Buc Bats Silent Again; Thames Late Homer Gives Brew Crew 2-1 Win

Zach Davies got the first two outs easily before a Starling single, J-Bell walk and Melky double produced a run; Colin lined out to the opp gap with Lorenzo Cain running it down, or it could have been a big start. Steven left a Brewer at second after an infield knock and throwing error by Redbeard. Steven's two out single was all the Bucco action in the second. Milwaukee opened with a single and walk; a tapper moved them up. But the Bucs caught Keston Hiura dancing off third for the second out before Davies fanned. It was a 1-2-3 third for the Pirates; the Brewers conked a two-out two-bagger, but didn't cash in. Eli's two-out single was it in the fourth. A leadoff double put Steven in hot water. After two were away, he walked the eighth hitter to get to Davies, and yep, he singled in the tying run on a soft lob to center, with the runners moving to second and third when Eli muffed the catch on Starling's throw home (it would have been interesting at home if Diaz came up with the short hop), but there was no more damage. Corey D singled with two outs in the fifth, but was thrown out at second via challenge after originally being ruled safe.

Steven kept the Bucs in it again - photo Joe Guzy Pirates

With one gone in the Brewski half fifth, Christian Yelich doubled, after a review to see if it was a homer or not; it just missed. The next guy hit Eli in the hand on the swing, causing Diaz some pain and earning a catcher's interference call on the reach-in. A soft roller moved them up. Ric Rod was waved in (Steven was at 97 pitches w/a righty up) and left them stranded. Starling opened the sixth with a rap and was caught stealing ahead of J-Bell's walk. Ben Gamel took over for Davies and got Melky to roll into a DP; pretty frustrating waste of runners. Ric Rod stayed on and starting piling up the pitches; after a full count strikeout, he gave up a 3-2 single and five pitch walk. He got a pop, then an infield single off Fraze's glove juiced the sacks with two outs. Yelich was up and Frankie, who's been struggling lately, came on, along with Bryan Reynolds in a double switch. It was dramatic, but Filthy Frankie got Yelich swingin' at a slider with the count full. Freddie Peralta got the ball in the seventh and tossed a clean frame, as did The Cisco Kid.

Jeremy Jeffress was called to work the eighth. He helped himself by knocking down a bullet to the box; the ball dropped instead of ricocheting and he threw out K-Man. Then Corey's liner to left was hauled in by Gamel; good contact, bad aim this inning. Kyle Crick got the ball, and Eric Thames, last night's nemesis, sent his second pitch over the wall in dead center. A two-out walk and misfire on a pickoff put an insurance run at second. An intentional walk and K kept it there. Matt Albers got the ninth, and Starling opened with an infield rap. A fly out and Joey O around-the-horn DP put a quick stop to any rally hopes.

Starling was the attack today - photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

Lots of frustration between the lines. The Pirate attack completely folded; no runner reached second after the first inning. The Brewers pitcher - an .094 batter - singled home the first run with two outs. The plate ump, Steve Barber, was pretty inept (for the record, not a robo-ump fan, but geez, blue, make an effort). But most of all, this series brings back the feeling of angst back when the Buc bats and arms couldn't get in sync, one or the other but not both in gear. Anyway, it brings a disappointing close to a road trip that held promise and makes the homestand against the Cubs and Brewers even bigger in the quest for relevance.

Notes:

• The Pirates had seven hits; Starling had three of them. He scored the only Bucco run.
• With his outing saved by Frankie, Ric Rod became the first Buc reliever to have a scoreless month (13 or more appearances) since Tony Watson did it twice in 2015.
• Josh Bell made the AS team; Felipe didn't. The pitchers, as always, leave room for debate regarding the bubble gang and a great argument could be made for The Nightmare's inclusion.

Steven v Zach Davies, Lineup & Notes

Game: The closing match begins at 2:10 and will be aired by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Corey Dickerson LF, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Melky Cabrera RF, Colin Moran 3B, Elias Diaz C, Adam Frazier 2B, Steven Brault P. Melky in, Bryan out.

Steven looks to take the series decider - photo Pittsburgh  Pirates

Pitchers: LHP Steven Brault (3-1/4.50) finishes the series against RHP Zach Davies (7-2/3.44). Steven has kicked it in during June, going 1-0/2.53 in four starts. He went 6-1/3 IP against the Brew Crew on the 9th, giving up two runs in a game the pen lost 5-2. Davies has been the Brewers de facto ace, but has given up nine runs in his last two outings covering 6-1/3 IP, so there's that. But he is 2-0 against Pittsburgh this year, giving up five runs in 13 frames and coming home with 4-2 and 5-3 wins.

Notes:

• Why yes, Kevin Newman is on a Pirates rookie record 19-game hitting streak (1900 and beyond).
• No news on Chris Archer's hip; the Pirates will check him out again tomorrow in Pittsburgh.
• Fox Sports leaked it yesterday and the Pirates confirmed it today: J-Bell is officially part of this year's HR Derby. He's the fourth Bucco to take part, joining Pedro Alvarez (2013), Andrew McCutchen (2012) and Jason Bay (2005).
• After today's game, the Bucs come home for four against the Cubs and three against the Brewers to take them into All Star break. After the ASG, they visit the Cubs and Cards, then host the Phils and Cards. July looms large...
• LHP Stephen Tarpley, part of the Ivan Nova deal with the NYY in 2016, will make his first MLB start in London today for the Bronx Bombers. In pieces of two seasons, he's appeared 20 times from the pen with a 4.67 ERA (3.11 FIP) and one save.

6/30 Through the 1930’s: FF Opens; Dreyfuss Memorial; Callahan Canned; Bruised Buckshot; HBD Jovo, Don, Dave, Tin Can, Davy & Hal

• 1880 - OF Davy Jones was born in Manikota, Minnesota. After a 13-year career in the show, the 34-year-old Jones spent his last two campaigns (1914-15) with the Pittsburgh Rebels, where he hit .279 before an ankle injury led to his release. Jones had spent most of his MLB time fighting for a third outfield spot in Detroit between Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford, and saw considerable time as the leadoff hitter, scoring at a good pace with those two Hall-of-Fame bats behind him. He even homered in the 1909 Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. That he ended up with the Rebels was no surprise. Per SABR, “During his first years in the pros he jumped so many contracts that the press nicknamed him ‘The Kangaroo.’" 

George Van Haltren 1909 - image by Harry Murphy/Sunday Oregonian 

• 1893 - The Pirates scored seven runs in the ninth inning at Expo Park and still lost to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms by a 22-16 count. It was the epitome of ugly baseball - 38 runs, 37 hits, 24 walks and 11 errors made for an amateur hour match. The Pittsburgh Press wrote of the walks (although noting that the ump seemed “a little off”) that “This beats anything in that line seen in a league game...Three pitchers were used by the Pittsburgs in one inning, and this, too, had never been heard of in the league.” The first six Pirates in the order combined for 16 hits, with George Van Haltren banging out four knocks in a losing cause. 
• 1895 - RHP Johnny Miljus was born in Lawrenceville and went to Pitt, where he was a football and baseball star. Known as “Jovo” (short for Jovan, or John in Serbian) and “The Big Serb” (a nickname bestowed on him by Babe Ruth, per baseball lore), he got his start with an inning for the Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League in 1915, and later worked for the Bucs from 1927-28 (he fought in WW1 and was wounded in action, delaying his career), going 13-10-1 with a 3.53 ERA. He was multi-role hurler, and did everything from start to close. He’s best remembered for his wild pitch that allowed the Yankees to sweep the 1927 Series. Jovo struck out Lou Gehrig and Bob Meusel in the ninth of that game and got two strikes on Tony Lazzeri. But he muscled up on the next pitch (some say it was a spitter, tho Johnny never 'fessed up) and it got past C Johnny Gooch, allowing Earle Combs to score the winning run. Johnny was thought to be the first Serbian to play MLB.
• 1902 - RHP Hal Smith was born in Creston, Iowa. Smith broke into the big leagues as a 30 year old, and spent his four-year career (1932-35) as a Buc, although most of his twirling in the first and last year was done for the AA Kansas City Blues. He went 12-11-1 with a 3.77 ERA as a Pirate with his time split between starting and the bullpen. Hal played for the Blues again in 1936, then hung ‘em up. 

