No Fireworks Today, Just Another Fizzle As Bucs Fall 4-1 - Corey to Philly

Luis Castillo looked sharp in putting the Bucs away in the first. Not so Dario; his first pitch was sent into the seats by Jesse Winker; suddenly long balls have become an issue for Agrazal. Two whiffs later, the Reds got a pair of raps before the bell. The Pirates went quietly in the second; Castillo's slider/change combo has them in a fog. DA cleaned up the bottom of the order; he's up to four K already. K-Man singled to open the third, stole second and made it to third on a bouncer, dying there. A single and Eugenio Suarez homer on an 0-2 pitch, a pull job to left that was reviewed, made it 3-0. J-Bell singled with two gone in the fourth, mingled among three strikeouts. Cincy got a leadoff double, moving to third on a ground. A bopped batter didn't lead to a riot, just boos and barking (it was a back foot slider), but it did lead to a contact play out at home. Then the bases were jammed after Dario plunked another Red *sheesh* in the arm, getting the hook. Michael Feliz got the last out. Eli singled with two outs in the fifth to no avail. Chris Stratton was tagged for a walk and double with two away, but wriggled out of the jam.

Dario has surrendered five homers in his last two starts - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

It was a 1-2-3 sixth for Pittsburgh. A double and single puts Redlegs on the corners with an out, but a DP cleaned that up; the Reds are allowing the Bucs to hang around. Redbeard singled off a mitt with two outs in the seventh and nada else. Frankie Liriano took the ball, and a two-out walk, steal and single gave the Reds another tally, with a Starling-to-Bell-to-Newman relay cutting down Nick Senzel trying to stretch it. Eli singled to start the eighth and Joey O doubled him to third,bringing in Michael Lorenzen. He served a short fly, a RBI grounder, and walk to Starling before retiring J-Bell on a roller; the Bucs didn't take much advantage of their first solid opp. At the same time, a hug party was being held in the dugout; Corey D was shipped to Philly and was giving his farewells. Ric Rod tossed a clean frame. Lorenzen went to right field (he's played a dozen games in the pasture this year) and Raisel Iglesias took the bump. Lorenzen caught the first out, and a K was followed by a pop. Say goodnight, Gracie.

Swept by the Mets. Lost two-of-three to the Reds. Just traded a .315 hitter for who knows what?  More people in Latrobe than PNC Park. *sigh*

Notes:

• Eli had two of the Pirates six hits.
• Didn't expect much for Corey; the reported return is a PTBNL and international bonus money. (Confirmed by the Pirates). We'd have tried to re-sign him, but reading between the lines, that appeared to be a non-starter.
• David Bell and Clint turned in the lineups before the game and notably didn't shake hands. Could a cage match be in their future?
• The downside of last night - we're still wincing over the old replayed vids of the Reds drilling Cutch that are popping up all over social media.
• No decision yet on Jamo's arm; he's debating whether rest or surgery is the proper course of action as the doc's latest opinion was apparently noncommittal.
• Nick Burdi and Gregory Polanco are off to Bradenton for rehab work. 

Dario v Luis Castillo, Lineup & Notes - Deadline Day

Game: The getaway day matinee starts at 12:35 and will beamed out on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. Poor Dario; he'll be pitching in a madhouse today after last night's debate club dance; neither side sounded very happy in the post-games and it's a quick turnaround. Welcome to the Bucs-Reds, kid.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Bryan Reynolds RF, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Melky Cabrera LF, Colin Moran 3B, Kevin Newman SS, Elias Diaz C, Dario Agrazal P. Hmmm...Corey has three hits (two homers) and five RBI last night and is off today; hugwatch warning? And since Melky's starting, that's a pretty good (though not absolute) indicator of who's been getting some interest.

Will he stay or will he go? - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: RHP Dario Agrazal (2-1/3.24) closes the set against RHP Luis Castillo (9-4/2.71). Dario got a rude awakening with a three-homer game last time out, and we'll see if he can turn it into a learning experience. Otherwise, he stayed solid; for a kid off the radar and beginning the year at Altoona, he's been a shot in the arm. The 24-year-old has never tossed against the Cincy gang. The Reds believe Castillo is ace material, and though he's had a couple of rough outings as the innings pile up, he's given up two or fewer runs in 16 of his 21 starts. Castillo has yielded four runs (just two earned) in 11 IP v the Pirates on eight hits with 12 K, so he's been hard on the Bucco bats.

Notes:

• The trade deadline is 4PM today; should be an interesting afternoon. Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors reports on the Bucs hottest ticket, Felipe Vazquez. And there should be a boatload of suspensions coming down from the league, too, after last night's Great American Brawl.
• The Braves and Pirates are tied for second in the NL with 50 hit batters, one behind Miami. Those same three teams are also 1-2-3 in Senior Circuit walks allowed. Ya think there might be a correlation?
• After today, the Bucs get a day off and then play six at home aginst the Mets and Brewers.

7/31 Deadline Deals: Lieber Arrives; Bosox Mulligan; '06,'10 Housecleaning; Matty Mo; Bay 3-Way; Watson Swap, Arch, Kela Trades

• 1987 - The Pirates traded RHP Don Robinson to the San Francisco Giants for C Mackey Sasser and $50K. Robinson did everything from starting to closing for the Giants from ‘87-91, with a slash of 42-33-14/3.56. Sasser played a dozen games for the Buccos and then was sent to the Mets after the season as part of the Randy Milligan deal. 
• 1993 - RHP Jon Lieber was traded by the Kansas City Royals along with reliever Dan Miceli to the Bucs for closer Stan Belinda. Lieber won 38 games in five seasons with Pittsburgh, Miceli had 24 saves/10 holds in four Pirates campaigns and Belinda lasted two years for KC, blowing 2-of-3 save opps and settling into a bridge role. 

