4/13 - One Hitters and More.

One hitters, balks and notable games:

• 1916 - Babe Adams tossed a one-hit, 4-0 gem against the Cards. The only hit was a knock that clanged off 2B Joe Schultz's mitt. Adams won only one more game that season and was released in August. The Pirates inked him again in 1918 after he sat out a season, and he stuck through 1926, winning 48 games between 1919-21. He worked 19 years for the Bucs and won 194 games with a 2.76 ERA.
• 1954 - Seven years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, second baseman Curt Roberts made his major league debut during the season opener at Forbes Field and became the first African American to play for the Pirates. The former Kansas City Monarch tripled off Robin Roberts in the first inning as the Bucs beat the Phillies, 4-2. It was the first time the Pirates had opened the season at home in 61 years. It was also their eleventh straight home opener win, a streak that would end the following year.
• 1963 - The Pirates were clobbered 12-4 by the Reds at Crosley Field. The league decided to clamp down on balks, and a record seven were called in the game, including four on Bob Friend. Pete Rose collected his first MLB hit during the game.
• 1976 - The Bucs promised a Lumber Company for the fans, and came through in the home opener at TRS with a 14-4 win over St. Louis, hammering out thirteen hits to go with twelve walks. Dave “The Cobra” Parker homered and collected five RBI, Al “Scoops” Oliver had three hits and three RBI, and Manny “The Roadrunner” Sanguillen had the only three-walk game of his career and touched home three times.
• 2010 - The Pirates flashed some leather to beat the Giants 6-5 at AT&T Park. Paul Maholm hit the ground to snag Aubrey Huff’s ball and in one motion shoveled it with his glove to 1B Jeff Clement while doing a backflip. The game icer in the bottom of the ninth came when Garrett Jones, at 1B after a double switch, made a diving grab of Pablo Sandoval's liner to end the game after Octavio Dotel had already surrendered two ninth inning runs. Jones had Kung Fu Panda’s number; he also threw him out at the plate from RF earlier in the game. Every win was precious; the Bucs only had 57 of them that campaign, costing John Russell his job at the end of the year.
• 2012 - James McDonald spoiled Matt Cain’s perfect game bid with a sixth inning, two out solid single to left. He was the only Bucco to reach base in a 5-0 loss as Cain fanned 11 at AT&T Park in San Francisco’s home opener.