Press Front Page Banner 6-30-1909

• 1909 - The fans were pumped; they began lining up 6-1/2 hours before the game for tickets as an SRO crowd of 30,338 filled every nook, to date the largest gathering to ever watch a baseball game, to see the Pirates fall to the Chicago Cubs, 3-2, in the debut of Forbes Field. Ed Reulbach tossed a three-hitter to top Pittsburgh’s Vic Willis, who spun a four-hitter. Honus Wagner collected two hits and scored a run in a game that was played in one hour and 50 minutes. Mayor William Magee threw out the first ball. He was in the second tier and lobbed the ball to John M. Morin, Director of Public Safety, on the field below. Morin then went to the mound and threw the first pitch to open the festivities. The ball yard was one of the nation's first made completely of concrete and steel, featuring public phones, separate ladies room, ramps rather than stairs and even included a visitor’s clubhouse. FF’s firsts: the first radio broadcast in 1921, the first fan elevator installed in 1938, the first field tarps, the first pads to cushion the outfield wall in the forties and the first All-Star (1944) game played at night. It had a print shop (Banker’s Lithographing) in its interior and in the twenties, the space under the LF bleachers was used for car sales and repairs! It wasn’t exactly embraced at the beginning; it was often called "Dreyfuss' Folly" in its conceptual years. Some folly; the yard was the Pirates’ home for 61 seasons. 
• 1909 - LHP Harry “Tincan” Kincannon was born in parts unknown. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1930-36, being one of just three players to transition from the original independent club to the Negro National League. The curve-ball specialist made one All-Star appearance for the Crawfords before he was traded to the NY Black Yankees. He finished his career after the 1939 campaign.  
• 1917 - Pirates skipper Jimmy Callahan was fired after the club staggered to a 20-40 start, and Honus Wagner took over as player-manager. The Wagner-led Bucs won 5-4 win over the Reds‚ with the Dutchman banging a two-run double. Wilbur Cooper went the distance for the win at Forbes Field. Wagner resigned after a five-game stint at the helm; he much preferred playing to filling out lineup cards, and business manager Hugo Bezdek took the reins. 

Glenn needed an ace up his sleeve - 1927 W560

• 1927 - Sometimes ya just can’t win: Per BR Bullpen, SS Glenn Wright, on the way home from St. Louis after being beaned while batting against the Cards, was slightly injured when the train he was riding wrecked in Ohio. “Buckshot” lost two weeks to the twin traumas, not returning to the lineup until July 14th. Lee Meadows, who accompanied Wright on the trip home, escaped shaken but unscathed. 
• 1931 - LHP Don Gross was born in Weidman, Michigan. Gross pitched from the pen for the Bucs from 1958-60, going 6-8 with a 3.82 ERA. The Pirates made one of their “whatever was I thinking” deals when they got him from the Reds; they sent RHP Bob Purkey to Cincinnati, who won in double figures for eight seasons and made three All-Star teams. 
• 1933 - 1B/OF Dave Roberts was born in Panama City, Panama. After a couple of years playing off the Colt .45’s (Astros) bench, Roberts spent a year on the farm and joined the Bucs in 1966 via the Rule 5 draft, going 2-for-16 in his last MLB shot while spending most of the campaign at AAA Columbus. Afterwards, he put in eight seasons in Japan (1967-74). 
• 1934 - A small stone monument dedicated to Barney Dreyfuss was unveiled outside Forbes Field’s RF gates, leading to Schenley Park, on the 25th anniversary of the ballyard. The monument was later displayed in TRS and it’s now located at PNC Park, on the concourse behind home plate. The ceremony didn’t help the Bucs, who were 4-2 losers to the Cubs.

6/30 From 1960 Through the 1980’s: No Deal; Cobra Defanged; McWilliams-Perez; HBD Drew, Cole, Chan & Delwyn

• 1960 - Dick Stuart bombed three consecutive HRs to key an 11-6 win as the Pirates split a DH with the second place Giants at Forbes Field. Stuart had seven RBI in the nitecap and joined Ralph Kiner as the second Pirate to hit three homers in a game at Forbes Field. Joe Gibbon worked 7-⅔ innings, giving up six hits and a run after Vinegar Bend Mizell was chased by the G-Men in the second frame. The Bucs were flattened in the opener, losing by an 11-0 count. 

Big Stu - 1960 Topps

• 1962 - The Pirates clobbered the Cards 17-7 at Busch Stadium. Smoky Burgess had two homers and a double, good for seven RBI. Roberto Clemente had a hot stick, too, going 4-for-5 with a homer, double and five runs driven in. Dick Groat, Bob Skinner and Dick Stuart added three knocks apiece as the Pirates drilled 22 hits against St. Louis. 
• 1965 - Post Gazette Sports Editor Al Abrams disclosed that in May, in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, the Pirates and the Braves were close to pulling the trigger on a Lee Maye for Vern Law, Donn Clendenon and Jerry Lynch swap. But the Bucs turned it around on the field and as the wins came, the deal (thankfully for Pittsburgh) fell in the rear view mirror. Milwaukee sent Maye to Houston instead for Ken Johnson/Jim Beauchamp and he never developed into more than a platoon guy and off-season singer with the Five Crowns & the Hearts. Law won 17 games in ‘65 and a dozen more next season, Clendenon played through the 1968 campaign for the Bucs, and Lynch retired as a Pirate at age 35 in 1966. 
• 1973 - RHP Chan Ho Park was born in Kong Ju City, South Korea. He finished his 17-year MLB career in Pittsburgh in 2010 after being claimed off waivers from the Yankees, making 26 appearances and slashing 2-2/3.49. He tossed for two more years in Korea afterwards before retiring to focus on various children charities on behalf of his Chan Ho Park Dream Foundation. 
• 1978 - The Bucs lost a ballgame and Dave Parker in the ninth inning at TRS. The Pirates were leading 3-2 when two errors helped the Mets to four runs. The Pirates came roaring back. Frank Taveras and Omar Moreno singled with one out, and Parker followed with a triple to cut the lead to 6-5. Bill Robinson lifted a fly to RF Joel Youngblood, and his throw home beat the tagging Cobra, who tried to run through NY catcher John Stearns, a former defensive back in college. Instead Stearns exploded into him to make the tag, ending the game and breaking Parker’s jaw & cheekbone all in one fell swoop, then spiking the ball after the play. David returned 16 days after his bones were set and his jaw wired shut, wearing a goalie's mask, then football helmet and later a cage to protect his puss. He slumped on his return - he was on a liquid diet and lost 20 pounds - but rediscovered his stroke in time to repeat as league batting champ (.334) and was voted the NL-MVP. 

Dave Parker - photo 7-16-1978 Pgh Press

• 1982 - The Atlanta Braves traded LHP Larry McWilliams to the Pirates for RHP Pascual Perez and minor leaguer Carlos Rios. Both pitchers were solid starters for a spell (each won 33 games during his next three years) in an even up deal. 
• 1982 - UT Delwyn Young Jr. was born in Los Angeles. A touted minor-league prospect, Delwyn was a AAA All-Star and played for Team USA, but the Dodgers outfield was loaded and he Young was sent to Pittsburgh for Eric Krebs & Harvey Garcia. He was the starting 2B, replacing the traded Freddy Sanchez. Delwyn began on fire but faded during the dog days, relegating him to a utility role in 2010. His bat slipped - he hit .238 following a .266 season - and he left at the end of the year as a free agent. Young had a couple of bites, but never caught on in the majors again. 
• 1983 - UT Drew Sutton was born in El Dorado, Arkansas. Drew had a dizzy but brief Bucco stay. The Pirates purchased Sutton from the Braves on May 20th, 2012. Then Tampa Bay purchased Drew from the Bucs on the next day; the Pirates had let him go as a professional courtesy because the Rays were going to add him to their MLB roster. 18 games and a month later, Sutton was DFA’ed by Tampa and claimed by Pittsburgh. He became the stuff of local folklore when Drew hit his first career walk-off home run into PNC’s batter’s eye off the Astro’s Wesley Wright to give the Pirates a come-from-ahead win after a blown save by Joel Hanrahan. The victory gave the Pirates a share of first place. Drew left as a free agent after the year, spent one more season as a 30-year-old at AAA Pawtucket for Boston and then retired. 
• 1987 - IF Cole Figueroa was born in Tallahassee, Florida. He made three brief stops in the show between 2014-16 with his last hurrah in Pittsburgh. He got into 23 games in 2016, batting .154. He read the writing on the wall; he’s now with the Tampa Bay Rays, working in Baseball Research & Development and putting his Sports Management degree from Florida (he was selected to the All-SEC Academic Team) to good use.

