8/9 TRS-PNC Games: Candy No-No; Roof Shot; Firsts; A-Ram Attack; Game Stories

• 1970 - Willie Stargell became the first player to hit a homer into the RF upper deck at the freshly minted TRS, drilling a shot off the Mets Ron Taylor. Pops would reach the top tier four times, with Bob Robertson and Bobby Bonilla also joining him from the Pirates. The Bucs won 8-3, with Luke Walker getting the victory. Willie and Manny Sanguillen, with a pair of doubles, each had two hits as the Pirates sent Nolan Ryan to defeat. 

• 1976 - The 500th game in Three Rivers Stadium history turned out to be one of its more memorable contests as John Candelaria threw the first no-hitter by a Pirates' pitcher in Pittsburgh, a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Candy Man gave up a walk with a couple of errors committed behind him, and survived his only jam, a bases-loaded pickle in the third. It was a fitting showcase performance; the Pirate promotion for the game was “Candy Nite” with all the fans getting a candy bar for the ABC National Game of the Week. 
• 1984 - The Pirates romped over the Mets at Shea Stadium by a 11-0 count. The Bucs iced the game early with an eight-run second frame, with just five singles as their ante. The Mets filled the rest of the pot with four walks and an error (to go with a wild pitch and stolen base). Pittsburgh did have the bats going, banging out 14 hits over the game with every starter, including P Rick Rhoden, collecting at least a knock. Johnny Ray collected four raps and Tony Pena chased home three runs in a case of overkill; Rhoden tossed a complete game two-hitter. 
• 1986 - The Pirates pounded out six doubles, and led by Johnny Ray, they outpunched the St. Louis Cards 8-5 at Busch Stadium. Ray had three hits, including a homer and double, scored twice and drove in three runs. Bobby Bonilla, Mike Diaz and Ray touched the plate six times, and Barry Bonds, Tony Pena and Ray chased seven runs home to give Bob Walk the win. The victory was hidden vigorish at its best - the Pirates hadn’t won at Busch Stadium since September 14th, 1984 while the Cardinals had an 11-game home winning streak on the line. 

Al Pedrique 1988 Score

• 1987 - The Expos Neal Heaton was in charge, entering the eighth with a 3-1 lead over the Bucs at TRS. The Al Pedrique singled and Darnell Coles doubled him home, bringing on Jeff Parrett. The first batter he faced was pinch hitter Andy Van Slyke, who drilled his third offering into the RF stands. Jim Gott made it hold up to give Mike Dunne the 4-3 win. Lotta firsts: it was AVS first pinch hit homer, Coles’ first hit as a Pirate and the first four-hit day of Pedrique’s career. Heaton, who got no decision, would be a Bucco before too long, joining the club in 1989. 
• 2002 - The Bucs, behind Aramis Ramirez’s homer and four RBI, defeated the Giants 4-3 at Pacific Bell Park. Kip Wells defeated former Bucco Jason Schmidt for the win, but not before giving up Barry Bonds’ 600th home run. Barry’s first 176 dingers had come as a Pirate. 
• 2012 - It was a big day for a couple of Bucco batters as Pittsburgh ran away from San Diego with an 11-5 victory at PNC Park. Light-hitting Clint Barmes drilled a grand slam and Neil Walker was unstoppable at the plate, going 5-for-5 with a walk and falling a triple shy of the cycle. Erik Bedard got the W, even though he lasted just five frames (four relievers put up zeroes behind him), and ex-Buc Ross Ohlendorf took the loss. 
• 2013 - It wasn’t a very good day for the Bucs, who gave up nine runs in the first two innings on the way to a 10-1 drubbing at the hands of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. But it did plump up the pitching resume of utilityman Josh Harrison, who came in the eighth with two out and two runners aboard to get the last out, coaxing a fly out from future teammate Corey Dickerson. Harrison related to Bill Brink of the Post Gazette that Clint Hurdle told him “All right, I never thought I would have to have this talk with you here on the mound. Go get them." 

Cutch 2015 Donruss Panini Diamond Kings

• 2015 - In front of a sellout crowd and a national ESPN “Sunday Night Baseball” audience, the Bucs roared back from a 5-1 deficit by scoring nine times in the seventh inning to earn a 13-6 victory over the NL-West leading LA Dodgers. Andrew McCutchen homered and had four RBI; Jung-Ho Kang and Fran Cervelli (who had three hits) also went long. Arquimedes Caminero got the win in relief of Charlie Morton. The Bucs swept the three game set against LA for the first time since 2000.