6/23: Casey, Hall Outdoes Spahn, Willie Whacks Three, Denny, Jason Kendall, Extra Inning Shootout & More...

Casey, Hall Outdoes Spahn, Willie Whacks Three, Denny, Jason Kendall, Extra Inning Shootout & More...

• 1890 - 2B Harry and SS John Gilbert became the first brothers to play together for a major league Pittsburgh club when they manned the middle at the Philadelphia Baseball Grounds against the Phillies. The Alleghenys split the twin bill, with Harry going 2-for-8 and John 0-for-8, and they turned a DP in each game. They never teamed up professionally again; that doubleheader was the only time either one of the Pottstown brothers played at the MLB level. 
• 1900 - RHP Bill Harris was born in Wylie, Texas. He tossed for the Bucs from 1931-34, with a record of 16-15-7 and a 3.45 ERA. Harris earned 257 minor league wins between 1921 and 1945, including two no-hitters. 
• 1919 - The the Bucs won their fifth game in a row, 3-2 over the SL Cardinals at Robison Park. Casey Stengel was the man of the hour, hitting a two run homer in the sixth and then making a game-saving catch in the bottom half to back Frank Miller’s complete game effort. 

Casey Stengel - uncredited 1919 newspaper clipping

1930 - Bucco pitchers Heinie Meine and Leon Chagnon gave up twelve consecutive hits during the sixth inning in a 19-6 loss to the Brooklyn Robins at Forbes Field, tying the record for most consecutive hits allowed.

1953 - The Pirates defeated Hall-of-Fame pitcher Warren Spahn and the Braves at County Stadium, 1-0. Spahn, who would be named the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year after the season, struck out 12 batters and surrendered just two hits. Bucco outfielder Carlos Bernier delivered the game-winner, a two-out single in the eighth inning that scored Preston Ward, who had walked. RHP Bob Hall tossed a six-hit shutout to outgun Spahn and Milwaukee. 

1954 - The Bucs broke St. Louis’ Harvey Haddix’s string of 37 straight shutout innings when Preston Ward drove home Dick Cole in the sixth, but were left in the dust at Forbes Field by the Cards 7-1. 

1961 - The Phillies scored four times in the eighth and added six more runs in the ninth to stun the Pirates 12-11 at Forbes Field. Three errors led to four of the late runs as Clem Labine, ElRoy Face and Earl Francis couldn’t shut the gates on the Phils. 

1965 - Willie Stargell mashed three homers to lead the Pirates to a 13-3 beatdown of LA at Dodger Stadium. After dingers in his first three at bats, Pops lined a shot off the outfield railing for a double; he was a foot away from his fourth long fly of the day. 

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Willie Stargell - Topps 1989 All-Star Commemorative series

• 1995 - Denny Neagle won a duel with Pedro Martinez as the Bucs beat the Expos 2-0 at Olympic Stadium. Neagle surrendered just a pair of hits, with Mark Johnson and Nelson Liriano bringing home the Bucco runs.
• 2004 - Pittsburgh beat the Astros 7-2 at Minute Maid Park on the strength of a two out grand slam by Jason Kendall in the seventh off David Weathers. 
• 2005 - The Pirates jumped out to an 11-2 lead over the Cards and held on to take an 11-7 win. Humberto Cota led the way with three RBI, two on sac flies, but St. Louis was its own worst enemy, committing three errors and allowing Pittsburgh seven unearned runs at Busch Stadium. 
• 2013 - It ain’t over ‘til it’s over. Angel pitchers had sat down 16 straight Pirates and went into the ninth with a 6-3 lead at Angel Stadium with closer Ernesto Frieri on the hill. But the battlin’ Bucs tied the game on a double by Russell Martin and single by Starling Marte, both with two strikes and two outs. Then they scored four more in the tenth. But LA decided to not mail it in; they scored three times in their half off Bucco closer Jason Grilli and had runners on second and third with two out and Mike Trout up; Grilli got him swinging. Martin and Andrew McCutchen were scheduled for off days, but played the last two innings, going a combined 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI. It was also the MLB debut for a pair of Pirate rookies, C Tony Sanchez, who doubled in his first at bat, and RHP Duke Welker, who worked a frame and got his first big league punch out. It was a series sweep for the Pirates, their first road interleague sweep ever.