9/4: Streak Snapped; Gill's Boner; Vern Law's Comeback; Lee's Debut; Harvey's No-No Deleted

• 1890 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys snapped a 23 game losing streak and a stretch where the club lost 33-of-34 games with a 6-2 win over the Cleveland Spiders. It didn’t do much to turn the season around; the dropped 20 of the last 23 games to finish 23-113. From July 3rd (when they had their final winning streak of the year of three in a row), they were 6-66.
• 1908 - With two outs and the Pirates-Cubs in a scoreless 10th inning tie at Exposition Park, Chief Wilson singled to center with the bases juiced, scoring Fred Clarke with the winning run. Warren Gill, on first base, saw Clarke score, and jogged to the dugout before touching second. The Cubs' Johnny Evers tagged second base, and claimed a run preventing force out on Gill. The lone umpire, Hank O'Day, had already left the field and the Cubs protested the game to no avail. Three weeks later on September 23rd, Evers did get a force call in roughly the same situation against the NY Giants’ Fred Merkle, and that play became forever known as “Merkle’s Boner.” Ironically, O’Day was the ump for that game, too.

Warren Gill was almost the original Merkle (photo 1908 team photo)

• 1916 - The Pirates swept the Cards at Forbes Field behind some stellar pitching. Frank Miller threw a four hit whitewash in the opener, winning 7-0 as the Redbirds shot themselves in the foot, with four errors leading to three unearned runs. Wilbur Cooper followed with his own four hit shutout, taking a 2-0 decision. Carson Bigbee went 3-for-4 day with an RBI, double and stolen base while Cooper drove in the other run.
• 1965 - Vernon Law was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for a story of the same name. He won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award that season with a 17-9/2.15 slash in 29 games.
• 1971 - The Bucs mishandled five balls, but still won 7-6 over the Montreal Expos in 11 innings at TRS. The Expos clanked four the same night as six of the 13 runs scored were unearned. The Bucs won on an oddball rally. Rennie Stennett singled and went to second when Gene Clines was HBP by Mike Marshall. Marshall picked Stennett off second, and during the same at-bat, had Clines picked off first, but Ron Fairly mishandled the throw. Instead of being out, Clines ended up on second where he scored the winning run on Vic Davalillo’s knock.

Gene Clines 1973 Topps series

• 1976 - The Pirates put up three runs in the ninth, then held off the Expos 5-3 at Parc Jarry for their 10th straight win. The Bucs ninth inning was sparked by a two run hit from Omar Moreno, who later scored on a wild pitch. Kent Tekulve gave up a score in the ninth and faced the tying run in Larry Parrish, but retired the slugger on a fly to center to pick up a save for Dave Giusti’s win. Montreal had 13 hits, but were thwarted by four DP balls.
• 1978 - In his first major league at-bat, Dorian “Doe” Boyland struck out while sitting on the bench. The Pirate rookie was yanked with a 1-2 count after the Mets made a pitching change in the seventh frame, replacing Skip Lockwood with Kip Kobel. Pinch hitter Rennie Stennett took Boyland’s place in the box as Chuck Tanner played the match-up game, and completed the K by watching strike three during the first game of a Bucco 7-4, 7-0 doubleheader sweep at TRS. The victories put the Bucs one game out of first. They would finish the year in second, 1-½ games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.

Dorian "Doe" Boyland 1978 Topps series

• 1982 - Lee Tunnell got his first MLB start as a replacement for John Candelaria (his shoulder was tight), and took full advantage. Tunnell outpitched Fernando Valenzuela in a 1-0 win over Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium as Lee Lacy’s first inning homer stood as the game’s only score. Tunnell left in the eighth with a blister; Rod Scurry and Kent Tekulve finished up.
• 1991 - The Bucs won their eighth of nine games by defeating the SF Giants 8-3 at Candlestick Park. John Smiley won his 17th as Steve Buechele and Andy Van Slyke homered and Don Slaught went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
• 1991 - The MLB Committee For Statistical Accuracy deleted Harvey Haddix’s 12 inning perfect game from the list of perfectos while removing the asterisk from Roger Maris’ 61 homer year.