7/8 - Rally Day

Zippo, free balls, All-Star smash, Bob Kipper, Josh Harrison, late rallies galore...

• 1915 - Al Mamaux pitched a 2-0 shutout, his fifth of the year, over the Phils at the Baker Bowl. He struck out nine. The Bucs tied a record by recording only two assists the entire game, both by 2B Jim Viox. 
• 1921 - A ruling by the City of Pittsburgh allowed fans to keep balls hit into the stands in Forbes Field. Robert Alderdice‚ the Director of Public Safety, made the call following threatened lawsuits against police who arrested three fans for refusing to return balls. 
• 1927 - Johnny Gooch’s two out single in the seventh was the only hit the Bucs got off the Cubs’ Charlie Root as he outdueled Lee Meadows for a 1-0 win at Forbes Field. Meadows scattered eight hits, and the only score he gave up was in the second, when 3B Pie Traynor threw wildly to first with two outs to allow Charlie Grimm to score the game’s only run from second base. 
• 1941 - At Detroit's Briggs Stadium, SS Arky Vaughan became the first player to hit two home runs in an All-Star Game, cracking a pair of two-run homers in the National League's 7-5 loss. 
• 1950 - The Bucs beat the Cards 7-6 at Forbes Field. The Pirates rallied in the ninth when pinch-hitter Jack Phillips' long fly ball just eluded Stan Musial’s leap, grazing off his glove at the 376’ mark and landing in the bullpen for a walk-off grand slam. Ralph Kiner and Stan Rojek also homered for Pittsburgh. 
•  1964 - Bob Kipper was born in Aurora, Illinois. The lefty tossed for seven seasons (1985-91) for the Bucs. He spent his first three years as a starter and then was converted to the pen. Kipper went 24-33-11/4.34 with the Pirates, appearing 195 times in his last four seasons and was part of Jim Leyland’s 1991 NLCS club. 
• 1969 - Roberto Clemente homered over the 436’ mark in center at Forbes Field, his third hit of the day, in an 8-1 win over the Expos. Montreal was held to three hits by Steve Blass. 
• 1982 - The Reds rallied in the ninth at TRS to turn a 4-2 deficit into an 8-4 lead. The never say die Pirates answered with a two run homer by Willie Stargell and a bases clearing double by Jason Thompson to win in Cardiac Kid fashion 9-8. 
• July 8, 1987 - Josh Harrison was born in Cincinnati. The utility guy has been up-and-down with the Bucs for the past three seasons after coming over in the John Grabow/Tom Gorzelanny deal with the Cubs in 2009.
• 2003 - The Bucs nosed the Brewers 8-7 in 10 innings at Miller Park to win their fifth game in six outings. Wes Helms hit a two run homer off Mike Williams in the ninth to sent the game to overtime; Jack Wilson answered with a two run shot in the tenth. It wasn’t quite done; Milwaukee's John Vander Wal singled to left center with two out and two on in the home half to chase a run home, but Geoff Jenkins was thrown out at third by Kenny Lofton to end the game. Matt Stairs and Jason Kendall had three hits. Stairs, Wilson and Lofton also homered.
• 2005 - Pittsburgh scored four times in the ninth to send the game into overtime, then took a 6-5 win against the Mets in 10 frames at PNC Park. With two gone in the ninth, Tike Redman singled home a pair and Matt Lawton followed with a two bagger to tie it. After a pair were gone in the 10th, Humberto Cota lined a knock to left, scoring Rob Mackowiak, who had reached second on an error. The Mets were just a pitch away; both Redman and Cota’s hits came with two strikes.
• 2008 - The Pirates scored three times after two outs and the bases empty in the eighth to top the Houston Astros 4-3 at PNC Park. Adam LaRoche started with a homer, then a HBP, single and walk set up Nate McLouth. He dropped a liner into short right to plate the tying and winning runs. Damaso Marte saved the win for John Grabow. 
• 2011 - Pinch hitter Mike McKenry broke a 4-4 tie with the Cubs in the eighth inning when he took an 0-2 pitch deep with two outs off Carlos Marmol for a three run bomb to give the Bucs a 7-4 win at PNC Park. It was The Fort’s first MLB homer. 
• 2012 - The Pirates kept sole possession of first place in the NL Central for the last time with a 13-2 thumping of the Giants at PNC Park. Neil Walker went 5-for-5 with a double and home run, drove in a pair and scored four times; Cutch homered twice while collecting three hits, four RBI and three runs and Casey McGehee added three knocks to give AJ Burnett his tenth win. It was also the club’s tenth win in the past twelve games.