Jon Lieber - 1994 Flair Wave of the Future

• 2001 - The Pirates traded the well-traveled LHP Terry Mulholland to the Dodgers for pitchers Mike Fetters and Adrian Burnside. Mulholland, from Uniontown, pitched for 11 teams in a 20-year career and had a pair of stints with the Cubs, Phils and Giants. The FO also swapped Mike Williams to the Astros for RHP Tony McKnight. It was actually more like a lend-lease, as Williams signed with the Bucs again as a free agent after the season. 
• 2002 - The Bucs sent first round bust OF Chad Hermansen to the Cubs for OF Darren Lewis, who refused to report to the Pirates and retired instead. Chad hit .209 for the Cubs before moving on. 
• 2003 - Pitchers Brandon Lyon, Anastacio Martinez and Jeff Suppan were traded by the Bucs to the Red Sox for LHP Mike Gonzalez, 2B Freddy Sanchez and cash in a redo deal. Originally, Gonzalez had gone to Boston for Lyons and Martinez a few days earlier, but Lyons flunked the physical causing a reworking of the swap. The mulligan panned out pretty well for the Bucs. 
• 2004 - GM Dave Littlefield reportedly rejected an offer to deal pitcher Kris Benson to the Phillies for a power-hitting prospect named Ryan Howard, who would eventually become a NL MVP. The Bucs thought they had a Howard clone already in their system with Brad Eldred. 
• 2005 - The Cubs sent young OF Jody Gerut to Pittsburgh for vet OF Matt Lawton. Chi-town shipped Lawton to the Yankees for a minor leaguer in August. Gerut, hampered by a bum knee, barely played and was released after 2006, appearing in just four games as a Pirate. 
• 2006 - Busy at the deadline: The Pirates traded pitchers Roberto Hernandez and Oliver Perez to the Mets for Xavier Nady. Pittsburgh also sent P Kip Wells to the Rangers for P Jesse Chavez, traded OF/1B Craig Wilson to the Yankees for P Shawn Chacon and acquired RHP Brian Rogers from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for 1B Sean Casey. Nady hit .301 in three Pittsburgh seasons, Chavez was flipped in the 2009 offseason for Aki Iwamura, Chacon gave the Bucs two workmanlike campaigns and Rogers was ineffective, getting into 13 games over two years. 

Matt Morris - photo Associated Press

• 2007- The Bucs traded OF Rajai Davis and IF Stephen McFarland to the San Francisco Giants for RHP Matt Morris, who was being paid $7.5M in 2007 and under contract to make $9.5M in 2008 with a $1M buyout for 2009. He was released on April 27th of 2008 after going 3-8 with a 7.04 ERA in 16 Pirate starts. Many believed this deal was the straw that broke the back of GM Dave Littlefield’s era in Pittsburgh. Rajai is still playing. Another rumored deal didn’t get done; there were hot and heavy talks with the Tigers to send SS Jack Wilson to Motown, but the deal fell through when the two sides couldn’t agree on how much of Wilson’s remaining two year/$14.5M contract would be eaten by the Pirates.
• 2008 - Jason Bay and Josh Wilson were traded to the Boston Red Sox in a three-team deal that sent Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Andy LaRoche & Bryan Morris to the Pirates from LA, and Brandon Moss & Craig Hansen coming to the Bucs from Beantown. None of the prospects panned out for Pittsburgh, and Bay’s career was hamstrung by injury. Reports were that Tampa Bay offered SS Reid Brignac & P Jeff Niemann for Bay, but the Bucco FO wanted Wade Davis, David Price or Jeremy Hellickson instead of Niemann, ending that talk in a hurry. Miami was also a player and offered a package anchored by OF Jeremy Hermida and P Ryan Tucker, but the Pirates were focused on an 18-year-old outfielder named Mike Stanton, another untouchable. 
• 2010 - A lot of wheeling and dealing: RHP James McDonald was traded to Pittsburgh with OF Andrew Lambo by the LA Dodgers for RHP Octavio Dotel and cash. The Bucs also flipped LHP Javier Lopez to the Giants for RHP Joe Martinez and OF Joe Bowker. In a big house cleaning/change of scenery deal, SS Bobby Crosby, RHP D.J. Carrasco and RF Ryan Church were sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash, C Chris Snyder and SS Pedro Ciriaco. J-Mac had a promising start but crashed while Lambo couldn’t overcome a spate of injuries; the other players didn’t leave much of a mark with the organization. 
• 2011 - OF Ryan Ludwick was sent to the Pirates by San Diego for cash. He hit .232 with two homers during the dog days and then signed with the Reds in the off season. 
• 2012 - 1B Gaby Sanchez and RHP Kyle Kaminska went from the Marlins to the Pirates for OF Gorkys Hernandez and 2013’s sandwich compensation draft pick five minutes before the deadline expired. Gaby stayed as a platoon 1B and bench bat through 2014 with Pittsburgh, hitting .241, and then went to Japan to play. Before that trade, the Bucs dealt 3B Casey McGehee to the Yankees for RHP Chad Qualls; both ended up as stretch run rentals for their respective clubs. 

JA Happ - 2015 Topps Post Season

• 2015 - The Bucs picked up 1B/OF Michael Morse, who had just been traded to and DFA’ed by the LA Dodgers, for OF Jose Tabata and cash. The Beast hit .275 with a .390 OBP in 45 games during the stretch, mainly off the bench. In a late deal spurred by AJ Burnett’s same-day trip to the DL due to elbow inflammation, Pittsburgh then sent minor league RHP Adrian Sampson to Seattle for veteran lefty JA Happ, who turned in a masterful slash of 7-2/1.85.  
• 2017 - LHP Tony Watson (5-3-10, 3.66) was sent to the LA Dodgers for a pair of prospects, IF Oneil Cruz and RHP Angel German. Tony joined the club in 2011 and was seventh in franchise history with 450 appearances, but had lost his closer job to Felipe Rivera and was in his walk year. To replace him, the Pirates picked up 40-year-old rental Joaquin Benoit from the Phillies for 23-year-old Bradenton Marauders closer Seth McGarry. Watson is now working for the Giants. 
• 2018 - Busy day for the Buccos. First, they sent OF Austin Meadows, RHP Tyler Glasnow, both at one time the top-rated Pirates prospects, and a PTBNL (RHP Shane Baz, the Pirates 2017 first-rounder, #12 overall) to Tampa Bay for RHP Chris Archer. Archer, 29, joined Jameson Taillon at the head of the rotation (a spot he wouldn’t hold for long), and he’s under contract through the 2021 season. The Pirates also snagged RHP Keone Kela, 25, from the Texas Rangers for minor league LHP Taylor Hearn, 23, and a PTBNL (19-year-old 3B Sherten Apostel, a Low-A prospect). Kela was the Rangers’ closer, but the Bucs added him to provide extra depth to their bullpens back end before handing the ball off to Felipe Vazquez. Hearn was having a breakout campaign at Altoona and was the top-ranked Pirate organizational southpaw starter.

