Buc History 5/5

A bad frame, Sunday games, Jose Pagan b-day, hangin' on and the long ball...

• 1891 - Talk about your bad inning in Chicago. OF Pete Browning bunted into a triple play in the top of the sixth frame and then booted a ball to allow the game’s only run in the bottom half as Pittsburgh lost to the Chicago Colts 1-0.
• 1929 - The Boston Braves played their first Sunday home game in history. Apparently, they still considered it a day of rest as they lost to Pirates 7-2 before 35,000 fans. P Burleigh Grimes tossed a seven hitter and aided his own cause by starting a third inning triple play. Five Bucs had a pair of knocks each, and the Waner brothers, Paul and Lloyd, each tripled at Braves Field.
• 1935 - Pirate infielder Jose Pagan was born in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. After spending seven years with the Giants, the infielder played in Pittsburgh for the next eight seasons (1965-72). He was used in every position but pitcher and center field during his time here, and hit .263 as the Bucs super-sub. Pagan played four games in the 1971 series and doubled home the eventual winning run in the eighth inning of game #7.
• 1946 - Pittsburgh took two from the first place Brooklyn Dodgers, 5-4 in eleven innings and 4-3 in a six-inning game shortened by the Sunday curfew. The game drew an overflow crowd of 37,953. Some of the extra folk were given spots on the field behind ropes, and the teams combined for nine ground rule doubles that ended up swallowed by the sea of SRO fans at Forbes Field.
• 1958 - The Bucs were up by ten runs entering the final frame, but hung on by the a gnat's eyelash to claim an 11-10 win over the Giants. Pinch-hitter Don Taussig popped out with the bases loaded to end the game at San Francisco's Seals Stadium. The Giants sent a record six pinch hitters to the plate in the frame‚ and three scored. Don Gross, the fourth pitcher of the inning, got the save for Vern Law. The Pirate attack was led by RC Stevens and Frank Thomas, who both homered and combined for five RBI.
• 1987 - Behind four long balls, the Bucs defeated the Padres 10-8 at Jack Murphy Stadium. The four-baggers were smacked by Barry Bonds, Andy Van Slyke, RJ Reynolds and surprisingly, Rafael Belliard, his first career shot. Belliard had two hits and 3 RBI, and wouldn’t hit his second and final MLB homer until 1997. 
• 2003 - Matt Stairs hit a home run off Houston’s Wade Miller which was estimated to travel 461’, making it the longest drive in the history of Minute Maid Park. It was Pittsburgh’s only bright spot as the ‘Stros mauled Kris Benson on the way to an 8-1 victory. Miller carried a perfect game into the sixth until it was broken up by a one out Pokey Reese single and tossed an eight inning three hitter.