7/8 Games: Walk Off Granny, Brawlin'& Morganna, TRS' Wildest Ninth, Great Finishes and Game Stories...

• 1915 - Al Mamaux pitched a 2-0 shutout, his fifth of the year, over the Phils at the Baker Bowl. He struck out nine, and the Bucs tied a record by recording only two assists the entire game, both by 2B Jim Viox. Mamaux was tough at the end; the Phils loaded the bases with one out in the ninth on three singles, but a whiff and CF Eddie Collins running grab at the wall put it in the books.
• 1927 - Johnny Gooch’s two out single in the seventh was the only hit the Bucs got off the Cubs’ Charlie Root as he outdueled Lee Meadows for a 1-0 win at Forbes Field. Meadows scattered eight hits, and the only score he gave up was in the second, when 3B Pie Traynor threw wildly to first with two outs to allow Charlie Grimm to score from second base.

Jack Phillips 1952 Topps

• 1950 - The Bucs beat the Cards 7-6 at Forbes Field. The Pirates rallied in the ninth when pinch-hitter Jack Phillips' long fly ball just eluded Stan Musial’s leap, grazing off his glove at the 376’ mark and landing in the bullpen for a walk-off grand slam, his first ever. It was also the first time in major league history that a pinch-hit grand slam erased a three-run deficit to end a game. Ralph Kiner and Stan Rojek also homered for Pittsburgh.
• 1969 - Roberto Clemente homered over the 436’ mark in center at Forbes Field, his third hit of the day, in an 8-1 win over the Expos. Montreal was held to three hits by Steve Blass, while Roberto and Freddie Patek had three hits each for the Pirates.
• 1977 - The Bucs and Phils had a pair of bench-clearing to-dos after Mike Schmidt and Willie Stargell were beaned, with some added surrealism when Morgana “The Kissing Bandit” planted a smooch on John Candelaria. Pittsburgh won the literal and figurative slugfest 8-7, overcoming a 7-3, eighth inning deficit at TRS. The victory was anti-climatic; after tying the game in the eighth, the Pirates won when pinch hitter Jim Fregosi drew a bases-loaded, ninth inning walk off Warren Brusstar to earn the W for Pittsburgh and Goose Gossage. 

Bruce Kison & Mike Schmidt say hello (photo Associated Press)

• 1982 - The Reds rallied in the ninth at TRS to turn a 4-2 deficit into an 8-4 lead. The never say die Pirates answered with a two run homer by Willie Stargell and a bases clearing double by Jason Thompson to win in Cardiac Kid fashion 9-8. Dave Parker had three hits including a homer, and Bill Madlock also went long. Kent Tekulve was roughed up for three runs in 2/3 of an inning, but was credited with the win. Post Gazette writer Charlie Feeney called it “...the wildest ninth inning in the 13-year history of Three Rivers Stadium.”
• 2003 - The Bucs nosed the Brewers 8-7 in 10 innings at Miller Park to win their fifth game in six outings. Wes Helms hit a two run homer off Mike Williams in the ninth to sent the game to overtime; Jack Wilson answered with a two run shot in the tenth. It wasn’t quite done; John Vander Wal singled to left center with two out and two on in the Brew Crew half to chase a run home, but Geoff Jenkins was thrown out at third by Kenny Lofton to end the game. Matt Stairs and Jason Kendall had three hits. Stairs, Wilson and Lofton also homered.
• 2005 - Pittsburgh scored four times in the ninth to send the game into extras, then took a 6-5 win against the Mets in 10 frames at PNC Park. With two gone in the ninth, Tike Redman singled home a pair and Matt Lawton followed with a two bagger to tie it. Then Humberto Cota lined a knock to left after a pair were gone in the 10th, scoring Rob Mackowiak who had reached second on an error. The Mets were just a pitch away; both Redman and Cota’s hits came with two strikes.

Nate McLouth 2008 Topps e-topps

• 2008 - The Pirates tallied three times after two outs and the bases empty in the eighth to top the Houston Astros 4-3 at PNC Park. Adam LaRoche started with a homer, then a HBP, single and walk set up Nate McLouth. He dropped a liner into short right to plate Jose Bautista and Luis Rivas with the tying and winning runs. Damaso Marte saved the win for John Grabow.
• 2011 - Pinch hitter Mike McKenry broke a 4-4 tie with the Cubs in the eighth inning when he took an 0-2 pitch deep with two outs off Carlos Marmol for a three-run bomb to give the Bucs a 7-4 win at PNC Park. It was The Fort’s first MLB homer. The Bucs entered the All-Star break above the .500 mark for the first time since 1992.
• 2012 - The Pirates kept sole possession of first place in the NL Central for the last time with a 13-2 thumping of the Giants at PNC Park. Neil Walker went 5-for-5 with a double and home run, drove in a pair and scored four times; Andrew McCutchen homered twice while collecting three hits, four RBI and three runs while Casey McGehee added three knocks to give AJ Burnett his tenth win. It was also the club’s tenth win in the past twelve games. The elation was short-lived as the Bucs collapsed in the dog days...but at last, wait ‘til next year wasn’t an empty slogan.