6/30 From 1990: Fans Walk; Hanny Deal; 9-In-A-Row; Game Stories

• 1992 - Pittsburgh eked out a 2-0 win v St. Louis at Busch Stadium. Doug Drabek was the man, tossing a three-hit, complete game whitewash with nine strikeouts. It was the third time that Drabek went the distance on the way to a career-high 10 CGs during the season. The Bucs scored both runs in the sixth off Rheal Cormier when Cecil Espy and Chico Lind’s back-to-back singles plated Lloyd McClendon and Don Slaught. 

Doug Drabek - 1992 Topps

• 1997 - Jon Lieber tossed a five-hit/10-K, 3-1, complete game victory over the Chicago White Sox at TRS, backed by homers from Kevin Young and Dale Sveum. But the most memorable part of the afternoon was Lieber’s dominance of Albert Belle, whom he whiffed four times. The 28,070 fans loved it; Belle was in the first year of an $11M contract, while the “Freak Show” Pirates had a $9M payroll for the entire team. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette headline for Bob Smizik’s game story was “Pirates Clang Belle.” Lieber also held Frank Thomas, who was making a mere $7.15M, 0-for-2, though the Big Hurt did draw a walk and had a sac fly for Chi-town’s only RBI. 
• 1999 - The Bucs rode an eight-run fourth frame to a 9-1 win over the Phillies at TRS. Brian Giles had a three-run homer, Al Martin had a three-run bases-clearing double and Brant Brown doubled in another pair as the Bucs banged out six hits with three walks in their big frame. Jason Schmidt cruised to victory, with ninth inning help from Brad Clontz. 
• 2007 - To protest the team’s small payroll and general ineptitude, a group called “Fans for Change” staged a walkout at PNC Park. Estimates ranged from a few hundred to a few thousand of the 26,959 on hand who strolled out of the park after the third inning. They picked a bad day for it, as the Bucs beat the Nats 7-2 behind Tom Gorzelanny, who was supported by a three-run homer by Adam LaRoche. Though the sentiment was widespread, the boycott had little effect. 
• 2008 - The Pirates penciled a pitcher in the eight-hole for the first time in over 50 years when John Russell had Paul Maholm (.161) bat ahead of Jack Wilson (.312); Bobby Bragan had been the last Pittsburgh skipper to use the ploy during the 1957 campaign. It didn’t exactly juice the attack as the Bucs went down 4-3 to the Reds at GABP after Matt Capps gave up a two-run homer in the ninth to Junior. Maholm went 0-for-3; Wilson 1-for-3. 

Joel Hanrahan - 2009 Topps Heritage

• 2009 - The Bucs traded LF Nyjer Morgan and LHP Sean Burnett to the Washington Nationals for RHP Joel Hanrahan and OF Lastings Milledge in a change-of-scenery swap. Hanrahan would become the major piece, eventually taking over as the Pirate closer. They also completed a minor deal the same day, shipping utilityman Eric Hinske to the Yankees for minor leaguers Eric Fryer and Casey Erickson. 
• 2013 - The Pirates won their ninth straight game, 2-1, in 14 innings over the Brewers at PNC Park. The yard was packed with 35,351 fans on a warm Sunday afternoon, but the game was delayed in the second inning by rain for nearly 2-1/2 hours, and the bullpens took over with Milwaukee ahead 1-0. Andrew McCutchen tied the game in the eighth when his two-out knock drove in Starling Marte. The Pirates left the bases loaded in the 13th to miss a golden chance, but Russell Martin, the last position player remaining, singled home Gaby Sanchez, who had an infield knock and stolen base to open the frame, with the game winner in the following go-around. Tony Watson got the win after three scoreless innings. He followed five other Pirate relievers, and the ensemble tossed 12 innings of two-hit, shutout ball without issuing a walk, led by Vin Mazzaro’s perfect five-inning stint (it was the first Bucco five IP+ bullpen perfecto since Elmer Ponder did it in 1919). It was the first time in franchise history that the bullpen put up that many consecutive zeros in one game. 
• 2017 - The Bucs were bombed by the Giants 13-5 at PNC Park to complete a SF sweep, but the G-Men couldn’t slow down Andrew McCutchen. He went 2-for-2 with a walk to close out a red-hot June. He slashed .411/.505/.689 with six homers, 23 RBI and 22 runs scored, taking the Player-of-the-Month Award for a franchise record fifth time.

Woodruff, Thames Double Team Bucs, 3-1

The Bucs opened with a single by K-Man *ho hum* and Bryan Reynolds getting plunked by Brandon Woodruff. With Bucs on the corners and two gone. Redbeard doubled to right; one run scored but an on-the-money relay cut down back runner J-Bell at home. The first Brewski bunted for an opening rap (the catcher Yasmani Grandal, sheesh) followed by a walk; Jordan Lyles is off to the same start as his hill foe. A grounder moved them up; another one to Colin at third resulted in a Brewer cut down at home. Lyles uncorked a short wild pitch, advancing the lead runner to third. Jordan threw away a pickoff try to allow a run, then Eric Thames' two-out, two-strike triple plated another. The Pirates went quietly in the second; ditto for the Brew Crew. In the third, the Bucs all K'ed while the Brewers all bounced out. It was nine-in-a-row for Woodruff in the fourth. Thames kept it up against Jordan, drilling a 3-2 fastball into the stands. That was followed by a 3-2 walk but no further turmoil.

Jordan was workmanlike tonight - image Positively Pittsburgh

Corey D started the fifth with a two-bagger. Two outs later, he went to third on Jordan Lyle's infield bleeder, but no further. Lyons likewise stranded a leadoff double. Nada for the Pirates in the sixth; Milwaukee got a two-out single and wild pitch (the Pirates challenged the safe call at second with no success) but zero runs thanks to a great grab by Starling. In the seventh, Pittsburgh got a leadoff knock from Redbeard, but that was followed by a Corey D 3-6-3 twin killing (Corey beat the rap by a good step, but the Bucs lost their challenge the inning before so there were no more to be had) and another grounder. Michael Feliz trotted on for the Buccos and gave up a two-out walk before finishing up. K-Man doubled to left with two away in the eighth, bringing on Matt Albers as Woodruff, who was tough tonight, was at 108 tosses. He got Reynolds on a fly to right. Clay Holmes toed the slab and coaxed three garden variety grounders. Josh Hader came in to close the book and did with no problems.

Jordan did his job well enough; three runs on five hits in six innings on 103 pitches with two walks, two wild pitches and five fans to keep the gang in the game while sparing the pen another long night. Give Woodruff credit tonight; he stayed out of the hitting zone, getting 10 grounders and six whiffs in 7-2/3 IP. Who'd have thought this would turn into a pitcher's series? We'll see who gets the big end of the stick tomorrow afternoon.

He keeps on keepin' on - 2019 Donruss

Notes:

• K-Man and Redbeard had two hits apiece; the Bucs only had six raps on the night.
• Michael Feliz has been scored on just once in his last six outings. Clay Holmes has put up a zero in six of his last eight appearances.
• In a Fox snippet, J-Bell was taped telling Christian Yelich that he was asked by the league to play in the ASG Home Run Derby and accepted. From the horse's mouth...

