5/11: Frankie Debuts, Rip's B-Day, 11-In-a-Row, Bell Ringer, Smokin' Cy & More...

• 1907 - RHP Truett Banks “Rip” Sewall was born in Decatur, Alabama. Sewall was the creator of the “ol’ eephus” blooper pitch, and in twelve seasons (1931-42) with the Pirates went 143-97/3.48, winning 21 games twice and selected as a member of three NL All-Star teams. Rip had pretty good baseball bloodlines as three of his cousins, Luke, Joe, and Tommy Sewell, also played in the show. 
• 1915 - Pittsburgh Rebel OF Jim Kelly bopped the first pitch of the game for a leadoff homer over the wall in left to defeat the Buffalo Blues’ (aka Bisons) Fred Anderson at Federal League Park 1-0. RHP Clint Rogge tossed the shutout for Pittsburgh. 
• 1937: Cy Blanton fired a five-hit shutout as the Pirates beat Boston, 3-0, to increase their winning streak to four games. It was Blanton’s third complete game and second shutout of the year as he would go on to be named to the NL All-Star team for the only time in his Pirate career. He recorded a career-high 143 strikeouts and compiled a 14-12-4/3.30 slash in his standout season. 

Cy Blanton - The Sporting News Conlon Collection/Getty Images

• 1953 - A tornado demolished the Class B Waco Pirates’ Katy Field, also destroying its equipment and offices. The damage was so complete that Pittsburgh’s Big State League club had to finish the season playing its games in Laredo, returning to Waco the following season after the field was rebuilt. 
• 1956 - Danny Kravitz hit a walk-off grand slam, his first and only MLB granny, off Jack Meyer in the ninth to give the Pirates a 6-5 win over Philadelphia at Forbes Field. Dale Long added three hits as Luis Arroyo won the game that Vern Law started. 
• 1957 - Roberto Clemente hit an inside the park homer that went under the batting cage 457’ away at Forbes Field before CF Richie Ashburn could (almost literally) dig it out. The Phils, 7-2 winners, protested at the time, but the umps ruled that there was no ground rule to cover the situation and the home run stood, with Philadelphia’s win making it a moot point. The Great One lined his four bagger off future teammate Harvey Haddix. 
• 1958 - Bob Porterfield, newly acquired from the Red Sox, won a duel with Curt Simmons at Forbes Field to take a 1-0 win over the Phils. RC Stevens drove home Dick Groat in the 11th inning for the walk-off win. It was a twin bill sweep as the Bucs won the opener 10-4 behind Bob Friend, who survived back-to-back first inning homers. Bob Skinner doubled, scored three runs and drove in a pair. Ted Kluszewski homered with three RBI, Frank Thomas drove in three more, Dick Groat tripled and scored three runs while Roberto Clemente had a double, triple, and plated a pair. 

Bob Porterfield - Virginia Sports Hall of Fame photo

• 1962 - The Reds' Joey Jay and Al McBean matched zeroes for nine innings at Crosley Field. The Bucs scored twice in the tenth with two outs on knocks by Dick Groat and Bob Skinner, but it wasn’t enough. They fell 3-2 when Frank Robinson singled home Joe Gaines with two away off Elroy Face for the Cincy comeback win. 
• 1977 - The Bucs beat the Braves 2-1 at TRS to stretch their winning streak to 11 games. John Candelaria left runners at second and third in the ninth with two down for Goose Gossage, who K’ed Rowland Office to save the win. The Candy Man was saved by a big hop; Darrel Chaney’s PH, final frame drive to left center hopped over the wall with Pat Rockett at first, and he would have scored easily if the ball had stayed in play. Dave Parker extended his hitting streak to 22 games with two knocks, including a homer. Atlanta, which lost its 17th straight to Pittsburgh, had owner Ted Turner serving as manager. All the streaks ended the next day as the Buccos lost, Parker was shut down by Max Leon & Rick Camp, and Turner named third base coach Vern Benson manager until Dave Bristol returned a day later. 

John Candelaria - 1977 Sports Illustrated photo

• 1993 - Ding dong: In the top of the seventh, Jay Bell led off the inning by grounding out to Phillies' shortstop Juan Bell. The Pirate infielder was rung up by first base umpire Wally Bell. The Pirates chimed in with an 8-4 victory at Veterans Stadium. 
• 1999 - Down 15-8 to the Astros in the 8th‚ Gene Lamont put C Keith Osik on the hill at the Astrodome. He walked two‚ K’ed one‚ hit a batter and gave up two hits, allowing four runs in his inning. Houston belted out 10 doubles against five Pirate hurlers, with two off Osik. 
• 2013 - After sitting out with an off-season broken arm, Francisco Liriano got plenty of help in winning his first game as a Pirate, an 8-2 victory over the NY Mets at CitiField. He lasted 5-⅓ innings and whiffed nine, supported by Jose Tabata’s 4-for-5 day with a homer, double, three runs scored and three driven home. Mike McKenry chipped in with three more RBI and Jordy Mercer banged out a pair of solo homers.