8/8 Games: Sweeps, Brain 3-Baggers, Do-It-All Dickson, Veale Ks, King Shots, Game Stories

• 1893 - Pittsburgh swept a DH from the Chicago Colts 17-10 and 9-8 at Exposition Park. George Van Haltren, Denny Lyons and Joe Sugden (2B & 3B) each had three hits in the opener to give Ad Gumbert the win. In the nitecap, the Colts scored three times in the ninth to go up by four; the Pirates answered with a five spot, keyed by Lyons, who tripled with the bases loaded to tie the game and then scored the winning run. Lyons had six hits on the day. Red Ehret, who went the distance, got the victory. The fans were into the comeback victory; per the Pittsburg Press “Not at Exposition Park this year has there been such a scone of excitement and enthusiasm...Lyon’s hit (the ninth inning triple in the second game) caused the wildest scene ever seen here for many a day. There were nearly 6,000 people and they all stood up and yelled themselves hoarse. Hats were flying in all directions.” The crowd had been stirred up by Colt manager Cap Anson, who after Chicago took the lead “...indulge(d) in some very jeering talk” per the Press, and then got to enjoy eating his own words as a post-game snack. One final note: parks were not quite so well manicured back in the day. BR Bullpen noted that “Sam Dungan of Pittsburgh start(ed) the (second) game against Chicago by scoring from first base as George Van Haltren's wild throw rolled into a rat hole under the grandstand.” 

Denny Lyons (photo via NY Public Library)

• 1905 - Second baseman Dave Brain, who hit three triples in a game for St. Louis against the Pirates earlier in the season, repeated the performance against Boston after being traded to Pittsburgh, becoming the only player to triple-triple twice in one season. Pittsburgh defeated the Beaneaters 5-4 in 10 innings at Exposition Park, with Mike Lynch getting the win in relief of Sam Leever. Brain, who went 4-for-5, had the game winning knock, a single to score Tommy Leach. Davy had quite the day; the Pittsburg Gazette wrote “Not only did Brain bat well, but he fielded in fine style, and some of the plays made by him were decidedly sensational.” 1905 was his only year with Pittsburgh; he hit .257 as a 3B/SS. 
• 1922 - The Pirates lined, drilled, dribbled and blooped a major league record 46 hits during a doubleheader sweep against the Phillies at Shibe Park. Bucco SS Rabbit Maranville made a record 13 plate appearances during the day. The team had 27 knocks, a franchise record, in their 19-8 rout in the opener. Reb Russell went 5-for-5 with a homer, two doubles, five runs and seven RBI while Cotton Tierney had four hits, scored five runs and drove in five. Tierney went 4-for-5 in the nitecap with four RBI and Russell doubled three times as the Bucs banged out 19 hits in a 7-3 brooming. Tierney and Russell each recorded eight hits during the twin bill. 
• 1952 - Murry Dickson did it all for the Bucs. He pitched a ten inning, six hit 1-0 shutout against the Cubs at Forbes Field and drove in the game’s only run. Joe Garagiola led off the tenth with a single, and Brandy Davis, who had just been called up from Waco and didn’t arrive at the park until 7:30, was sent in to pinch run. A grounder moved him up a station, and with two down, Dickson hit a ball toward the SS hole. Roy Smalley made a diving stop to knock the ball down, but that didn’t slow down the speedster Davis who sprinted home from second on the infield knock. 

Brandy Davis (photo via Out of the Park Baseball)

• 1964 - Bob Veale struck out 11 batters and tossed a complete game as the Pirates beat the Cubs 5-2 at Forbes Field. The Cubs scored twice in the first inning before Big Bob shut the door and let the offense do its thing. Bob Bailey put the Pirates ahead in the fifth inning with a three-run homer while Gene Freese provided the coup d’ grace in the sixth with a two-run blast. 
• 1969 - Manny Sanguillen was a homer shy of the cycle and scored three times as he led the Pirates to a 7-1 win over the Padres at San Diego Stadium. The Roadrunner was on a roll, going 13 for his last 26. Willie Stargell added a double and two RBI. Bob Veale gave up 11 hits but struck out 10 Friars for the win. 
• 1995 - Orlando Merced, Jeff King and Midre Cummings hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the second inning against the Giants at Candlestick Park, the first time a trio of Bucs had turned that feat in 25 years. King also become the first Bucco to homer twice in the same inning since 1894 when he went yard off Sergio Valdez and Terry Mulholland in the second frame, a feat he’d match again the next season. The Pirates won by a tally of 9-5. 

Jeff King 1995 Flair

• 2008 - The Bucs took a 2-0, 12-inning win from the Phils at Citizens Bank Park. Steve Pearce’s double and Freddy Sanchez’s two-out infield knock plated the Pittsburgh runs. Craig Hansen got the save for TJ Beam in dramatic fashion. LF Brandon Moss ran down Chase Utley’s opposite field gapper and his relay doubled Shane Victorino off first to end the game. Six Pirate pitchers allowed just a half-dozen hits, tho nine walks led to a dozen stranded Phils. 
• 2011 - The Pirates snapped a 10-game losing streak by beating the Giants 5-0 at AT&T Park. Charlie Morton threw a six-hitter with ninth inning help from Jose Veras while Garrett Jones’ 4-for-5 day was the highlight of the Buc attack. The streak took the Bucs from five games above .500 to five below, puncturing both their playoff hopes and a shot at finishing with a winning record.