Jordan v Brandon Woodruff, Lineup & Notes

Game: The game starts at 8:15 and will be on Fox Sports and 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds RF, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Corey Dickerson LF, Elias Diaz C, Adam Frazier 2B, Jordan Lyles P. Eli should be fresh after his break, and it's nice to see a regular lineup start to take hold.

Back in the saddle tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: RHP Jordan Lyles (5-3/3.64) takes on RHP Brandon Woodruff (9-1/4.01). Jordan is coming off the IL; he had a solid rehab outing for Indy and hopefully won't have many barnacles to scrape off today. This will be the first time he faces off against Milwaukee as a Bucco; lifetime, he's 3-4/4.10 in 14 games (nine starts) against the Brewers. Woodruff is a guy who gets lots of support. He's 4-1 this month with a 5.70 ERA; his mates have scored six runs or more in his June wins. In two starts against Pittsburgh this year, he's 1-0 but has given up nine runs in 10 innings, so the MO has been the same.

Notes:

• Today's move: Jordan Lyles was activated off the IL and the Bucs optioned Geoff Hartlieb back to Indy.
• Kevin Newman is on an 18-game hitting streak, tying Neil Walker (2010) and Rennie Stennett (1971) for longest run by a Pirates rookie.
• The Bucs have won 7-of-8. 
• Injured Indy guys 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes and Swiss Army knife Pablo Reyes begin their rehab assignments (paywall) at West Virginia today, per Pirates Prospects John Dreker.

6/29 Through the 1940’s: Expo Finale; Klobbering Kiner; Game Stories; HBD Heinie, Whitey & Patsy

• 1867 - IF Henry “Heinie” Reitz was born in Chicago. Heinie had established himself as a dependable .290 hitter over his first five years and the Pirates sent three players to Washington to get him. Father Time won this deal. The 32-year-old Reitz played just 35 games for the Bucs, hitting a career low of .262 and was traded to Milwaukee of the American Association for Harry Smith, who spent six years with the Bucs as a backup catcher. Heinie never played major league ball again after the deal and became a sad but historic footnote in baseball history when he died in 1914 at age 47, the first major league player to meet his Maker as the result of a car accident. 

Patsy Flaherty 1904 - photo Chicago History Museum/Getty

• 1876 - LHP Patsy Flaherty was born in Mansfield (now Carnegie). The Flaherty and Wagner families were neighbors and Patsy & Hans were lifelong friends. Flaherty was a “quick-pitch” stylist and master of the pickoff (between pitching as soon as he got the ball back from the catcher and his deceptive pickoff move, it’s been said that he struck out at least two batters who swung at throws to first!) who was recommended to the Pirates twice by his homie Hans. He pitched for the Bucs in 1900 and then again from 1904-05. He went 29-19-1/2.85 in that span. When he retired after nine years of major league ball with a dead arm, he coached, managed and scouted for various clubs until 1940. 
• 1907 - The Pirates edged the Cubs 2-1 at West Side Park when CF Tommy Leach threw out Chicago’s Harry Steinfeldt at the plate in the ninth inning. Per the Pittsburgh Press: “...the wee outfielder (Leach)...was as active as a cat all afternoon. Tommie grabbed the bounding sphere and hurled it to catcher (George) Gibson at the plate. It was a perfect throw and had ‘Steiny’ beaten by 20 feet.” Deacon Phillippe was the winner over Ed Reulbach‚ who had a 17-game winning streak snapped. 
• 1909 - The Pirates won the final game they played at Exposition Park by an 8–1 count from the Chicago Cubs in front of 5,543 people, moving on to Oakland and Forbes Field the next day. George Gibson banged the final big league hit in the ballpark and Lefty Leifield earned the win over Three Finger Mordecai Brown. Lefty ended the game dramatically, striking out Jim Archer. Tommy Leach and Dots Miller, with four RBI, each collected three hits, and three other Bucs had a pair of knocks. The Park was ushered out in appropriate style - “Commodore” Charles Zieg played Taps as the flag was lowered after the contest. It was a fitting finale: the Cubs helped open the Expo in 1891 and would perform the same honors for Forbes Field, both opening and closing the yard. 
• 1910 - Burgess “Whitey” Whitehead was born in Tarboro, North Carolina. A good glove, erratic hitting infielder, Whitey put in eight years with the Cards and Giants, winning a World Series, three NL pennants and an All-Star selection. After missing three seasons while in the military, he returned in 1946 for a last hurrah with the Pirates, hitting .220 at age 36 and then retiring after two more years in the minors. Whitehead was elected into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1981 and was the last surviving member of the Gas House Gang when he died in 1993 at the age of 83. 

Max Carey 1915 - Cracker Jack

• 1915 - The Bucs and Cards split a doubleheader at Robison Field in less than ideal conditions. Today’s groundskeepers would be aghast, but the St. Louis crew used 300 gallons of gas to “bake” the infield after rain had turned it to mush. Doc Johnson of the Redbirds and the Buccos Hans Wagner both suffered minor leg injuries (they returned the next day) on the torched surface. Left fielder Max Carey, who had three assists in the two games, collected one with a helping hand from the hitter: the Cards LF Cozy Dolan's drive hit his own glove in the grass behind third base (it was common practice to leave your glove on the field between innings) and Carey took advantage of the deflection to throw Dolan out at second. Pittsburgh won the opener, 8-6, by scoring four ninth-inning runs. They were led by Hans Wagner and Carey with two hits and RBIs each; Babe Adams pitched the last two frames for the win. The Cards took the nitecap, 6-4, holding off the Pirates after jumping out to an early 6-0 lead. 
• 1949 - Ralph Kiner had a feature article running in the current Saturday Evening Post and celebrated by driving in five runs with a grand slam (the fourth of his four-year career) and a double to lead the Bucs to a 7-3 win over the Reds at Forbes Field. Johnny Hopp led the hit parade with three knocks while Kiner, Pete Castiglione and Dino Restelli had a pair of raps. Vic Lombardi was given a six-run lead after two innings and coasted to the win, with a three-run dinger surrendered to Virg Stallcup his only major miscue. Kiner’s homer was his 19th of the year, tying him with Ted Williams for the MLB lead, and Ralph would eventually run away from the Splendid Splinter to take the title with 54 long flies, the still-standing Bucco record.

6/26 From 1950 Through the 1970’s: Willie's #400; Game Stories; HBD Rock & Tony

• 1952 - The Bucs stopped the Cards 2-1 at Forbes Field behind Howie Pollet. The game went just five frames as a thunderstorm washed away the final 12 outs. The rain also pulled the plug on Donora’s Stan Musial’s 24-game hitting streak; he walked and lined out in his only two at-bats before the weather turned soggy. 

Howie Pollet - 1952 Topps

• 1965 - 28,589 fans got their fill of baseball at Forbes Field when the Bucs split a twilight twin bill with the Reds. The contests started at 6:05 and ended at 1:42 AM, with the Pirates taking the opener 2-1 in 16 innings and dropping the second game 7-5. Cincy had 11 hits in the first game but went 1-for-11 w/RISP; the last of the Buccos six hits was a two-out rap by Roberto Clemente that scored Bob Bailey, making a winner of Steel City’s fourth hurler, Don Schwall. The Reds broke out of their malaise with a five-run fourth frame in game two to overcome two-hit outings by Clemente, Manny Mota and Donn Clendenon to hang the L on Joe Gibbon. 
• 1967 - John Wehner was born in Carrick. The Rock was drafted out of Indiana University by the Pirates in the seventh round of the 1988 draft and the infielder spent nine seasons (1991-96, 1999-2001) with the Bucs as a utilityman, hitting .250. On October 1st, 2000, Wehner hit the final home run smacked at TRS. He played every position except pitcher during his career. John shares the major league record of 99 consecutive errorless games at third base with Jeff Cirillo and has a 1997 World Series ring won with the Florida Marlins under Jim Leyland. After a couple of years as a Bucco hitting coach at Altoona, he became an analyst on the Pirates’ TV team. 
• 1968 - The Pittsburgh Press sports page lede was “M-000 000 000-se Blanks Phils” after Bob Moose twirled a two-hit, one walk, eight-K performance at Veterans Stadium to claim a 1-0 win. Both of the hits were weak, with one being a bad-hop single off Maury Wills’ mitt and the other a ball through the box that Moose didn’t react quickly enough to glove. His eight whiffs were of three Phillies - Dick Allen (4 times), Johnny Briggs (2) and pitcher Larry Jackson (2 - both on foul third strike bunts). The Buccos only score came in the ninth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Matty Alou hit a two-hopper to seven-time Gold Glove winner Bill White at first; it went through his wickets to allow Wills to score the game’s only run. 
• 1977 - Pops Stargell became the first Pirates player to hit 400 career home runs when he connected in the fifth frame off Eric Rasmussen in a 9-1 win at Busch Stadium. Bill Robinson had a four-bagger and double while Phil Garner added a long ball against the Cards. Bruce Kison and Goose Gossage combined for a seven-hitter. Captain Willie finished his career with 475 bombs, far and away the most by a Bucco - Ralph Kiner is a distant second with 301. 

