5/19 TRS-PNC Park Era: Splashdown; Bibby So Close; Kendall Cycle; Marinez Claimed; Game Stories; HBD Brandon

• 1971 - 36-year-old Roberto Clemente drilled Riverfront Stadium's first-ever inside-the-park home run off Gary Nolan. Clemente added a triple and two singles with three RBI and three runs to lead Pittsburgh to a 6-1 decision over the Reds, helping Bob Moose to the W. 

Bob Moose 1973 Topps

•  1976 - The Pirates scored six runs in the last two innings to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-6, at Busch Stadium. Richie Zisk had a double and a homer in the final two frames, ending the day with three hits, three RBIs and two scores to help give Bob Moose the win in relief. Manny Sanguillen was hot, too, adding three hits and walking twice. 
• 1977 - IF Brandon Inge was born in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Bucs grabbed him in 2013 in his 13th season hoping that he could provide some bop off the bench. Instead, he hit .181 with one long ball and was released in July. He retired to raise his boys and work his 400-acre farm in Lynchburg. 
• 1981 - Jim Bibby tossed a near perfecto, giving up an end-of-the-bat blooper that fell between 2B Phil Garner and RF Mike Easler to Braves’ leadoff hitter Terry Harper and then retiring the next 27 batters in a 5-0 victory over Atlanta at TRS. There was a rain delay shortly after the knock and afterward, Bibby was perfect. He then coaxed Atlanta to hit ‘em where they were; he only whiffed three Bravos. C Steve Nicosia called the game and had a pair of runs driven in while Mike Easler scored twice; Bibby single-handedly outhit the Braves with a pair of doubles. 
• 1998 - Jose Silva won his third straight game, spinning an eight-inning, four-hit shutout over the San Diego Padres to take a 3-0 win at TRS, with Ricardo Rincon and Rich Loiselle closing it out in the ninth. It was the Pirates league-leading sixth shutout of the year. Jose Guillen had a pair of hits, scoring once and chasing home a run. Jermaine Allensworth tripled and scored while making the big play of the game by running down a Steve Finley gapper at the track and turning the ticketed hit into a DP. 

Jason Kendall 2001 Topps Gold

• 2000 - Jason Kendall hit for the cycle, the first and only time at TRS by a Bucco, and added five RBI as the Bucs beat the Cards 13-1. He did his deed against three different St. Louis hurlers. The last Bucco to complete a cycle was Gary Redus in 1989. Kris Benson tossed a three-hitter and struck out 11 Redbirds in the win; four Pirates had two hits and Kevin Young went deep to lend support. 
• 2009 - Washington rallied from a 5-0 deficit to tie the Bucs in the ninth but lost 8-5 when future National Adam LaRoche doubled home a pair in the 10th off Joe Beimel, who became a Pirate reliever in 2011. Brandon Moss had three RBI and Andy LaRoche added two more in the W at Nationals Park. Tom Gorzelanny, who also made a later stop in DC, earned the victory; guess the scouts had their notebooks open that day. 
• 2015 - Pedro Alvarez became the third player, after Daryle Ward and Garrett Jones, to reach the Allegheny on the fly at PNC Park when his 461’ drive landed in a docked boat. Otherwise, the night didn’t go so well as Minnesota whipped the Bucs 8-5. Frankie Liriano gave up seven runs in two innings, and the Bucs chipped away but could never put together a big inning. Pittsburgh had 13 hits but 11 K, 10 stranded runners and a 4-for-17 RISP performance to keep them from catching the Twins. 
• 2017 - The Pirates claimed RHP Jhan Marinez off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. Marinez had a solid 2016 campaign working for Tampa Bay and Milwaukee (3.18 ERA in 46 appearances/62-1/3 IP) but after a slow start in 2017, the Brew Crew let him go. The multi-role reliever reacted well to the change of scenery, going 0-1/3.18 as a Bucco. But his peripherals weren’t that shiny, so the Bucs released him in August and he finished the year with the Rangers. He’s looking for a job now.