4/21 From 1970: Willie Three Pack; Merchant-Quinones; Bucs Sue Cobra; Game Stories; HBD Kip, Ronny & Brent

• 1971 - “Pops” Stargell hit three long balls for the second time in 11 days to lead Pittsburgh to a 10-2 win over the Braves. It was the fourth time he had three homers in a game, tying him with Ralph Kiner for the team record. Captain Willie collected five RBI and scored three times at TRS while Dock Ellis tossed a five-hitter to keep the Bravo bats at bay. 

Willie Stargell 1971 (Pirates Picture Pack)

• 1977 - RHP Kip Wells was born in Houston. The righty came to Pittsburgh in the 2001 off season as part of the Todd Ritchie deal with the White Sox and tossed for five Bucco campaigns (2002-06), winning 36 times. The Texan started off well with ERAs of 3.58 and 3.28 in 2002-03 but faded and was sent to the Rangers for Jesse Chavez. Kip played through 2009, went through a couple of years when he couldn’t land an MLB job, and closed out his career in 2012 as a Padre, retiring the next season. 
• 1981 - Ronny Paulino was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was thought be be the Bucco catcher of the future and started behind the dish in 2006-07. That was enough time to prove he wasn’t the answer and after the 2008 season he was dealt to the Phils for Jason Jaramillo. Paulino spent four years as a Pirate and hit .278. Ronny bumped around the league for four more seasons and finished his career in the Mexican League. 
• 1986 - The Pirates filed a lawsuit in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court against Dave Parker to cut his deferred contract money. It sought to relieve the club of the $5,312,475 still owed to the OF’er, with the Bucco claim based on his drug testimony which they alleged triggered a clause that forfeited the back pay. He was the only player they sued after the fact, probably due to a combination of Parker playing for another team, not being very popular among the fans, and the Pirates sinking financial condition. A confidential settlement was reached between the club and The Cobra in 1988 before the case went before a judge. 

Brent Morel (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

• 1987 - 3B Brent Morel was born in Bakersfield, California. Brent got six years in the show, primarily as a depth piece. He finished his MLB career in Pittsburgh, getting into 26 games during 2014-15 and hitting .196. Brent spent his last two pro years years in Japan, retiring after the 2017 campaign. 
• 1989 - In a deal of hopefuls, the Pirates traded former first round pick OF/1B Mark Merchant along with pitchers Mike Dunne & Mike Walker to the Seattle Mariners for SS Rey Quinones and UT Bill Wilkinson. The change of scenery didn’t help and all five players quickly faded from the MLB landscape. 
• 1991 - The Pirates became the first MLB team to ever come back from a five run deficit of an extra inning to rally for victory. After the Cubs scored five runs‚ thanks mostly to a grand slam by Andre Dawson‚ the Pirates plated six times in the 11th inning at TRS to claim a 13-12 victory with Don Slaught's double the game winner. Nine Bucs batted in that frame, collecting two doubles, three singles, three walks and a sac fly as they small-balled their way to a big inning. Bob Patterson was charged with giving up three runs in an inning of work, but was credited with the win. The loss was pinned on former Pirate Mike Bielecki. 
• 1992 - The Bucs scored five times in the first inning and held on to beat the Expos 8-7 at Olympic Stadium. Andy Van Slyke put the Bucs ahead in the first with a two-run triple and finished the game with three RBI. Barry Bonds went deep in the third inning for his seventh homer of the year to make it 6-2 Pittsburgh. Vicente Palacios picked up the win in relief with two scoreless frames while Roger Mason earned the save. 

Abraham Nunez 2002 Topps

• 2002 - The Pirates won their sixth straight game and 7-of-8 by a 9-3 count over the Phils at PNC Park to run their record to 12-5. The Bucs had a 2-1/2 game lead in the division but alas, by mid-May they were below .500 once again and would finish with 72 victories, 24-1/2 games out of the top spot. The Buccos ran up a five-spot in the second to ice the game, keyed by a two-out, bases loaded triple by Jason Kendall. Light-hitting Abraham Nunez led the parade with three hits, including a double, two steals and three runs scored to plow the road for Kip Wells. 
• 2014 - The Bucs blew an early lead, but an Andrew McCutchen homer in the eighth tied it and Neil Walker’s two-out RBI bloop to right later in the frame was the game winner as the Pirates outlasted Cincinnati 6-5 at PNC Park. Jared Hughes stranded a pair of Reds in the ninth to earn the win. Ike Davis hit his second grand slam of the year and both were against the Reds, one as a Buc and one as a Met. He became the first player in MLB history to hit two grand slams with two different teams before the end of April and the third player to hit two grand slams against the same opponent for two different teams.