7/31 Through the 1940’s: Lefty Loses It; Gee Whiz; 19 Frames; HBD Vic, Elmer, Frank, Joe & Peanuts

• 1870 - C/1B Joe Sugden was born in Philadelphia. Sugden spent the first five seasons (1893-97) of his 13 year big league career with Pittsburgh, hitting .277. Joe went on to become a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals. 
• 1892 - LHP Erv ”Peanuts” Kantlehner was born in San Jose. Working mostly as a starter for the Bucs from 1914-16, he went 13-29 with a 2.85 ERA. Erv later coached high school baseball. He was said to have gotten his nickname in the minors for reasons unknown - it was certainly not his size, as he was a six-footer.

Lefty - 1986 Team Photo Snip

• 1896 - Per Gregory Wolf of SABR: “In a game against Cincinnati at League Park, (Pirates pitcher) Lefty Killen charged home plate to argue with umpire Bud Lilly, who had changed his call on a fly down the left-field line from foul to hit. According to the Pittsburgh Daily Post, Lilly ‘let go at’ Killen, apparently under the impression that the pitcher would strike him. Killen retaliated by landing ‘a couple of blows on (Lally’s) face’ before a riot erupted with players, spectators, and police rushing onto the field. When order was finally restored, Killen was under arrest and escorted to the local police station. Killen was ultimately fined $25 while team owner William Kerr publicly condemned the umpire for provoking the incident.” Pittsburgh won in spite of the rhubarb, 9-7, over the Cincinnati Reds at League Park. The incident wasn’t out of character for the short-fused Killen. Wolf noted “The ‘grave objection to Killen is his temper,’ opined Sporting Life. ’He is as obstinate as a mule.’”
• 1912 - The Pirates scored three runs in the 19th inning and then barely held off Boston to take a 7-6 decision at the South End Grounds. 38-year-old Honus Wagner was the man of the hour, stealing home and later driving in the final, game-winning run for Pittsburgh against the Braves. The game was a duel turned into slugfest - it was 2-2 going into the 18th when both clubs scored twice, and five more runs were scored in the 19th. Otto Hess of the Braves had an excuse; he went all 19 frames. For the Bucs, Hank Robinson and Howie Camnitz faded in relief of Marty O’Toole (he called it a day after 12 innings), although Camnitz got the win despite giving up two runs in the last frame.
• 1914 - RHP Elmer Riddle was born in Columbus, Georgia. The 10-year veteran tossed his last two campaigns (1948-49) in Pittsburgh, winning an All-Star berth the first season while posting a 12-10, 3.49 line. He faded badly in ‘49, winning just one game in his final year while hobbled by a bum wheel. He toiled briefly as a scout for Kansas City afterward and then worked for United Oil in his hometown of Columbus.
• 1936 - OF Vic Davalillo was born in Churuguara, Venezuela. He played for the Bucs from 1971-73, hitting .290 while a platoon player in the outfield and first. Vic played on two Pirate playoff clubs and when he was traded to Oakland in 1973, he joined a third. Davalillo was a motherland hero; he played 30 seasons in the Venezuelan Winter League and still holds a handful of career records, including a .325 BA. In 2003, Vic was selected in the inaugural class of the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame.

Vic Davalillo - photo via Autograph Warehouse

• 1939 - The Pirates obtained 6' 9" LHP Johnny Gee from Syracuse of the International League for $75,000 and four players. Nicknamed “Gee Whiz,” he lasted parts of four seasons (1939, 1941, 1943-44) with the Bucs, winning five games. Also known as “Long John” (and as the “$75,000 Lemon”), he never fully recovered from a 1940 arm injury. Gee was the tallest person to play MLB until 6’10” Randy Johnson debuted for the Montreal Expos in September, 1988. Not too surprisingly, Long John went on to play pro hoops for the NBA Syracuse Nationals.
• 1944 - RHP Frank Brosseau was born in Drayton, North Dakota. A first-round pick of the Bucs in the 1966 secondary draft, he was inked from the U of Minnesota as an OF’er. When his bat proved weak, he was converted to the mound. That got him a shot in the show with the Pirates, albeit for three games in 1969 and 1971, working 3-2/3 IP and giving up two runs. He finished his pro career in 1971 at AAA Charleston.

7/31 From the 1950’s Through the 1970’s: Bragan Bounce; Scoops Cover; Game Stories; HBD Mike & JJ

• 1953 - Murry Dickson broke a personal five-game losing streak and the team’s four-game skid by scattering eight hits to defeat the Chicago Cubs 4-0 at Forbes Field. Though Bruins were on in every frame but one, only three Cubs reached second and just one made it as far as third. C Nick Koback had a memorable day; not only did the rookie collect his first MLB hit, a ninth-inning single, but he called a shutout in his first big league start behind the dish. 

Bobby Bragan - photo via Sports Memorabilia

• 1957 - Manager Bobby Bragan was ejected for arguing a call (actually, he held his nose) during a 4-2 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. After being tossed, he went slightly bonkers. Bobby got an orange drink from the stands; the umps told him to take it into the clubhouse, and he offered them all a sip and ordered hot dogs for the boys in blue, but they weren’t placated. After their report to the league, Bragan was fined $100 and threatened with suspension if he didn’t clean up his act. After the game, Bragan was quoted by the Pittsburgh Press’ Les Biederman as saying “My only regret is that the hot dog didn’t arrive in time.” Bragan was fired three days later and replaced by Danny Murtaugh on a temporary basis. The fill-in Murtaugh managed until 1964 and was brought back as skipper three more times after that. 
• 1959 - RHP Mike Bielecki was born in Baltimore. His first four years (1984-’87) were spent in Pittsburgh, where he went 10-17 with a 4.57 ERA. He was the Pirates first round pick in the 1979 draft (secondary phase) and went on to have a workmanlike 14-year MLB career. 
• 1961 - C Smoky Burgess, OF Roberto Clemente, P ElRoy Face and 1B Dick Stuart repped the Bucs in the second All-Star game of the year at Fenway Park, a 1-1 tie called after nine innings because of rain. The next tie wouldn’t be until 2002 when the game was controversially called after the sides ran out of pitchers. Clemente went 0-for-2, Burgess & Stu 0-for-1, and the Baron of the Bullpen was uncalled upon by manager Danny Murtaugh. 
• 1962 - The NL owners unanimously rejected a proposal by Commissioner Ford Frick to include inter-league play at the annual scheduling meeting held in Chicago. The idea dated back to 1903 when the NL and AL first made peace, but wouldn’t come to fruition until 1997. 
• 1964 - It happens to the best of them. The San Francisco Giants took advantage of three errors by Bill Mazeroski and three more by his teammates to edge the Bucs 8-6 at Forbes Field. Maz's last error, a dropped catch on a potential around-the-horn DP ball in the ninth, would have ended the game with the Pirates on top 6-5 if he had held on to turn the pivot. The Pirates made six errors during the contest with 3B Bob Bailey mishandling two chances and C Jim Pagliaroni adding another miscue to the list. 