Willie Stargell - 1993 Ted Williams

• 1977 - RHP Tony McKnight was born in Texarkana, Arkansas. Tony was a big righty who was a first round draft pick and pitched modestly well for Houston (5-1, 3.91 in nine starts) in limited work. The Pirates took a dice roll on the 24-year-old by swinging a deadline deal that sent reliever Mike Williams to the ‘Stros for him. They rolled snake eyes; Tony went 2-6/5.19 in 12 starts with a 1.572 WHIP, then spent two years in the minors before moving on. He’s now a coach at Texas A&M at Texarkana. 
• 1978 - Rennie Stennett, gimpy but game with a bum ankle, came off the bench in the eighth and tripled in Phil Garner to give the Bucs a 4-3 win over the Mets at TRS. The drive gave Grant Jackson the win with a ninth-inning save by Ed Whitson after they took over for Bert Blyleven and Kent Tekulve. Willie Stargell had three knocks, including a homer and double, and Kenny Macha added three more, one a triple, to account for half of the Pirates 12 hits.

6/29 From 2000: Ollie & Kicks; Kendall's Day; Bronx Bust; Game Stories

• 2000 - Jason Kendall put on a show with two hits, including a homer, walk, two stolen bases, three RBI and two runs as the Bucs outlasted the Cubs 5-4 in 10 innings at TRS. He capped the game with a walk-off single to bring home Mike Benjamin for the bonus baseball win. Marc Wilkins, the fourth Pirates pitcher, got the victory in a game started by Jose Silva. 

A couple of good days for Jason - 2001 Fleer Game Time

• 2003 - Matt Stairs drove in four runs with a homer and double while Jason Kendall added four knocks to lead the Bucs to a 9-0 whipping of the Rockies at PNC Park. Jeff Suppan pitched a complete-game, four-hit shutout for the win. 
• 2005 - LHP Ollie Perez was placed on the DL with a broken toe. He kicked a laundry cart in frustration after being pulled from a game in St. Louis on the 26th (an eventual 10-inning, 5-4 Pirate win) and was out of action for 10 weeks. 
• 2006 - The Pirates edged the White Sox at PNC Park 7-6, ending a club-record 13-game losing streak. Freddy Sanchez was the hero with four hits, including a walk-off ninth inning homer. He had help from the Jose's - Bautista, Castillo and Hernandez had two hits - and Jack Wilson, who also rapped out a pair knocks. Mike Gonzalez got the win after Roberto Hernandez blew an eighth-inning lead. 
• 2012 - The Pirates pounded four homers on the way to a 14-5 win at Busch Stadium. Andrew McCutchen, Garrett Jones, Clint Barmes and Alex Presley all went yard. Cutch had a 4-for-5 day with four runs and three RBI; Alvarez added four RBI. Kevin Correia went five frames for the win; Brad Lincoln and Chris Resop covered the final four innings. It was an early leg of a 24-of-35 winning streak that put them 16 games above .500 in early August, though a dog-day’s free fall left them at just 79 wins at season’s end. 

Cutch 2012 - Topps Museum Collection

• 2013 - A life-size statue of Roberto Clemente was unveiled at the 25-acre Roberto Clemente State Park along the Harlem River in the Bronx. The likeness, sculpted by Maritza Hernandez, was the first in New York to honor a person of Puerto Rican heritage, according to the park's director. The park opened in 1973 as the Harlem River Park before being renamed after Clemente, and holds an annual Roberto Clemente Week to celebrate its namesake.

Bucs Grind Out Hard-Earned 3-2 Win Over Brew Crew

The Bucs managed a Bryan Reynolds single in the first off Jhoulys Chacin, though J-Bell took one to the wall. Chris Archer walked the first hitter for the Brew Crew. A two-out double left runners at second and third, and a wild pitch brought in the first run, then Eric Thames two-strike double chased home a second. Two runs, two strikeouts, 30 pitches. A Fraze rap was all the action in the Bucco second. Arch gave up a leadoff knock, but a caught stealing and two more whiffs made it a calm frame. The amazing Mr. Newman homered with an out in the third. Reynolds singled, but Starling's hopper up the middle became an easy 6-3 DP. It was 1-2-3 for the Brewers. With two gone in the fourth, Fraze singled and Jake was walked intentionally; Arch then fanned for the second time. He walked the first Brewski, but again Jake registered a caught stealing to lead into an easy frame.Bryan Reynolds doubled in the fifth, and was left aboard after a couple of hard-hit outs from Starling and J-Bell. Ric Rod came in; apparently Archie hurt himself striking out his last time up. RR gave up a leadoff knock, then posted a K and coaxed an around-the-horn DP; the Brewers haven't done a whole lot with their runners so far tonight.

Bryan is back on track with a 3-hit night - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Alex Claudio was waved in for the sixth and didn't let a ball out the infield. Frankie Liriano took over and got two outs on balls corralled at the track before giving up a two-bagger, but no damage done. Corbin Burnes got the seventh and Jake greeted him with a knock. Melky pinch hit into a 4-6-3 DP and the inning fizzled. Kyle Crick answered the bell. A walk and two-out single off J-Bell's mitt left Brewers at first and third, and there they remained. Junior Guerra worked the eighth. He walked Bryan Reynolds and Starling singled, then a force left Bucs on the corners. Another force tied the game; J-Bell's big boy slide at second took away a possible DP turn. Felipe Vazquez climbed the hill and struck out the side. Jeremy Jeffress was beckoned for the ninth. He walked Eli with an out(jake was swapped out last inning when Big Joe came in to run for him), and Joey O's pinch single sent him to third. K-Man tapped back to the hill and JJ tried to turn two, but his feed was sloppy, allowing Newman beat the relay to first to give the Bucs the lead. Felipe stayed in, and picked up another whiff between a pair of grounders. Raise the Roger.

Hopefully his couple of raps will get Fraze going - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates let Chacin, who has had a terrible month, off the hook, but give Arch and pen credit for tossing eight straight scoreless against one of the better-hitting clubs in the league (and Jake for gunning a pair of Brewers; it's lots easier to work with nobody on and an out than a runner at second with no one gone). The offense needed a pair of hustle plays to score after K-Man's homer and got them; that is one thing this team does consistently. And Clint went against his book and managed the bullpen for tonight's game, not tomorrow's. The guys played the field cleanly. It all paid off with a very nice and very hard earned win.

Notes:

• Bryan Reynolds had three hits (.362 BA) and Fraze had a pair of raps. Kevin Newman had one hit - it was long - but two RBI and a run scored.
• The Pirates are 39-41; 20 of the wins have been come-from-behind.
• Chris Archer left the game with a sore hip; the Pirates said it was a precautionary move.
• FWIW, Cervy has rejoined the team in Milwaukee and even took a little infield this afternoon.

Archie v Jhoulys Chacin, Lineup & Notes

Game: The series opens at Miller Park at 8:10 and will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. Milwaukee has owned the Bucs so far this year with a 6-1 record, scoring in double figures three times.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds RF, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Corey Dickerson LF, Adam Frazier 2B, Jake Stallings C, Chris Archer P. Jake and Archie remain a thing as the lineup readjusts to NL ways.

