7/17 Games: Dock's 14 In-A-Row, Kiner's 1.000,The Ol' Hidden Ball, Duels, Blasts & Game Stories

• 1888 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys lost 2-0 to the Philadelphia Quakers, dropping a three-game set at Exposition Park by 1-0, 1-0 and 2-0 counts. The middle game was the most exciting when a ninth-inning hit-and-run single followed by an unpopular safe call at third led to the game’s only run. The Pittsburg Press described it this way: “ …the umpiring...looked to be decidedly against the locals in the ninth inning. Twice it looked like Andrews (Quaker CF Ed Andrews who scored the game winner) was out. The first time on strikes (and)...again in deciding him safe at third when Billy Kuehne (Alleghenys’ 3B) had touched him fully two feet from the base. It looked as though another serious mistake had been made in favor of the visitors by the tenth man...There is little wonder that the indignation of the crowd knew no bounds but let it be said to its credit no act of violence was done.” For his part, the ump was indignant at the fans’ reaction and said he called the game in good faith while Philly manager Harry Wright claimed the “locals had no business to kick.” The Alleghenys straightened up and flew right afterward, going on to win 11-of-13 after the series while averaging 5-½ runs per game. 
• 1890 - For the first time, two 300-game winners were opponents as Tim Keefe of the Giants faced Pittsburgh's Jim 'Pud' Galvin in a Players League (which was eventually considered a major league) match-up. New York easily beat the Burghers, 8-2. O’Keefe did his part, tossing a four hitter (The Pittsburg Press said “the wonder is that the Pittsburgs were allowed to score at all.”) while Pud was rattled for a dozen knocks. 

Babe Adams 1915 Cracker Jack

• 1914 - In one of the great pitching duels of early baseball, Babe Adams lost to the Giants Rube Marquard 3-1 in 21 innings at Forbes Field. Babe surrendered 12 hits without a walk; it’s the longest outing without a free pass in MLB history. NY’s Larry Doyle's inside-the-park home run was the spoiler. The key play was when Honus Wagner was called out for interference in the sixth inning. He slid into third and headed home when the ball disappeared from view; it ended up tucked in his uniform, as Wagner was, per the Pittsburg Press “...trying to hide a ball and score off the trick.” Hans plated, but ump Lord Byron rung him up for the old hidden ball trick. As the Press reported “...the decision caused a mighty howl, which was participated in by many of the players and by Manager Fred Clarke, who applied a flow of profanity to the umpire, which was anything but pleasing to the disgusted spectators. Clarke’s language on this occasion...will not win ball games.” The Pirates appealed to the league with no success. 
• 1952 - Ralph Kiner hit a two run shot in the ninth to walk off the Phils at Forbes Field by a 4-2 count. He also joined the 1,000 hit club; he would end his career with 1,451 knocks. The blast off Karl Drews made a winner out of Ted Wilks, who tossed a scoreless ninth in relief of Woody Main. 
• 1966 - The Pirates swept a twinbill from San Francisco at Forbes Field 7-4 and 7-1 to vault over the Giants into first place behind the pitching of Steve Blass and Tommie Sisk. Matty Alou and Donn Clendenon collected four hits during the DH, with Clendenon homering. It was a wild race that year. The Bucs would finish third with a 92-70 slate, three games behind the Dodgers. 

Roberto Clemente 1970 Topps

• 1970 - Roberto Clemente led the Bucs to a 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Forbes Field with three hits, a double short of the cycle. He tripled and scored the tying run in the sixth, homered for the eventual game winner in the eighth, and threw out Tommy Helms at the plate in the ninth to preserve the victory. 
• 1971 - Dock Ellis won his 14th straight decision by a by a 9-2 count over the Padres at TRS with Bob Robertson’s three run homer giving him all the runs he needed. Dock’s next outing would be a no decision before the Dodgers ended his streak. It’s still the franchise mark for most consecutive games won before the All-Star break. 
• 1999 - In a wild 13-10 win over the Cleveland Indians at TRS, Kevin Young homered twice to drive in five runs and Al Martin also went yard two times to plate three more. The teams combined to bang out 32 hits and together burned through 13 pitchers during the game. 

Kevin Young 1999 Upper Deck

• 2003 - The Brewers and Bucs exchanged grand slams in a 7-5 Milwaukee win at PNC Park. Ex-Bucco John Vander Wal clocked a first inning salami off Kris Benson; Craig Wilson pounded a pinch hit grannie in the fifth off Wayne Franklin. 
• 2004 - Pittsburgh scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to rally past the Florida Marlins 4-2 at PNC Park. Tike Redman and Jack Wilson had RBI knocks in the frame, while Tony Alvarez added a sac fly. Salomon Torres got the win; Jose Mesa the save. 
• 2009 - It took the Bucs 14 innings, but they ended a streak of seven losses in eight games going into the All-Star break with a 2-1 win over the Giants. Garrett Jones homered off Bob Lowry at PNC Park for the walk-off winner; he also brought in the first run with a long ball of Tim Lincecum. The pitching duel, begun by Paul Maholm and Lincecum, featured 13 pitchers between the two clubs, with Evan Meek getting the win. 

Starling Marte 2016 Topps Bunt

• 2016 - Starling Marte went boom against ex-Bucco Ollie Perez in the 18th inning to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 win over Washington at Nationals Park; he had chased home Adam Frazier in the sixth with the Pirates first run. The Pirates took the 1-0 lead into the ninth in a duel between Chad Kuhl and Max Scherzer, but Daniel Murphy homered off Mark Melancon with two outs and two strikes to set up some bonus baseball. The Bucs almost ended it in the 16th when Josh Harrison doubled, but speed-challenged C Eric Kratz was cut down at home. The two clubs burned through 17 pitchers with Jon Niese getting the win.