Donn Clendenon - 1968 Topps

• 1968 - The Pirates used a triple play to squelch a Reds comeback in a tight contest and then turned it on to run away from Cincinnati at Crosley Field 10-1. Up 2-1 with Dock Ellis on the mound, a pair of Reds aboard on walks were off and running on a 3-2 pitch to Tommy Helms. He lined the ball to Gene Alley, who flipped it to Bill Mazeroski and then on to Donn Clendenon to erase the jam. Roberto Clemente and Clendenon homered in a victory that wasn’t iced until the Bucs scored six times in the last two frames. It secured a twin bill split as Bob Moose and the Buccos were dusted 8-2 in the opener. Clendenon had five hits on the day and Manny Mota collected four. 
• 1976 - Al Oliver was featured as the cover story of The Sporting News in an article titled “Batting Demon.” It was his third AS year, and he finished the season with a.323 BA and .839 OPS. He played 18 years of MLB ball and finished up with a .303 lifetime batting average, .795 OPS and seven All-Star appearances. 
• 1979 - IF Jason Joseph “JJ” Furmaniak was born in Naperville, Illinois. A three-time All-Star in the minors, Furmaniak had a cup of coffee with the Bucs in 2005, getting into 13 games and hitting .192 after being dealt to Pittsburgh for David Ross. He signed with Oakland in 2007 and played 16 games for them before going to Japan for a season. JJ then finished out his career in the minors with 2011 being his last campaign.

7/31 From 1980: Pops In HoF; Strike Ends; Shark's 31st; AJ, Jose Gems; Game Stories

• 1981 - The player’s strike ended after 42 days. In the settlement, teams that lost a top free agent would be compensated from a pool of players left unprotected from all of the clubs (who could protect 26 players) rather than just the signing club, a procedure that lasted until 1985. The union agreed to restrict free agency to players with six or more years of major league service. Reportedly, the negotiations were so bitter that after the deal, Players Association rep Marvin Miller and the owners' negotiator Ray Grebey refused to pose with each other for the traditional “done deal” photo. The year became “split season” with first-half winners meeting second-half titleists to determine the champs. It was a weird year; the Pirates and Cards played 102 games during the season while the Giants got in 111. 

Jose DeLeon - 1984 Donruss

• 1983 - Rookie Jose DeLeon held the Mets hitless for 8-1/3 innings before Hubie Brooks singled, but Mike Torrez countered with 11 shutout innings as New York won 1-0 in 12 frames. In his previous start‚ DeLeon had held the Padres hitless for 6-1/3 innings. Manny Sarmiento took the loss when the Pirates opted to go for a DP with an out in the 12th, but George Foster beat the relay to first. The day was a double defeat for the Bucs as they lost the twin bill’s lidlifter 7-6, blowing a 6-1 lead. Jim Bibby took the loss in the 11th on Bob Bailor’s walk off single to waste Jason Thompson’s first-inning grand slam. 
• 1985 - The Pirates scored twice in the bottom of the 10th to rally past the Phillies 4-3 at TRS. Cecilio Guante picked up the win in spite of himself, allowing a home run in the top of the 10th and tossing a wild pitch in the ninth that tied the game. Former Bucco Kent Tekulve suffered the loss after Steve Kemp lined a two-out walk off single to left to bring home Larry McWilliams, pinch running for Jason Thompson. The batter before Kemp, Marvell Wynne, hit into a force that plated Lee Mazzilli and knotted the score again. 
• 1988 - Willie Stargell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as the sole honoree that year. Stargell played his entire career (1962-1982) with the Pirates, batting .282 with 2,232 hits, 475 home runs and 1,540 RBI. His home run and RBI totals remain first on the club’s all-time list, in addition to his 937 walks and 953 extra-base hits. 
• 1992 - Knuckleball specialist Tim Wakefield made his debut against the Cards at TRS, replacing Zane Smith who was hurt, and pitched his way to a 3-2 win. He was in hot water early, giving up a couple of unearned runs in the fifth after working his way out of second and third frame jams. But he left the bases full of Redbirds in the fifth and cruised afterward. He got all his support from a pair of bombs, a two-run shot by Barry Bonds and a solo homer off Jay Bell’s bat, and made the three scores stand up. The Bucs went into first after the win and never looked back. 
• 1997 - Kevin Young played through a case of the flu, and the pregame chicken soup worked its magic as his three-run, eighth-inning homer carried the Bucs to a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies at TRS. Jason Schmidt went eight frames for the win with Rick Loiselle earning the save. 
• 2012 - AJ Burnett held the Cubs hitless through 7-2/3 innings before giving up his only knock, a single to right by Adrian Cardenas. The Bucs won 5-0 at Wrigley. Burnett pitched a complete game while a clutch Neil Walker had all five RBI. 

AJ - 2013 Topps Archives

• 2013 - The Pirates won their fourth straight in a five-game series (they would lose the next day 13-0) over St. Louis with a 5-4 win at PNC Park. With Card ace Adam Wainwright on the hill, Pittsburgh rallied three times from early deficits to tie the game 4-4 in the fifth. The score stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth. Neil Walker opened with a single and tagged to second after Pedro Alvarez’s drive to left died in the corner for the second out. Russell Martin turned on a slider and lined it into short left center for the game winner. The Pirate bullpen tossed five scoreless innings in the victory, with Tony Watson getting the win and Mark Melancon earning the save. The Pirates extended their NL Central lead to 2-½ games with the decision. 
• 2015 - Behind Starling Marte’s ninth-inning defensive prowess and Jung-Ho Kang’s stick, the Pirates snapped a six game losing streak at GABP by hanging on the beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4. Marte threw out Brandon Phillips at home for the second out of the ninth, then made a tumbling, grass-top grab of Todd Frazier’s low, hooking liner to end the game, giving Mark Melancon his 31st straight save conversion. JHK ripped three straight doubles, scored twice (once on a heads-up sprint home following a short wild pitch) and drove in a run. Kang finished July with a .379 BA & 13 extra-base hits, the most productive month for a Pirate rookie since Paul Waner hit .381 with 14 multi-base contests in September of 1926. Jeff Locke got the win for the Bucs.