Jake's first back-to-back starts of the year - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: RHP Chris Archer (3-6/5.56) opens against RHP Jhoulys Chacin (3-8/5.88). Still waiting to see which Archie shows up, though his last start was promising. He has one notch against the Brew Crew this year, giving up four runs in seven innings in a 9-4 win at the end of May, the only Pittsburgh victory in the series so far. Chacin is 1-4/8.59 in his last five outings and was the loser of the 9-4 game when he last matched up with Archie; he's a guy who has the Brewer brass scratchin' their heads.

Notes:

• It never gets old; Kevin Newman has a 17-game hitting streak in progress.
• Per reports, the Brewers recalled 2B Keston Hiura and sent Travis Shaw down. Hiura looks like the real deal; he was 6-for-18 with two homers in the last Buc-Brew Crew meet up. Utility man Tyler Saladino was also brought up by Milwaukee to replace DFA'ed Hernan Perez.
• Josh Bell lost his AS vote-off to Bravo Freddie Freeman by 17,000 votes in the closest Midsummer Classic race of the year. Disappointing, but their stats were fairly similar while Freddie comes from a bigger market, has an established brand and is deserving at a spot that was loaded in the NL this year.
• SS Erik Gonzalez (broken collarbone) will start his rehab assignment today at Indy. Also some bad news: RHP JT Brubaker (elbow) suffered a rehab setback and is back at square one while the docs recalculate. 
• Indy 1B Will Craig, 24, will rep the Pirates at this year's All-Star Futures Game in Cleveland. He's slashing .258/.338/.476 with 16 homers and 45 RBIs.
• He's back... Gift Ngoepe was released by the Phillies and was signed by the Pirates. He was assigned to Altoona.
• The Bucs released Nick Franklin. The 28-year-old utility guy was batting .193 at Indy after signing in February as a depth FA.

6/28 Through 1970: Hans #3,000; FF Finale; Game Stories; HBD Kevin, Orlando, Mike & Frank

• 1865 - IF Frank Scheibeck was born in Detroit. He spent parts of eight seasons in the show and sported the Bucco colors for 23 games in 1894, batting .353. Frank played pro ball through 1906 and after his playing days, he went on to umpire. He later held hometown day jobs as a real estate salesman and as an auto plant assembler. 
• 1880 - P Mike Lynch was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The righty pitched four seasons (1904-07) for the Pirates, picking up 32 wins and working over 400 innings in his first two years. He was still effective in his final two years with the team, but the Bucs had juiced up their staff and he became the odd man out, going to the Giants during the second half of ‘07 and then retiring to go into business. His career Pittsburgh line was 40-26/3.01.

Hans - 2017 Topps Allen & Ginter

• 1914 - Honus Wagner became the first 20th century ballplayer to collect 3,000 hits when he singled off of Cincinnati's rookie Pete Schneider in the second game of a twinbill at Redland Field. While a good day for Hans, it wasn’t such a good one for the Pirates. They lost both ends of the doubleheader to the Reds by 7-6 and 1-0 scores. The first loss was especially gruesome as the Bucs blew a 6-2 lead in the ninth triggered by a missed call. Up by a run with two outs and two aboard, a 3-2 foul tip was gloved by catcher Bob Coleman. The Reds on base started to run to the dugout, but the batter, Bert Niehoff, jogged innocently to first and the ump bought his act, calling it a check swing and ball four. A protest, made en masse by the Pirate infield and battery, was to no avail and a following single gave Cincy the game. The second was a pitching duel with Schneider’s three-hitter bettering the four-hit work of Marty O’Toole and Erv Kantlehner. In the long run, it made little difference as the Pirates finished seventh and the Reds last in the NL that season. (There have been a slew of June dates tossed around for Hans’ 3,000th hit. June 9th was the consensus, but Bucco historian John Dreker of Pirates Prospects says that this date is the newly accepted one following research of old-timey box scores, which are generally kinda sketchy.) 
• 1916 - Cubs catcher Bill Fischer set a MLB record by catching all 27 innings of a doubleheader loss to the Bucs at brand new Wrigley Field. Pittsburgh won both games 3-2 with the second game going 18 innings. The winning pitchers were Mike Prendergast and Tom Seaton with Prendergast pulling double duty, coming on to get the save in the nitecap. Impressed with Fischer's stamina‚ the Pirates traded for him at the end of July, and he played his last two seasons in the show for Pittsburgh. 
• 1938 - C Orlando McFarlane was born in Oriente, Cuba. Signed by the Bucs as an infielder in 1958, he was converted to catcher and got a cup of coffee with the Pirates in 1962, playing a bit more in 1964 and hitting .208 in his 45-game Bucco career. He was lost in the Rule 5 draft and played three more years with Detroit and the California Angels, but he battled nagging injuries while his impressive minor league bat never carried over to the show. Orlando played 10 years in the bushes with more stops in the Cuban, Mexican, Dominican and Puerto Rican leagues.

Kevin Polcovich - 1998 Upper Deck Collector's Choice

• 1970 - SS Kevin Polcovich was born in Auburn, New York. He spent his MLB career of two years (1997-98) with the Pirates, hitting .234. The University of Florida player was drafted in the 30th round by the Bucs in 1992, getting his call when Kevin Elster was injured, and would become a key member of the 1997 “Freak Show” that against all odds stayed in the divisional race until late September despite a $9M payroll. After he left the game, Kevin did some scouting and established the Icrush Bat Company, a manufacturer of maple bats.
• 1970 - The Pirates swept a twinbill from the Chicago Cubs, 3-2 and 4-1, in the last games played at 61-year-old Forbes Field in front of 40,918, the second largest crowd to gather at the ballyard. Al Oliver hit the last home run in FF history. Jim Nelson got the final W iced by a Dave Giusti save. It was a fitting finale; the Cubs were the first team the Pirates played at Forbes Field in 1909. Bill Mazeroski had the last Pirate hit there, a seventh inning double, and recorded the last put-out on a force play at second. It was the Pirates seventh straight victory and the Cubs 10th straight loss. The Bucs went on the road afterwards and opened TRS on July 16th, after the All-Star streak.

6/28 From 1973: Pops #300; Mad Dog Trade; Cole Train Rolls; Good Ump Show; Game Stories; HBD Michael

• 1973 - Willie Stargell hit his 300th career home run as the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6–0 at TRS. Al Oliver had a huge day, going 4-for-5 with a triple, two doubles and three RBI while Rennie Stennett added three hits to back Dock Ellis’ five hitter. 
• 1979 - The Pirates traded pitchers Ed Whitson‚ Al Holland‚ and Fred Breining to the Giants for P Dave Roberts and infielders Bill Madlock and Lenny Randle. Mad Dog solidified the Bucco infield at third and spent six seasons with Pittsburgh, winning batting titles in 1981 (.341) and 1983 (.323). Roberts was workmanlike for the Bucs in ‘79-80, though at 35 he was near the end of his journey; 1981 was his last season. Randle wasn’t here long enough to find his way to the North Shore before he was sold to the Yankees. Whitson pitched through 1991, winning 126 games and saving eight more while Holland worked out of various bullpens for 11 more seasons. Breining had a shorter career, lasting five years as a multi-role hurler. 

