7/26 From the 50s Forward: Jerry Meals Game; Starling's 1st-Pitch HR; Kendall Deal; Nady Trade; Game Stories; HBD Joaquin

• 1952 - The Pirates used the power of persistence to overcome Boston at Braves Field 6-4. Falling behind 3-0 after an inning, the Bucs, led by rookie Dick Groat’s 5-for-5 (he snapped out of an 0-for-19 funk), chipped away at the Brave lead. Pittsburgh, behind two RBI from Groat and a two-run homer by Gus Bell, climbed back into a tie in the seventh. They went ahead in the ninth on George Metkovich’s two-run, two-out double, set up by Clem Koshorek, who had the ball waiting on him as he went from first-to-third on a single but kicked it out of 3B Sibby Sisti’s mitt. Howie Pollet not only recovered from a rocky first inning (and it wasn’t much easier afterward; Boston had runners aboard in eight of the nine frames) for the win, but added three knocks to the attack. 

Howie Pollet 1952 Topps

• 1977 - The Bucs dodged a bullet when John Candelaria took a liner just below his pitching elbow but only suffered a bruise in a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros at TRS. He was replaced by Goose Gossage, who was pitching for the first time in eight days after a rib pull, and The Goose got the final five outs, one a spectacular leaping catch by Dave Parker at the wall. It was Candy Man’s best season, ending at 20-5/2.34. He led the league in ERA and enjoyed his only 20-win season (and only All-Star selection). Candy’s stellar season wasn’t enough for the Bucs, tho - they won 96 games, but finished five behind the division-winning Phillies. 
• 1977 - RHP Joaquin Benoit was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The last stop in his 16-year career was with the Pirates in 2017 after the FO pulled off a deadline deal with the Phils, getting Benoit for a minor leaguer. He was a season-ending warm body and went 0-2/7.56 in eight games as a 39-year-old. He signed with the Nats for 2018, but has spent the season on the DL. 
• 1997 - C Jason Kendall signed a four-year contract extension through his arbitration years that carried him to 2001, valued at $7.2M. It was well worth the price; the young backstop hit .317 over the life of the deal and earned two All-Star bids. 
• 2008 - OF Xavier Nady and RHP Damaso Marte were traded to the New York Yankees for RHPs Jeff Karstens, Daniel McCutchen & Ross Ohlendorf along with OF Jose Tabata. During their Bucco careers, Karstens tossed for five years (23-35/4.31), McCutchen made 109 appearances in four seasons (8-11/4.77) and Ohlie tossed for four years (13-27, 4.61). Tabata was the key prospect; the Pirates locked him up to a long term deal guaranteed for five years/$14.5M. Although he hit .275 for Pittsburgh over six years, injuries and lack of power were his undoing and he was shipped to the Dodgers. 

Jeff Karstens 2012 Topps Heritage

• 2011 - The black day of the Jerry Meals game in Atlanta, heralding the end of the Bucco's improbable pennant run. The ump blew a call at home in the 19th inning, giving the Braves a 4-3 win and starting a downward spiral of epic proportions for Pittsburgh. At 6 hours and 39 minutes, it was the longest game in club history. The Pirates filed a protest (at 2:30 in the morning) but the judgment call was upheld, even though the League Office admitted it was wrong. To add a little salt to the wound, Meals was born in Butler. 
• 2012 - In a rookie-to-rookie match, Starling Marte homered to left center against Houston’s Dallas Keuchel on the first MLB pitch he saw (Keuchel has since rebounded nicely). Pittsburgh won 5-3 at Minute Maid Park as Garrett Jones & Clint Barmes also went long while AJ Burnett took home the victory. Marte became the third Bucco to send his first major league pitch over the wall, joining Walter Mueller (1922) and Don Leppert (1961).