Bucs Do A Little Batting & A Little Battlin' In 11-4 Win Over Reds

With one gone in the first against Tanner Roark, Bryan Reynolds doubled, Starling legged out an infield tapper, and they both scooted home on J-Bell's two-bag gapper to right center. The Reds tried to answer off Joe Musgrove. A pair of one-out raps and a miscue by Corey D in left put Redlegs at second and third, but a swinging K and a bouncer left them aboard. Pittsburgh went 1-2-3 in the second. Cincy opened with a double, but Big Joe wriggled out of danger again. With an out in the third, Reynolds singled while Starling and J-Bell walked to jam the sacks. Redbeard K'ed, but Corey and K-Man picked him up with back-to-back raps, plating three Pirates. Cincinnati finally cashed in on a Joey Votto homer, making it 5-1. Fraze and Reynolds were issued consecutive passes with an out in the fourth; Lucas Sims took over and coaxed Starling into a DP bouncer. The Reds keep on chipping; Jose Iglesias went long in the Reds half with two away. Redbeard walked with one down in the fifth, and Corey smacked a long fly to get the run back and some. K-Man singled and stole second but remained on the pond. It was a quiet frame for Big Joe.

Big Joe was tough enough tonight - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Sims struck out the side in the sixth; Musgrove came close, fanning the first pair before a grounder broke up the string. Robert Stephenson got the seventh, and Corey stayed hot, swatting another dinger with two down. Keone Kela came in and picked up a pair of K, buzzing Derek Dietrich for good measure, with a little barking between the two. KK and Votto continued the convo between innings, then Kela chatted with manager David Bell, leading the ump to warn both benches. Melky doubled with an out in the eighth and went to third on a wild pitch, where he stayed. Kyle Crick came on. An error by K-Man, single, and walk crammed the bases with an out, but Crick escaped with just a run while Bell was ejected over a beef on a strike call. Amir Garrett worked the ninth after Jared Hughes got one batter, Starling, and plunked him, earning the hot water. Redbeard singled and Joey O went yard. Garrett charged the entire Pirates bench an out later following some mutual barking,  starting another fine mess. Garrett and Puig joined Archie and Crick in the sin bin. The inning ended with no further frolics, and Geoff Hartlieb took the hill. He gave up a run on a walk and two singles while striking out the side. Raise the Roger.

Did I show ya the pictures from Kennywood...? - image Fox Ohio

Well, it was entertaining. All the Bucco trade bangles shined brightly, and finally the hitting was matched by decent pitching. It's nice to get that nine-game spiral outta the way. And yah, David Bell could use some anger management training, but we still remember the Pedro Borbon days... At least there aren't any probs with over-fraternization between these two clubs. Oh, and happy birthday, Clint. The boys gift-wrapped a nice win for you tonight.

Notes:

• Corey D had three hits, K-Man and Bryan Reynolds had a pair each. Dickerson's five RBI are a career single-game high. Corey likes GABP; he has nine homers in 14 games here. And joey O pounded his fifth pinch-hit homer.
• Word circulated late in the game that Trevor Bauer was traded to Reds, with Yasiel Puig as part of the package in a three-teamer with San Diego, although Puig stayed in the game and even brawled some. Might as well enjoy the last night...
• David Bell, who was ejected before the to-do, came back on the field and shoved Clint, with some choice yaps aimed at the skipper. That should get him a couple of games off...
• Robert Murray of The Athletic said that Milwaukee, among other clubs, have kicked Keone Kela's tires.
• The Pirates suspended pen coach Euclides Rojas for two games due to a violation of his contract, beginning tonight, with no further comment. *sheesh* What's in that bullpen water cooler?
• Gift Ngoepe was released from Altoona; we'd like to see the Bucs get him into a coaching role.

Big Joe v Tanner Roark, Lineup & Notes - Bullpen Shuffle With Indy

Game: First pitch is at 7:10 with the game carried by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. Big Joe's pitching - and it's raining.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Bryan Reynolds RF, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Corey Dickerson LF, Kevin Newman SS,Jake Stallings C, Joe Musgrove P. Corey D is back in the saddle tonight.

Big Joe's starts lately...

Pitchers: RHP Joe Musgrove bumps heads with RHP Tanner Roark in the middle match. July has been a meh month for Big Joe; he's 1-2/4.38 in five starts, with six dingers surrendered in 24-2/3 IP and some unearned runs hurting otherwise strong .217 Opp BA and a whiff per inning peripherals. He hasn't tossed against the Reds since April, but was tough on them then, tossing nine shutout innings and charged with just three hits while fanning nine in two outings (one start), good for a win and a hold. Roark's been solid, with 12 of his 20 starts resulting in two or fewer runs for his foes. He had a so-so outing in April against the Bucs, giving up three runs and seven hits in five frames during a game that eventually was decided in Pittsburgh's favor by the bullpens, 6-5. He's on the hotlist of potential deadline movers, so this could be his last outing in a Reds uni.

Notes:

• RHP Geoff Hartlieb and RHP Yefry Ramirez have been recalled from Indy; RHP Alex McRae and RHP Montana DuRapau have been optioned back down.
• Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweeted that "It’s seen as 'unlikely' that Starling Marte or Felipe Vazquez is traded from Pirates. Vazquez drawing tons of interest."
• The Pirates have lost nine straight, their worst streak since dropping 10 in-a-row in 2011.
• Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com wrote that five teams should face the facts and sell, with the Pirates among them. The site also has Felipe as the top get in a relievers trade rumors column.
• The Pirates and Cubs meet in the 2019 Little League Classic at Williamsport on August 18th; Teke will rep the Pirates there and Andre Dawson will be the Cubs man.

7/30 Deadline Deals: Wilson, Schmidt, Benson, J-Hay, Gorzo, Grabow, Melancon, Felipe...

• 2000 - The Pirates announced a deal after a 9-8 loss to the Padres: the Cardinals sent young SS Jack Wilson to the Bucs for LHP Jason Christiansen. Wilson would be the Bucs starting SS from 2001-09, winning an AS berth and Gold Glove in 2004, while Christiansen would toss through 2005, with only one strong year during that span. Even though trade talks were in the final stages, Jimmy Leyland broke with tradition and used Christiansen during the contest, as the swap wasn’t finalized until later in the game. He was, btw, hammered for four runs in 1/3 IP, which fortunately didn't deter the Redbirds. 