Bill Madlock - 1980 Topps

• 1993 - It took the Bucs nine innings to score five runs but just one frame to add four more as they rallied to take a 10-inning win from the Expos, 9-5, at Stade Olympique. There were two Buccos aboard via walks with two out in the ninth, and Orlando Merced was behind in the count 1-2 when he flared a single to right to tie the game. The Pirates were aided by Montreal gifts in the extra frame, with a walk and a poor decision on a bunt, sandwiched around an infield knock, loaded the bases with no outs. Another free pass forced home the lead run and singles by Tom Foley & Jay Bell provided plenty of insurance. Tim Wakefield got the win in relief, with Stan Belinda picking up the save; Pittsburgh went through six pitchers during the contest. The hot Pirates took their ninth victory in 11 games and snapped a seven-game winning streak of Expo twirler Denny Martinez. 
• 1993 - RHP Michael Feliz was born in Azua, Dominican Republic. Houston signed him in 2010 and he debuted in 2015. He averaged better than 13 K/nine innings with the ‘Stros from 2016-17 and was part of the Gerrit Cole package sent to the Pirates. He started as the seventh inning guy and was bumped up a notch when George Kontos was released, but hit on hard times and was removed from that role while he worked his way back. 
• 2006 - The Bucs set a team record with their 13th straight defeat, eclipsing the old mark set by the 1939 club when the White Sox edged them 4-3 at PNC Park with Paul Maholm taking the loss. They walked off the next game by a 7-6 score on a Freddy Sanchez homer, but still lost 7-of-11 on their way to a 67-95 campaign. 
• 2011 - Alex Presley was called up to replace an injured Jose Tabata and banged out a pair of hits, including his first MLB homer, while driving in three runs to lead the Bucs to a 7-6 win over Toronto at the Rogers Centre. An unlikely pair of batting heroes, Matt Diaz and Ronny Cedeno, combined for five hits, three runs and an RBI to help the cause against the Jays. Chris Resop, Jose Veras and Joel Hanrahan pitched three scoreless frames to preserve the win for Kevin Correia. 

Alex Presley - 2011 Topps Heritage Rookie

• 2013 - Gerrit Cole, the first overall pick of the 2011 draft, became the first Pirate rookie since Nick Maddox in 1907 to win the first four games he started when the Bucs shellacked the Brewers 10-3 at PNC Park in front of 36,875. Cole went six frames for the win, with Ryan Reid tossing three scoreless, two-hit innings to cruise home. They were supported by Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte, who each had three hits. Cutch had a double, homer, three RBI and a run while Starling added a double, triple, two runs and two RBI. 
• 2017 - Walking on the Roberto Clemente Bridge after lunch on his way to work the Pirates-Rays game at PNC Park, umpire John Tumpane saw a woman scaling the span’s railing; she told him she wanted a better view of the river. Sensing that she was suicidal and ready to plunge into the Allegheny River below, Tumpane grabbed one arm, passer-by Chris Dazen grabbed the other and a Tampa Bay staffer heading to the yard, Mike Weinman, joined in to keep her hogtied until emergency workers came to the rescue. John modestly said "I just happened to be there."

Big Joe, Bucco Bombs Leave 'Stros In Dust 10-0

Kevin Newman's on a roll; he banged Brad Peacock's first pitch over the fence to get the Bucs off and running. Bryan Reynolds walked and was forced out by Starling, who stole second. He came home on Redbeard's two-out, two-strike two-bagger. Corey D got a full count heater delivered down Broadway and lifted the ball the oppo way for another dinger; Buccos are en fuego! It took Peacock 39 tosses to get through the frame. Joe Musgrove gave up a hit between a pair of whiffs. JHK and Jake opened the second with back-to-back knocks, but the inning was short-circuited when Kang was caught off second by the relay. Big Joe got out of the 'Stro half when a one-out liner to Joey O became a DP; he's given up a couple of well-stroked balls without damage in the early going. Starling dropped a bunt for a knock to leadoff the third; J-Bell whacked the Bucs third homer (445' to left center); who are these guys? Another single, another strikeout, another zero for Big Joe. Cy Sneed took the ball in the fourth and just gave up a walk. Houston managed a couple of raps in their turn, but no one got past second.

Jake raked - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Sneed hung a slider on the second pitch of the fifth and Starling turned it into the Pirates fourth long fly of the day, slamming it 455'. J-Bell followed with a double, but the fun was done. A single, wild pitch and single left Astros on the corners with two outs, and Big Joe left them there. Jake bopped a long ball in sixth to make it 8-0; the 399' drive was his first big league bomb. Houston got a leadoff single and a two-out rap, but once again, Musgrove had it under control. The Bucs went in order in the seventh; Sneed has done a good job of damage control for the 'Stros. Michael Feliz took over; not sure why, as Joe was at 83 pitches, but they have been careful about his workload. Michael K'ed a pair in a clean frame. Joey O doubled with an out in the eighth and Jake plated him with a two-out rap. K-Man sent him home on the next pitch with another two-bagger. Clay Holmes drew the next straw and tossed a 1-2-3 frame. Sneed, who was just called up to replace Framber Alvarez, put up a zero in the ninth to finish his first MLB outing. Geoff Hartlieb was next in line and closed out with a quiet three outs. Raise the Roger.

But it's old hat to K-Man - 2019 Bowman

The old Astro bunch, Big Joe and Michael, showed off to their old team today. Musgrove gave up nine hits in six innings, yet only one runner reached third against him. The Bucs swatted 14 hits; five left the yard and four were doubles as they juiced the ball. Great start to a challenging road trip; now on to meet Milwaukee.

Notes:

• Kevin Newman and Jake Stallings each had three hits, including a homer. Starling Marte and Josh Bell added two knocks; they also homered. So did Corey Dickerson, who only had one hit but made it count. Every Pirate but Bryan Reynolds had a rap, and he reached on a walk. Seven Buccos scored and six had RBI (six had both) in another balanced offensive effort.
• Per Stats by STATS, the Pirates are the first team ever to win back-to-back interleague games by 10+ runs (14-2, 10-0). They also became just the fourth NL team since 1900 to hit four or more homers with four or more doubles in consecutive games.
• Hard to believe with Michael Feliz, Clay Holmes and Geoff Gottlieb pitching, but the Pirates issued no walks today.
• This is the first home series the Astros have lost. They were 9-0-3 in the 12 sets before this.
• The International League today announced its All-Star team, and Indy had three pitchers named to it: RHP's Mitch Keller, Montana DuRapau, and Dovy Neverauskas.

Big Joe v Brad Peacock, Lineup & Notes

Game: Getaway day's game is slated for 2:10 and will be carried by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds RF, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell DH, Colin Moran 2B, Corey Dickerson LF, Jose Osuna 1B, Jung Ho Kang 3B, Jake Stallings C (Joe Musgrove P). J-Bell gets to rest his legs for the whole series while Joey O's hot bat stays in play. Bryan Reynolds is back from his bruised shin, Jake gives Eli a blow and Redbeard takes over second from Fraze.

This is Colin's sixth start at second - image AT&T SportsNet

Pitchers: RHP Joe Musgrove (4-7/5.47) closes it out against RHP Brad Peacock (6-5/3.62). Big Joe went fastball/slider heavy in his last outing with pretty good success. We'll see if that mix trends against Houston. He's going on five days rest, a pretty common occurrence for Joe. This will be Musgrove's first tilt against the organization he grew up with. Peacock has been strong in his past nine games, going 4-3/2.63 with 61 K in 51 IP, but only has won once in his past six starts, something the Bucs would like to have remain a thing. He doesn't have much of a history against the Pirates, tossing just two innings against them back in 2016.

Notes:

• Kevin Newman has a 16-game hitting streak on the line today.
• PAT should have a direct route - The Pirates optioned RHP Dario Agrazal to Indy and recalled RHP Dovydas Neverauskas.
• Rookie Davis' blister has morphed into forearm tightness; he's still got five days left of a no-throw regimen before being reevaluated.
• The Orioles acquired Greensboro IF Patrick Dorrian as the PTBNL in the Yefry Ramirez deal; the 23-year-old is batting .256 and was assigned to the O's Hi-A team.
• Per KDKA's John Shumway, Pirates President Frank Coonelly says the Pirates are in the active planning stage to extend the protective netting at PNC Park by the foul poles; the team isn't waiting on an MLB directive. Timeline TBD.

