was the Pirate rep, and he went 1-for-4 during the contest. It was the longest MLB All-Star Game in time (4 hours and 50 minutes) and the 15 innings played tied the mark for the most frames with the 1967 contest.

2011 - Jeff Karstens and Andrew McCutchen took care of business, leading the Bucs to a 4-0 win over the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Jeff was in control, spinning an 83-pitch five-hitter while facing just 30 batters (no walks and two DPs); one Houston runner reached third and one more touched second. Cutch provided enough O when he belted a two-run blast in the third inning.

 
2012 - Andrew McCutchen homered in his fourth straight game among his three hits, but it went for naught as the Bucs and AJ Burnett were dropped 4-1 by the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Field.

2014 - The Americans whipped the Nationals 5-3 in the Midsummer Classic at Target Field in Minnesota. It was Derek Jeter’s 14th and final ASG appearance. All the Bucco All-Stars played: Andrew McCutchen went 1-for-3 as the starting center fielder, Josh Harrison was a sub in left and went 0-for-2, while LHP Tony Watson came in to face one batter, Jose Abreu, and got him to fly out to Josh. Manager Clint Hurdle was there too, as a coach for the NL squad.

Josh Bell - 2018 Topps Opening Day

2018 - The Pirates completed a five-game brooming of the Milwaukee Brewers in dramatic fashion, twice rallying in their final at bats to pull out a 7-6 win. They were down 5-2 going into the eighth when a two-out single by Starling Marte scored Corey Dickerson to cut the lead to 5-3. The Bucs were cooking in the ninth, loading the bases with no outs, but a DP, though bringing home a run, left them on the brink of defeat before David Freese tied it with a two-strike triple to right to provide the fans with some bonus baseball. In the 10th, a couple of walks by Tanner Anderson, just called up from Indy, led to a run. The Pirates were down to their last out with a runner on first when Colin Moran singled to keep the pulse pumping. Then, in the midst of a sudden summer storm, Josh Bell banged a ball over Lorenzo Cain’s head in center; the double scored Polanco while Moran, chugging around the circuit, scored the winner as a throw that would have easily beat him skipped off the mound and through the catcher's wickets. It gave the Pirates six straight wins and 8-of-9 going into the All-Star break; it was the Brew Crew’s sixth straight loss and the series sweep dropped them out of first place in the division. It was a big day for Tanner; it was Anderson’s first MLB win.

2025 - Paul Skenes started the All-Star game by tossing 14 pitches, fanning a pair, and was up 2-0 when Ketel Marte doubled home a pair in the NL's half. But much like his Pirates outings, he didn't get the decision - after nine frames the Midsummer Classic at Atlanta's Truist Park, it was 6-6, and decided for the first time by an extra-inning "swing off", a sort of home run derby. Each squad picked three players, each of whom got three “homer or no count” swings. The Phils Kyle Schwarber went three-for-three, winning both the ASG MVP and the game (7-6 was the official final). Another first was the The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system — allowing batters, pitchers and catchers to question called balls and strikes. It's been used in the minors and tried out on the big stage on Tuesday. It seemed to work out pretty well as four calls were overturned by review without much delay.