Armando Rios - 2002 Topps Total

• 2001 - The Bucs sent RHP Jason Schmidt and OF John Vander Wal to the Giants for OF Armando Rios and RHP Ryan Vogelsong. Schmidt went 7-1 the rest of the year for SF and then signed a big four-year contract. Vander Wal wason four teams in the following four years, retiring in 2004. Vogelsong underwent Tommy John surgery two months later. When he returned, he went 10-17/5.82 over four years and then left for Japan. 
• 2004 - The Pirates traded RHP Kris Benson and IF Jeff Keppinger to the Mets for 3B Jose Bautista (who they had lost in the 2003 Rule 5 draft), IF Ty Wigginton and RHP Matt Peterson. Bautista became the tenth major leaguer to play for four teams in a season, having been on the rosters of Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Kansas City. In fact, he was actually on five teams, as he was acquired by the Mets from the Royals but sent to Pittsburgh the same day. Benson, the other key player in the deal, won just 27 more games in his career. 
• 2009 - The Pirates shipped lefties Tom Gorzelanny and John Grabow to the Cubs in exchange for IF Josh Harrison and RHPs Kevin Hart and Jose Ascanio. Gorzo became a bullpen guy for several clubs, Grabow’s last season was 2011, Hart & Acasio succumbed to injuries and J-Hay ended up the keeper of the deal. For the Pirates, it was the end of a 10-day purge. Besides Gorzo and Grabow, they had earlier dealt away Freddy Sanchez, Jack Wilson, Ian Snell and Adam LaRoche; Harrison and Ronny Cedeno were the only prospects netted from those three deals to become starting players for Pittsburgh. 
• 2011 - The Pirates traded minor league 1B Aaron Baker to the Orioles for 1B Derrek Lee, the first time that Pittsburgh was a buyer at the trade deadline since dealing for SS Shawon Dunston in 1997 to bolster the “Freak Show” lineup. Baker never made it past the AA level while Lee hit .337 with seven long balls for the Pirates in 28 games (he missed a month with a wrist injury) as Lyle Overbay’s replacement before retiring at the end of the year at age 35. 
• 2012 - In a trade of 2006 first rounders, Pittsburgh sent RHP Brad Lincoln to Toronto for OF Travis Snider. The change of scenery didn’t help much - Lincoln’s MLB career ended after the 2014 season and Travis has bounced around between AAA and the show since. 

Travis Snider - 2012 Topps Update

• 2015 - Keep the phone charged: The Pirates acquired veteran RHP Joe Blanton, 34, from the Royals for $660K after he had been DFA’ed. Blanton went 5-0/1.57 for the Pirates during the dog days. RHP Vance Worley was released to make room for him. In a bigger deal, RHP Joakim Soria was picked up by the Pirates from the Tigers for Altoona SS prospect JaCoby Jones. The Detroit closer, slotted to work the back end of the bullpen behind Mark Melancon and Tony Watson, made 29 Bucco appearances with a 2.03 ERA, one save and 11 holds. Finally, IF Justin Sellers, who had been DFA’ed, was sent to the Chicago White Sox for cash. 
• 2016 - The Pirates sent closer Mark Melancon and $500K to the Washington Nationals for a pair of hard throwing lefties (both touched 100), reliever Felipe (Rivero) Vazquez and prospect Taylor Hearns. The Shark was a bullpen backender that came over in the Joel Hanrahan deal with Boston. In four years w/Pirates, he went 10-10-174/1.80. Vazquez is on his way to becoming one of the league’s elite back-end relievers after taking over the closers’ job in 2017 from Tony Watson. Hearn was a 21-year-old lanky southpaw with an upper 90s heater and control issues; he’s now with the Rangers. He was already on the Bucco radar; he was the Pirates 22nd-round pick in 2012, but didn’t sign and went to Oklahoma Baptist. As for Melancon, he turned into a pure and costly Nat rental, signing with the Giants after the campaign.

7/30 Through the 1910’s: Pud Umps; Game Stories; HBD Johnny, Casey, Bill, Hal & Chuck

• 1870 - C/1B Bill Merritt was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. The reserve played for the Pirates from 1894-97, with a brief stop in Cincinnati (Pittsburgh was one of Bill’s six MLB outposts). He hit .280 with the Bucs. 
• 1886 - Enjoying an off day between games against the Metropolitans in New York, Allegheny pitcher Gentleman Jim Galvin decided to take in the NY Giants-St. Louis match at the Polo Grounds, and ended up with the best seat in the house. Still steaming over some verbal blasts unleashed during the prior day’s game, ump John Gaffney demanded a pre-game apology from the Giants. With none forthcoming, he stormed off the grounds, and Pud was pulled from the stands to ump. He must have done OK; the Giants edged the Maroons 2-1 and he escaped in one piece. 

Casey Stengel 1918 - photo via RMY Auctions

• 1890 - OF Casey Stengel was born in Kansas City, Missouri. The Ol’ Perfesser spent 1918-19 as a Pirate, with a .280 BA, and performed his famous “bird in the hat” stunt as a Bucco. He’s much more associated with New York, of course, than Pittsburgh. Between playing and managing, the Hall-of-Famer is the only person to have worn the uniforms of all four of New York's major league clubs - the Dodgers, Giants, Yankees and Mets. 
• 1891 - The Pirates got off to a 31–47 start following a disastrous 23–113 season, demoted captain/manager Ned Hanlon (who had left the team in 1890 for the Pittsburgh Burghers of the upstart Players' League before returning to the club after that league folded) and hired Bill McGunnigle as skipper. McGunnigle managed the club to a modest 24–33 record over the remainder of the year. He was replaced by Tom Burns, who didn’t make it through the 1892 season before losing his job to Al Buckenberger. 
• 1894 - IF Chuck Ward was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He started his six-year MLB career with the Pirates, playing 125 games and hitting 236 in 1917. The next five campaigns were spent with the Brooklyn Robins, where he became a deep bench player, batting 100 times in just one season. Ward started pro ball in 1912 as a 17-year-old at Falls City and retired after the 1924 campaign spent with Toledo. He later managed the Rutgers nine for a dozen years. 
• 1904 - Baseball had some pretty rowdy roots. Per BR Bullpen: “Cardinals pitcher Jack Taylor walked seven and tossed three wild pitches to help the Pirates beat St. Louis, 5-2 at Exposition Park. The outcome was viewed suspiciously because several local gamblers had bet heavily on Pittsburgh before the game, but the real reason was Taylor and teammate Jake Beckley's late-night public drinking.” Pittsburgh Press writer Ralph Davis did note dryly that “Taylor was not hit hard, but he was inclined to be wild.” Bucco hurler Roscoe Miller’s five-hitter may have played a role, too. It was the opener of a twin bill; the Pirates also took the nitecap behind Sam Leever 2-1. “Old Sam” even chipped in with a pair of hits, outdone only by Tommy Leach’s three knocks. 