6/27 Through the 1930’s: Iron Man Falls; HBD Elmo, Hank, Roy, Jackie & Minute Man

• 1861 - C Jackie Hayes was born in Brooklyn. Hayes played in three leagues - the National League, the American Association and the Players League - and spent two of his seven big league campaigns with the Alleghenys from 1883-84. Primarily a catcher, Jackie also played three infield positions and the corner outfield for Pittsburgh, batting .253. He fit right in with the rowdy bunch on the team at that time, gaining some notoriety for a late-evening brawl in a Cincinnati saloon. Hayes’ story had a sad ending as he died at the age of 43, deaf and suffering from locomotor ataxia, a condition that prevented him from walking unaided. 
• 1903 - The Pirates banged 15 hits off Iron Man Joe McGinnity‚ including four knocks by Honus Wagner‚ and it still took the Bucs extra innings to topple the Giants 4-2 at the Polo Grounds. Tommy Leach hit a two-run double in the 11th, drilling a McGinnity curve off the LF wall, to earn a W for Deacon Phillippe, who notched his seventh straight victory. Hans stayed hot in the Big Apple; he had four hits in his next game against Brooklyn. 

Hans - photo 1903 Pittsburgh Press 

• 1916 - P Cecil “Minute Man” Kaiser was born in New York. Per BR Bullpen, Kaiser got his start on the sandlots of West Virginia and debuted in 1945 with the Homestead Grays before heading south to play. Lured by a $700 per month paycheck, he returned to the Grays in 1947 and worked through the 1949 season for the club. He spent the majority of his time in the Latino leagues, getting a shot in the minors when he was 35; unfortunately, his arm was gone by then. He was a small guy in stature at 5’6” but with great control and a killer curve. He got his “Minute Man” moniker because it was said that’s how long it took for him to strikeout a batter. 
• 1921 - RHP Hank Behrman was born in Brooklyn. The righty tossed for four seasons and split 1947 between his hometown Dodgers and the Pirates. The Bucs got him as part of the Al Gionfriddo deal, and worked him for 10 outings (0-2/9.12) before selling him back to Brooklyn. He did have one strong year for da Bums in 1946 featuring a strong heater/curve combo, but as Rob Edelman of SABR wrote “His career was all promise and little delivery.” His last MLB campaign was in 1949 and his last pro game in 1953 when his arm went bad. He retired and became a teamster. 
• 1926 - C Roy Jarvis was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma. A 17-year-old bonus baby when he played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jarvis then served in the Navy during WW2 and then returned to baseball with the Pirates which had claimed his rights in the 1944 Rule 5 draft. (Roy was the last Pirate to lose a full season to WW2 military duty. Pittsburgh sent 28 MLB players and 15 minor-leaguers to the service in WW2 per “Baseball in Wartime.”) He got a couple of cups of coffee with the Buccos in 1946-47, hitting .163 in 20 games and spent the rest of his career in the minors, retiring to become a salesman after the 1955 campaign. 

Roy Jarvis - photo via Find-A-Grave

• 1938 - C Elmo Plaskett was born in Frederiksted, Virgin Islands. Elmo got in 17 games for the Bucs between 1962-63, hitting .200. He was a great hitter in the minors, winning a batting title and being named “Player of the Year” with Asheville of the Sally League but it didn’t carry over to the show. He played other positions beside catcher, but wasn’t much with the mitt and when he broke his leg in a winter league game in 1964, it spelled the end of his MLB days in the pre-DH era. He played in the minors through 1969, then retired to operate beisbol programs as a rec specialist for St. Croix, developing Midre Cummings for the Pirates. Plaskett, who died in 1998 at the age of 60, had a sunny, Manny Sanguillen-type personality, was dedicated to baseball throughout his life, and is still a hero in the Virgin Islands. The city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, inducted Elmo into the Museo Pancho Coímbre (Sporting Hall of Fame), and the Little League program on St. Croix is named after him, per SABR.

6/27 From 1960 Through the 1980’s: Early Replay; 9-In-A-Row; Juan Gone; Game Stories; HDB Daryle, Lee & AJ

• 1967 - Bill Mazeroski hit into the only triple play of his career (although he participated in a pair as a fielder) at Shea Stadium. It didn’t hurt the Bucs, though - it was staged before the game and filmed in ten minutes as a scene for the TV show “The Odd Couple.” 
• 1967 - LHP Lee Hancock was born in North Hollywood, California. He got into 24 games from 1995-96 for the Pirates, with no decisions and a 4.45 ERA, and that was the extent of his MLB days. Lee joined the Pirates in 1990 from the Mariners, swapped straight up for Scott Medvin, but spent most of his Bucco time on the farm at Buffalo and Calgary. The Cal-Poly alum finished his pro career in 1997. 

Lee Hancock - 1996 Leaf Signature

• 1968 - The Bucs rearranged their bullpen by selling LHP Juan Pizarro to the Boston Red Sox and purchasing 40-year-old LHP Bill Henry from the San Francisco Giants. Pizarro pitched through 1974, closing out his baseball days as a Pirate, while Henry was released by the Bucs in mid-August and got three more outings in '69 with Houston before calling it a career. 
• 1971 - Roberto Clemente bombed a pinch hit homer in the eighth to give the Bucs a wild 11-9 win at Philadelphia. He became the first player to “ring the bell” as his drive hit the duplicate Liberty Bell in the second level of center field at Veterans Stadium, perhaps to celebrate his 1,200 RBI. But Jose Pagan earned the game’s gold star with a pair of home runs and five RBI. Dave Giusti saved the win (despite giving up a three-run homer to Tim McCarver) for Dock Ellis, who had been cruising after a slow start until a five-run outburst in the ninth by Philadelphia. 
• 1975 - 1B Daryle Ward was born in Lynwood, California. He played from 2004-05 for the Bucs, with a slash of .256/27/120. Ward joined his father, Gary, to become the first father-son combination in major league history to hit for the cycle after he matched his dad’s feat in 2004 against the Cards. Ward was also the first player to hit one into the Allegheny from PNC Park while he was a member of the Astros, launching his shot off Kip Wells in 2002. 
• 1983 - The Pirates ran their winning streak to nine games while the Cardinals dropped their seventh straight as Pittsburgh won 6-1 at Busch Stadium. The game did have some early excitement when Joaquin Andujar buzzed Marvell Wynne; payback came quickly when John Candelaria dusted him, earning an ejection from umpire Joe West and a near brawl. It devolved into a bench-clearing coffee clatch thx to Chuck Tanner’s peacemaking intervention with the Buccos lined up to take a shot at Andujar. Tanner was also booted (it was automatic; West had warned the clubs after Wynne bit the dust) as was Jim Bibby, who was a bit too rambunctious. A two hour and 20 minute rain delay gave both sides a chance to regain their cool, and Cecilio Guante’s work in relief kept the Cards at bay the rest of the way. The win capped the Pirates victory skein; they lost the next day at Wrigley Field. In other news, GM Pete Peterson announced that he wouldn’t talk contract during the season, leaving Kent Tekulve, Dave Parker and Bibby in the cold during their walk year; only Teke would return in 1984. 

Keep the peace, get the boot - 1983 Donruss

• 1988 - The Pirates squeaked by the Mets in front of the largest crowd at TRS in five years, 41,489, by a 2-1 score despite losing a tally due to replay two decades before review existed. Up by a run after an RBI double by Andy Van Slyke in the fourth and a run-producing rap by Rafael Belliard in the fifth, a wild pitch brought home an insurance marker. The TRS scoreboard vid showed a replay that caught plate ump Paul Runge’s and Met’s manager Davey Johnson’s eyes. The ball seemed to change direction a bit on the vid, so Johnson came out to beef to Runge. He called together the boys in blue for a conference and they voted that it was a foul ball. Jose Lind, who was the batter Doc Gooden buzzed, said it ticked off his helmet and not his twig, but the umps stuck to their call. Commonplace today, replay review wouldn’t become legit until 2008 (and then just for disputed HRs; the current form began in 2014), and Jim Leyland protested the game. It never made it to the Commish as Mike Dunne, Barry Jones and Jim Gott made the two runs stand up. 
• 1989 - RHP AJ Schugel was born in Winter Haven, Florida. A waiver claim by the Bucs, he got into 36 games for Pittsburgh in 2016, going 2-2-1/3.63 as a long man in the pen with a nice 1.038 WHIP. He started 2017 at AAA Indy with a brief Pittsburgh stop in June and more permanent residence in August, but spent 2018 on the DL. He opted for free agency after the season and is still on the market.