8/12 From the 90s Forward: Strike; Barmes Granny; Bonds; A-Ram & Gorzo Days; Game Stories

• 1991 - Barry Bonds drove in four runs with a pair of two-run homers, including a dramatic 11th inning walk-off blast against Lee Smith to rally the Bucs to victory against the Cards 4-3 at TRS. Bob Patterson was the winner thanks to Bond’s big night. 

Barry Bonds 1991 Jimmy Dean

• 1994 - In 1994 the postseason and the last 50 games or so of the season were cancelled due to a player's strike called by the MLBPA, led by Don Fehr and spurred by the owners’ desire for a hard salary cap. The World Series wasn’t played for the first time in 90 years. In the off-season, the owners declared an impasse and attempted to implement their own rules. The strike was ended by a ruling from US District Court judge Sonia Sotomayor at the end of March, 1995, just as the owners were prepared to start the season by using replacement players. She kept the old collective bargaining agreement in place until a new one could be reached. It led to a deal, and though the 1995 season was cut by approximately 20 games, ball games did begin again at the end of April. Ironically, the umpires decided to go on strike just as the union and owners settled their dispute, so the 1995 season opened with regular players, but replacement umpires, per BR Bullpen. 
• 1995 - The Dodgers defeated the Pirates‚ 11-10‚ in 11 innings thanks to a brain cramp from a rookie. With the winning run at 3rd base‚ Mitch Webster of the Dodgers swung at a pitch in the dirt to whiff. C Angelo Encarnacion (his real first name was Eleutero) blocked the ball and then for some reason picked it up with his mask. LA manager Tommy Lasorda charged out of the dugout and appealed‚ citing a rule which awarded a runner two bases if a fielder intentionally uses his mask to touch a thrown ball. He was right and the winning run jogged home. 
• 2000 - The Bucs rode the bat of Aramis Ramirez to down the Arizona D-Backs 9-6 at TRS. A-Ram went 3-for-4 with a homer and double, driving in five runs. He was helped by Jason Kendall who added two hits, including a home run to earn Scott Sauerbeck the win, overcoming three Snake long balls. The victory came during a rough stretch; the Pirates had lost the previous three games and would go on to lose the next four. 

Keith Osik 2001 Topps

• 2001 - Pittsburgh scored three times in the eighth and once again in the ninth to snatch a 7-6 win away from the San Diego Padres at PNC Park. Light hitting Keith Osik had a big day, going 3-for-4 and driving in four runs, including the game tying knock in the eighth. Aramis Ramirez homered in the ninth off Rodney Myers to give Josias Manzanillo the win. 
• 2007 - Tom Gorzelanny fired a five-hitter and Josh Phelps drove in four runs with a homer and triple to lead the Bucs to a 5-0 win over the SF Giants at AT&T Park. Phelps had a good if brief run with the Bucs that season. He slashed .351/.463/.629 in 95 PAs before moving to St Louis in 2008. 
• 2012 - Clint Barmes' first career grand slam (atonement for two prior errors) was the key blow in a nine-run fourth inning while Neil Walker went 5-for-5 as the Pirates roared past San Diego 11-5 at PNC Park. The Bucs sent 14 batters to the dish in the fourth, their biggest inning since 2010. It ended an 11-game home losing streak to the Padres the day after the Bucs blew a six-run lead to lose 9-8 to SD, prompting Clint Hurdle to say "We kind of felt we got slapped by our girlfriend in front of our mother..." Erik Bedard won over former Pirate Ross Ohlendorf.