Hal Finney 1931 - photo Mears/The Sporting News

• 1905 - C Hal Finney was born in Lafayette, Alabama. He was a reserve that played for the Bucs from 1931-34 & 1936. He spent his MLB career in Pittsburgh, finishing with a .203 BA. Finney came by that BA honestly - he held the record for non-pitchers for most at bats in a season without a hit from 1936, when he went 0-for-35, until 2011. His OBP was .000 as well, a futility mark that stood until 2008. 
• 1909 - The Bucs ended NY Giant’s Christy Mathewson’s 13-game winning streak by a 3-1 score at Forbes Field. Tommy Leach doubled in Fred Clarke & Alan Storke, and Wee Tommy in turn was chased home by Dots Miller in the first. That’s all the support Vic Willis would need, scattering nine hits for the complete game win. 
• 1912 - OF Johnny Rizzo was born in Houston. He burst on the scene in 1938, hitting .301 with 23 HR and 111 RBI as a rookie; his HR mark for a first year Pirate stood until Jason Bay bettered it in 2006. Rizzo drove in nine runs against the Cardinals in 1939, and that’s still the team’s single-game record. He cooled off after that red hot start, and early in 1940 was traded for Vince DiMaggio after putting up a line of .283 with 29 HR and 168 RBI while in Pittsburgh. Johnny joined the Navy in 1943 and played minor league ball upon his discharge, then worked in the sporting goods business.

7/30 From 1920 Through the 1960’s: Bing Backs Bucs; Big ASG For Groat; Game Stories; HBD Clint & Bill

• 1922 - Max Carey went deep twice as the Pirates beat the Giants 7-0 at the Polo Grounds. Carey hit a two-run shot in the seventh inning and then connected for another two-run blast as part of Pittsburgh’s 13-hit attack. Johnny Morrison went the distance for the Pirates, allowing seven hits in the shutout. 
• 1928 - C Bill Hall was born in Moultrie, Georgia. Hall signed as an amateur free agent with the Pirates in 1947 season. He got cups of coffee in 1954 and ‘56, then a longer look in 1958. In the three campaigns, he hit .262 in 57 games. Bill retired to his Georgia farm after the 1960 season. 

Bill Hall - 1959 Topps

• 1937 - The Pirates snapped a 15-inning scoring drought in the bottom of the ninth to take a 1-0 walk-off victory from the Boston Bees at Forbes Field. Ed Brandt of the Bucs and Hub City’s Guy Bush hooked up in a classic duel when an Al Todd hustle double opened the final frame. Johnny Dickshot ran for him, and an intentional walk and a sac bunt that was beat out loaded the bases. After a pop out, pitcher Red Lucas hit for Brandt and lifted a fly to right that scored Dickshot easily. Pittsburgh Press beat writer Claire Burcky wrote that “...(RF Gene) Moore just stuck the ball in his tobacco pocket and jogged off through the clubhouse tunnel.” Bush scattered seven hits while Brandt gave up just two raps, both doubles to Ray Mueller, who was the only Bee to get past first base. 
• 1948 - Pittsburgh unleashed a four homer barrage against Brooklyn to take a 10-5 win at Ebbets Field. Wally Westlake hit for the cycle, while Max West, Monty Basgall and Clyde Kluttz went deep to chase Dodger workhorse Ralph Branca. Bob Chesnes went the distance to claim the win. 
• 1956 - Sports Illustrated wrote that “Bing Crosby, one of the 11-man syndicate that made the winning $5,500,000 bid for the Detroit Tigers, is also 16% owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates. When baseball Commissioner Ford Frick ruled that Crosby could own an interest in only one club at a time, the Groaner said he would keep the Pirates.” 
• 1957 - Clint Hurdle was born in Big Rapids, Michigan. After a 10-year stint as a player and then manager of the Colorado Rockies from 2002–2009 with a World Series appearance, Hurdle took over the Pirate reins in 2011, replacing John Russell. He broke the Pirate 20-year losing season streak in 2013 when he guided the club to 94 wins and the playoffs, with two more wild card postseason appearances in 2014-15. 
• 1958 - The Pirates got to .500 for the first time in five weeks with a 7-1, rain-shortened win over the Cubs at Forbes Field. George Witt scattered seven hits and fanned 10 before getting some eighth inning help from Bob Porterfield; the rains came after Porterfield squelched a Cubbie rally, and after 36 minutes, the umps called it a night. The attack was carried by Hank Foiles three-run homer and a three-RBI night from Dick Stuart. 

Dick Groat - 1962 Topps Stamp

• 1962 - In the second All-Star game of the year, this one played at Wrigley Field, the AL bashed the NL 9-4. Dick Groat went 2-for-3 and was HBP while driving home two runs. Roberto Clemente went 0-for-2 and Bill Mazeroski 0-for-1. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy tossed out the first pitch. 
• 1968 - The Bucs swept the Milwaukee Braves 8-5 and 5-4 at Forbes Field. In the opener, Donn Clendenon’s error led to three unearned Bravo runs, but the battery (and 8-9 hitters) of the Bucs, Milt May and Steve Blass, drove in a combined five runs to overcome the boot. There was a memorable bit of glovework to help make up when Roberto Clemente robbed Mike Lum. Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press wrote “Clemente took off in pursuit and ran as hard and as fast as he could. Just as he approached the wall, Clemente reached up and caught the ball, still with his back to the diamond. He crashed into the wall...and was stunned for a second but held the ball." The Great One didn’t start the evening match, but did rally and came on in the eighth inning. The second game went 10 innings before Manny Mota’s roller scored Matty Alou from third. Maury Wills and Clendenon each went 4-for-5 to help Ronnie Kline, who tossed 4-⅓ innings of shutout relief, to the victory.

