8/12 TRS-PNC Era: Little Bats Come Up Big - Barmes, Phelps, Osik; Strike; Ouchie & More...

• 1977 - Mets’ 2B Felix Millan suffered a broken collarbone compliments of Pirate catcher Ed Ott during a 6-5 Pirate victory at TRS‚ ending Millan's 12-year MLB career. Ott took out Milan on a hard slide into second, Milan responded with a shot to Ott’s face, and the Pirate catcher body slammed him. As for the game, the back end of a twin bill, the Bucs won in the 12th when Duffy Dyer chased home Rennie Stennett with two outs after a single and steal. Phil Garner had three hits and a homer in the win, which went to Larry Demery, who tossed two-hit ball over four innings. The opener was hard fought, too, with Jim Rooker hurling the Bucs to a 3-2 win while driving in two runs in the second with a two-out, bases loaded single after the Mets walked Dyer to get to him.
• 1987 - The Pirates had it all going against the first-place Cards at TRS, winning 11-0. Bob Walk tossed a complete game four-hitter. Johnny Ray had three hits, the team banged out four doubles, and Andy Van Slyke collected his 500th MLB knock. Every Pirate but Barry Bonds scored and/or drove in a run and all but Junior Ortiz had a hit, including Walk. The shutout snapped the Cardinals’ 145-game streak without being shut out, which was five short of the modern NL mark set by the 1924-25 Pirates.

Bob Walk 1988 Donruss

• 1988 - Jose Tabata was born in El Tigre, Venezuela. JT came over from the Yankees in a 2008 trade featuring Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte, and since 2010 has been in the show with various degrees of success after a promising rookie campaign, hampered by a variety of leg injuries and unfulfilled expectations. He signed a deal that ran from 2011-16 with three option years that the front office rather quickly regretted. He was traded to the Dodger for Michael Morse during the 2015 deadline period.
• 1991 - Barry Bonds drove in four runs with a pair of two-run homers, including a dramatic 11th inning walk-off blast against Lee Smith to rally the Bucs to victory against the Cards 4-3 at TRS. Bob Patterson was the winner thanks to Bond’s big night.
• 1994 - In 1994 the post-season and the last 50 games or so of the season were cancelled due to a player's strike called by the MLBPA, led by Don Fehr and spurred by the owners’ desire for a hard salary cap. The World Series wasn’t played for the first time in 90 years. In the off-season, the owners declared an impasse and attempted to implement their own rules. The strike was ended by a ruling from US District Court judge Sonia Sotomayor, at the end of March 1995, just as the owners were prepared to start the season by using replacement players. She kept the old collective bargaining agreement in place until a new one could be reached. It led to a deal, and though the 1995 season was cut by approximately 20 games, ball games did begin again at the end of April. Ironically, the umpires decided to go on strike just as the union and owners settled their dispute, so the 1995 season opened with regular players, but replacement umpires, per BR Bullpen.

• 1995 - The Dodgers defeated the Pirates‚ 11-10‚ in 11 innings thanks to a brain cramp from a rookie. With the winning run at 3rd base‚ Mitch Webster of the Dodgers swung at a pitch in the dirt to whiff. C Angelo Encarnacion (his real first name was Eleutero) blocked the ball and then for some reason picked it up with his mask. LA manager Tommy Lasorda charged out of the dugout and appealed‚ citing a rule which awarded a runner two bases if a fielder intentionally uses his mask to touch a thrown ball. He was right and the winning run jogged home.
• 2000 - The Bucs rode the bat of Aramis Ramirez to down the Arizona D-Backs 9-6 at TRS. A-Ram went 3-for-4 with a homer and double, driving in five runs. He was helped by Jason Kendall who added two hits, including a home run to earn Scott Sauerbeck the win, overcoming three Snake long balls. The victory came during a rough stretch; the Pirates had lost the previous three games and would go on to lose the next four.
• 2001 - Pittsburgh scored three times in the eighth and once again in the ninth to snatch a 7-6 win away from the San Diego Padres at PNC Park. Light hitting Keith Osik had a big day, going 3-for-4 and driving in four runs, including the game-tying knock in the eighth. Aramis Ramirez homered in the ninth off Rodney Myers to give Josias Manzanillo the win.

Josias Manzanillo (photo Todd Warshaw Allsports/Getty)

• 2007 - Tom Gorzelanny fired a five-hitter and Josh Phelps drove in four runs with a homer and triple to lead the Bucs to a 5-0 win over the SF Giants at AT&T Park.
• 2012 - Clint Barmes' first career grand slam was the key blow in a nine-run fourth inning while Neil Walker went 5-for-5 as the Pirates roared past San Diego 11-5 at PNC Park. The Bucs sent 14 batters to the dish in the fourth, their biggest inning since 2010. It ended an 11 game home losing streak to the Padres the day after the Bucs blew a six-run lead to lose 9-8 to SD, prompting Clint Hurdle to say "We kind of felt we got slapped by our girlfriend in front of our mother..." Erik Bedard won over former Pirate Ross Ohlendorf.