7/9 Games: Face's 18th; Triple Play; Mendoza Walk-Off; Roof Shot; Offensive Fireworks & Young Guns

• 1912 - In a duel of young guns, the Pirates Marty O’Toole bested the Phils Eppa Rixey 2-0 at Forbes Field. Max Carey provided the big blow, a sixth inning triple that was sandwiched around a pair of singles for all the offense. O’Toole was in the midst of his best season, winning 15 games with a 2.71 ERA and a league-leading six shutouts. 
• 1959 - Starting his first game since injuring his shoulder on May 19th, Roberto Clemente's 10th-inning leadoff single helped Elroy Face to his 18th consecutive win after he blew a save chance with two outs in the ninth. A bunt by Roman Mejias moved Clemente to second and a single up the middle by pinch-hitter Harry Bright completed the Bucs 4-3 win over the Cubs at Forbes Field. 

Willie Stargell 1967 Topps

• 1967 - Willie Stargell hit a walk off homer against the Reds’ Jim Maloney that carried over the RF roof at Forbes Field in a 2-1 win. Dennis Ribant tossed a complete game six-hitter to earn the W. The Reds Gary Nolan was working on a seven-inning one-hitter when he was lifted for a pinch hitter. It was a tough defeat; the Pirates only score before Pop’s pop was when Cincy botched a two-out grounder to allow Donn Clendenon to score, and the Reds tied it in the top of the ninth on a two-out single by Vada Pinson. 
• 1971 - The Pirates turned the first triple play of the 1971 season when Atlanta’s Leo Foster hit a grounder to 3B Richie Hebner, who stepped on third and threw to Dave Cash at second for the second out. Cash’s relay to Bob Robertson at first nipped Foster to complete the play as the Pirates rolled past Atlanta 11-2 at TRS. Willie Stargell went 3-for-4 with a homer, three runs and four RBI while Manny Sanguillen went 3-for-5 with a triple and four RBI. Richie Hebner also homered as Nellie Briles went the distance for the win. 
• 1972 - The Bucs raced out to a 6-0 lead over the Braves and took home a 7-4 victory from Atlanta Stadium. All the Pirates runs were the result of long balls swatted by Willie Stargell, Al Oliver, Manny Sanguillen and Bob Robertson, giving Nellie Briles all the support he needed for the complete game win. 

Mario Mendoza 1977 Topps

• 1977 - SS Mario Mendoza smacked the only walk-off hit of his career, a two-out single to right in the 12th off Gene Garber at TRS, for a 9-8 Pirate win over the Phillies. Phil Garner had a good day, going 3-for-6 with a homer, double, two runs and two RBI, while Dave Parker also went downtown. Mendoza, btw, was batting under the his own line, hitting just .182 at game time. The run-fest was surprising; the starters were John Candelaria and Lefty Carlton, who both were laboring under a rare bad moon - they gave up 14 runs and 22 hits combined in 13-2/3 IP while Teke blew a two-run, ninth inning lead. And there was a little extra pizazz during the game when The Kissing Bandit, Morganna, made her way onto the field and planted a wet one on the Candy Man. 
• 2004 - Jason Bay went 4-for-5 with two homers, a double, four RBI and four runs scored as the Pirates blanked the Expos 11-0 in San Juan’s Estadio Hiram Bithorn, the Expos’ part-time home until their move to Washington. Sean Burnett scattered 10 hits for a complete game shutout. 
• 2005 - Sparked by Jack Wilson’s grand slam, the Bucs broke open a tight game against the NY Mets with a seven-run seventh inning, banging around Heath Bell and Danny Graves, to take an 11-4 win at PNC Park in front of a Saturday night crowd of 36,708. Dave Williams got the win. 

Josh Bell 2016 Topps Now

• 2016 - The Pirates pounded out four homers as they took a 12-6 decision from the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. Josh Bell, in his second MLB at-bat, crushed a hung change up from Adam Warren over the right field stands and into the Allegheny River for a grand slam and his first MLB long ball while Andrew McCutchen, Sean Rodriguez and Jordy Mercer also left the yard. Starter Chad Kuhl only lasted 2-⅓ frames for Pittsburgh and reliever Juan Nicasio was also nicked (Chi-town starter Jon Lester only managed three frames before being chased), but game winner Arquimedes Caminero and Jared Hughes with the save combined for 4-2/3 shutout innings to finish the book. During a miserable June stretch, the Pirates had fallen 15-½ games behind the Cubs; this win cut the lead to 6-½ with Pittsburgh on a roll of winning 12-of-15 games. 
• 2017 - The Pirates ruined Jon Lester’s day by scoring 10 runs in the first inning off the lefty on the way to a 14-3 victory at Wrigley. The Bucco vibe was shaky before the game when scheduled starter Jameson Taillon was scratched a half-hour before first pitch with the flu, but the bats, sparked by Fran Cervelli’s two-out grand slam, pumped up the mojo. Cervy's five RBI tied his career-best for a single game. Every Pirates starter reached base safely and scored and/or had RBI as Pittsburgh collected 14 hits, seven walks and a pair of plunks to go with two Cubbie errors. AJ Schugel, the third of four Pirates pitchers, got the win. Here’s a whole slew of factoids: The last time the Pirates had a 10-spot in an inning was in the seventh against the Rox in 2007 during an 11-4 win. The last time they plated 10 in the first frame was in 1989 against the Phils; that's the game that Jim Rooker said he'd walk home if they lost, and they did, 15-11. He did, too, going on a charity walk-a-thon between Pittsburgh and Philly after the season. The contest topped the Bucs' previous first-inning mark against the Cubs of nine runs in 1975, when Rennie Stennett collected seven hits during a 22-0 romp. Over 12 years and 334 starts, this was the first time Jon Lester didn't make it through the first inning. He was just the fourth pitcher in the last 100 years to allow 10+ runs and not make it out of the first inning.