8/13 Games: Roberto Hits 3, Kip Outduels Roger, Doppelganger, Hanlon's Debut & More...

• 1889 - Ned Hanlon won his managerial debut with the Alleghenys in a 9-0 thumping of the Beaneaters at Exposition Park. Pud Galvin tossed a five hitter for the first Pittsburgh win of the season against Boston, which had taken the previous 11 matches. Galvin added a pair of hits, including a triple, and Jocko Fields and Jack Rowe contributed two knocks.
• 1902 - The Bucs split a twinbill with the Boston Beaneaters at the South End Grounds. They lost the opener 8-6 when ace Jack Chesbro blew a four run lead in the eighth, giving up six scores. Tommy Leach doubled, homered and scored three times in a losing cause. They took the nightcap 6-1 behind Deacon Phillippe. Wid Conroy had three hits, while Honus Wagner and Jesse Tannehill added a pair of knocks. The Bucs tortured Boston C Pat Moran, stealing seven bases, including second, third and home by The Flying Dutchman.

Hans swiped 'em all (photo via MLB.com)

• 1910 - The Pirates and Brooklyn Superbas met at Washington Park for a twin bill, and the opener took 13 frames, with Pittsburgh coming out on top 3-2. All the scoring was in extra innings, with Babe Adams and Medicine Man Scanlon each giving up a tenth inning run. The next three frames were turned over to Deacon Phillippe and Nap Rucker. Pittsburgh pushed a pair of runs over the plate in the 13th. Tommy Leach scored when Dots Miller was walked with the bases jammed (after Honus Wagner had been intentionally walked to get to him), and Mike Flynn’s sac fly brought home Fred Clarke. Brooklyn fought back; Jake Daubert’s homer cut the lead to one and with two outs and a runner on, Jack Dalton drilled a ball deep to left, but Clarke ran it down. There was a lot more action in the nitecap, but it was called because of darkness with the score tied 8-8. According to Baseball Almanac, it may have been the most evenly played contest in baseball annals: Both teams finished the game with exactly eight runs, thirteen hits, thirty-eight at bats, five strikeouts, three walks, one hit batter, one passed ball, thirteen assists, twenty-seven putouts and two errors with two pitchers used.
• 1916 - The Pirates lost the opener of a twin bill against the Cards 9-8 at Robison Field. The Bucs scored eight runs in the first two innings of the nitecap, and while the Bucs rushed to get the game in‚ the Cards begin to dally in hopes of darkness arriving before the fifth inning. St. Louis stole 11 bases‚ while the Bucs added three as neither side contested the swipes, one hoping to move the game along and the other hoping to slow it down. The game went five frames in a 9-5 Buc win, but led to an eventual rule change. 1920 saw the genesis of today’s defensive indifference rule, as stolen bases would not be credited unless an effort was made to stop the runner.
• 1923 - The Bucs beat the Brooklyn Robins 5-2 at Ebbet’s Field. Charlie Grimm had three hits and two RBI, and Max Carey stole second, third and home to back Lee Meadow’s four hitter.

Charlie Grimm 1923 (photo Bain News Service/Library of Congress)

• 1930 - The Pirates won their fourth game in row, scoring exactly eight runs in each, by dropping the Philadelphia Phillies 8-4 at Forbes Field. Paul Waner had three hits and a homer, while pitcher Ray Kremer also went yard.
• 1950 - The Pirates took a twin bill from the Chicago Cubs by 7-4 and 2-0 scores at Forbes Field. The Bucs rode a six run fifth inning to victory in the opener. Gus Bell had three hits, including two doubles, while Ralph Kiner (#200) and Danny O’Connell homered. Cliff Chambers went the distance for the win. Mel Queen was the story in the nitecap, tossing a complete game five hitter with 11 K. Johnny Hopp went 4-for-4 and was a homer shy of the cycle.
• 1953 - The Pirates fell behind three times but overcame the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 at Forbes Field when Hal Rice’s eighth inning fly scored Cal Abrams with the game winner. Frank Thomas had a pair of solo homers to back Lefty LaPalme’s pitching. For the Bucs, it was a rare bright spot. The victory was their only win in a dozen game stretch.

Frank Thomas 1953 Topps Archives

• 1958 - Though nicked by three-run pinch-hit homers off the bats of Rip Repulski and Bob Bowman‚ the Pirates nosed the Phils 10-9 at Connie Mack Stadium for their seventh straight victory. Roberto Clemente had two homers (his first ever multi-homer game), Maz added one more‚ and Ted Kluszewski doubled and tripled.
• 1969 - Roberto Clemente hit three homers for the second time in his career to lead the Bucs to a 10-5 win over the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. He had four hits, four RBI and four runs to back Jim Bunning’s win, saved by Bob Moose.
• 2003 - Pittsburgh scored twice in the eighth to take the lead, then the Cards came back to tie it 5-5 in the ninth at PNC Park. But with two away and the bases empty in their half, Pittsburgh, thanks to some off-the-book strategy by Tony LaRussa, walked away with the win. After two routine outs, Jason Kendall doubled, and St. Louis intentionally walked both Brian Giles and Reggie Sanders to load the bases for Randall Simon. Simon fell behind Pedro Borbon 0-2, then shot a single through the left side to plate Kendall with the game winner. Craig Wilson had a big day, too, with a pair of homers.

Craig Wilson 2002 Fleer Platinum

• 2005 - Kip Wells dueled Roger Clemens at Minute Maid Park as the Bucs nosed the Astros 1-0. The game eventually became a battle of the bullpens, and Jack Wilson’s ninth inning, 0-2 count homer off Brad Lidge was the difference. Salomon Torres claimed the win, saved by Jose Mesa.
• 2007 - Paul Maholm tossed a three hit complete game to lead the Bucs past the Giants 3-1 at PNC Park. The big blow was a two out, two run double by Jose Castillo off San Francisco’s Matt Cain in the first inning on an 0-2 pitch. The win was in the opener of a twilight doubleheader and pushed the Bucs winning streak to four, which ended with a 10-3 whipping in the second game.