9/14 Games: 200 Hit Mark, Mad Dog & Grave Digger Slams, Another Losing Year, Triple Play Day & More...

• 1916 - Hall of Famer Burleigh Grimes made his first MLB start for the Pirates, losing a 3-2 decision to the Brooklyn Superbas at Ebbets Field. He didn’t have a lot of help; LF Bill Hinchman lost a fly in the sixth and Honus Wagner muffed a DP ball in the same frame as Brooklyn scored twice. The Bucs tied it, but lost in the ninth on a two-out double by the opposing pitcher, Larry Cheney. Grimes finished his rookie campaign 2-3 but went on to win 270 games during his 19-year career. 
• 1925 - The Pirates snapped a losing streak of 7-of-8 games with a 9-4 win over the Brooklyn Robins at Forbes Field. Glenn Wright and George Grantham both went 3-for-4 and combined for a double, triple, three runs and three RBI to back Vic Aldridge’s win. The victory not only ended a dismal string, but launched the eventual World Championship club on a nine-game winning streak. 

Paul Waner 1936 Goudey

• 1936 - Paul Waner tied Rogers Hornsby's modern NL record by reaching 200 hits for the seventh time as the Bucs swept the Phils 11-4 and 6-5 at the Baker Bowl. Big Poison banged out his 200th knock in the opener and collected five hits during the twinbill. Bill Swift and Red Lucas earned complete game victories for Pittsburgh. Waner set the NL record with a 200+ hit season the following year, and that mark lasted until Pete Rose topped it in 1977 (he and Ichiro hold the record with 10). 
• 1957 - The Cubs split a doubleheader at Wrigley Field against the bonus baby O'Brien twins. In the opener‚ Eddie twirled a 3-1 complete game win, scattering six hits and fanning eight for his only MLB decision. In the nitecap‚ Johnny pitched one inning in relief and was charged with the loss‚ his last MLB decision (1-3 lifetime). Both played from 1953-58 for the Bucs, but they were infielders first, pitchers as an afterthought. 
• 1982 - Richie Hebner and Bill Madlock stroked grand slams to lead the Pirates to a 15-5 win over the Cubs at TRS. Mad Dog drove six runs home while Johnny Ray went 3-for-3 and scored three times with a RBI. The last pair of Bucs to hit grand salamis in the same game were Arky Vaughan and Earl Grace for the 1933 Bucs in a 10-0 romp over the Phils. 
• 2007 - The Bucs scored three times in the eighth to defeat the Astros 4-3 at Minute Maid Park as Jose Bautista bombed a two-run homer and Ronnie Paulino’s two-out single brought in Steve Pearce with the eventual game winner. But the play of the game was made by CF Nyjer Morgan, who took a circle route to run down Ty Wigginton’s two-out, bases-loaded blast in the third, kissing the wall as he made the grab to prevent Houston from running away and hiding early in the contest. 

Nyjer Morgan 2008 Topps Rookie

• 2011 - With a 3-2 loss to St. Louis, the Pirates extended their record streak of consecutive losing seasons to 19 straight years, adding to the longest in American professional sports history. And this was after leading the NL Central on July 20th! The streak would go on one more season until the playoff team of 2013 won 94 games. 
• 2014 - The Pirates were sleepwalking against the Cubs, losing 3-0 in the fourth with Chicago runners at first and second with no outs and ready to run away. Matt Szczur hit a hot shot to third; Josh Harrison gloved it, stepped on the bag and fired a bullet to second, where Neil Walker made a strong turn and got the ball to Andrew Lambo at first for a triple play. Two innings later, the Pirates were out of their stupor and ahead 6-3 on the way to a 7-3 victory at PNC Park. Neil Walker hit his 20th homer, breaking the Pirate single season mark for 2B held by Bill Mazeroski (19), set in 1958. Triple play trivia: it was first triple play turned by the Pirates since April 12th, 2009 at Cincy and the first ever turned by anyone at PNC Park. The last one in Pittsburgh was August 10th, 1993, vs. the Cardinals at TRS. There hadn't been a 5-4-3 around-the-horn triple play by the Bucs since July 23rd, 1979 (also at TRS), scored Bill Madlock to Phil Garner to Willie Stargell. It was the first TP that the Cubs hit into since May 14th, 2000, at Montreal. Walker, btw, would be involved in another triple play against St. Louis the following season.