7/30 From 1970: Ladies Day; 1st Place; Streaks Snapper; Game Stories; HBD Josh

• 1975 - The Pirates had to delay the start of the game at TRS by 18 minutes to let the Ladies’ Day promotion crowd of 43,260 get to their seats. It was worth the wait as the Bucs pounced on the Phils’ Steve Carlton on the way to an 8-1 win. Jerry Reuss went the distance, as Manny Sanguillen had a big day, going 5-for-5 with a homer. Al Oliver (HR, 2B), Willie Stargell (2B) and Dave Parker (2B) each had two-hit days. There were 21 hits banged out between the clubs, but the game still took just 2:25 to play.

Josh Bonifay - 2002 Bowman's Best

• 1978 - IF Josh Bonifay was born in Macon, Georgia. The son of Bucco GM Cam Bonifay, the Pirates drafted Josh in 1999. He had a long and successful minor league career, mainly at Altoona. He hung up the spikes after the 2007 season and became a coach in the Pirates system. In 2011, he moved to the Houston organization and now is with Texas.
• 2002 - Pittsburgh snapped a six game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies at PNC Park. The Bucs broke open a pitching duel between Kris Benson and the Rox’s Denny Neagle in the eighth, scoring three times with two outs. The rally was keyed by Adam Hyzdu’s two-run double. Mike Williams earned the save of Benson’s win.
• 2006 - Pittsburgh concluded a five game winning streak by taking a 2-1, 10-inning victory from the SF Giants at PNC Park. Jose Castillo’s leadoff homer in the ninth forced the game into extras, and Jose Hernandez’s single in the 10th scored Jack Wilson with the tie breaker. Both starters, Zach Duke and Matt Morris, put up zeroes but were gone before the seventh was done, and it took 11 more pitchers to finish up what they had begun.
• 2013 - The Pirates swept a doubleheader from the Cards by 2-1 and 6-0 scores at PNC Park to vault over them into first place in the NL Central. The opener went 11 innings, with the winning run scoring after Alex Presley’s apparent DP ball deflected off pitcher Kevin Siegrist’s glove and into left field to plate Russ Martin. Vin Mazzaro got the win. The key blow in the nitecap was Andrew McCutchen’s two-run homer that bounced off Matt Holliday’s glove and into the second row of seats in left. Rookie Brandon Cumpton went seven frames for the win, tossing three-hit ball. C Tony Sanchez took his MLB bow behind the dish and became one of seven Pirates to call a shutout in his first game; the last was Jason Kendall in 1996.

Tony Sanchez - 2013 Quarry

• 2014 - The San Francisco Giants broke a six game losing streak largely thanks to a DP via a walk. The Pirates, who had won three in a row, led 5-4 in the sixth when Chris Stewart drew a one-out walk with runners on second and third. Giant hurler Jean Machi got the ball back from the catcher and noticed Travis Snider had wandered off second base, apparently thinking it was a bases-loaded walk (he later admitted that was the case). Machi picked him off, and Gaby Sanchez, who was at third, was caught in the backwash and picked off, too. The Bucs went on to lose 7-5 at AT&T Park, wasting long balls by Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer.
• 2017 - The Pirates were in a four-game losing streak that had dropped them from 2-½ to 5-½ games off the NL Central lead when a pair of the Bucs big dogs, Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole, got off the leash. Cutch was up five times; he homered three of them and walked the other two while Cole Train tossed seven innings of one-run ball with eight whiffs as the Pirates took a much-needed 7-1 win from the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. They were helped along by Josh Bell who banged a pinch-hit dinger and Jose Osuna who drilled a two-run triple.

And It Goes On...Reds Roll Over Pirates 11-6

With one away, Fraze singled and was caught stealing; too bad, as Starling sent a two-seamer over the fence to put Pittsburgh up 1-0. The Reds got a Joey Votto knock against Alex McRae in his first big league start. The Pirates went 1-2-3 in the second; the Reds banged back-to-back doubles to open, followed by a one-out rap to take the lead at 2-1. That was followed by consecutive walks, one to Gray, and consecutive singles, bringing on Montana DuRapau. A walk was followed by a J-Bell misthrow going for the force at home *sigh*. To top it off, it's beginning to rain. In between a pair of strikeouts, Jose Iglesias hit a grand slam, so it's 10-1 if you're keeping score and pretty much a three-true-outcomes inning for Montana. The Bucs went down in order in the third while Cincy left runners at first and third. Fraze fought Gray to an 11-pitch full count to leadoff the fourth, then fanned on a curveball in the dirt. Nada for the Pirates in the fourth and a lone two-single for the Redlegs was all the action.

Bryan Reynolds opened to start the fifth. Joey O walked an out later, but was cut down at home trying to score on Eli's double...one out, down by eight, *sheesh*. And no, it wasn't a bad Joey Cora wave; Osuna ran through his stop sign. The Reds got it right back; Rapau gave up a walk and single before Chris Stratton was brought in, and another rap chased home a run. K-Man and Starling singled around an out in the sixth, bringing in Wandy Peralta. With two outs, he lost Reynolds on a 3-2 pitch and Redbeard swatted the next delivery into the seats to make it 11-6. A single followed before the fire was smothered. Fraze walked with two gone in the seventh and Jared Hughes sped onto the field to get a final ground ball out. Michael Feliz toed the slab and stranded a two-out knock. Both sides were quiet in the eighth against Ric Rod and Jared. Robert Stephenson took the ball, fanned a pair, was tapped for a Joey O double, and then locked the gate.

Alex's first start didn't go quite as planned - photo Dave Arrigo Pirates

Lay this loss on the FO. They knew they were shopping pitchers and this scenario could happen. It's probably why they called up McRae last week, in case they needed a short-notice starter. Then they added DuRapau; one's MLB ERA was 7.71 and the others was 8.44. It's not like they weren't the obvious call ups, but it sure is telling as to how little big league depth they have at Indy, and even here. It seems to us that Chris Stratton should have gotten the start, but our guess is Clint didn't want to burn him tonight. And with his granny against a southpaw, we're hoping that Colin gets some time against lefties to see if he can solve them or is just a platoon guy.

Notes:

• Starling had two hits; Fraze, Bryan Reynolds and Joey O had a knock and a walk each.
• All nine Reds in the lineup scored in the second inning.
• Steven Brault recovered well from his bullpen session, and is now slated to make a rehab start Thursday at Indy.
• Newly acquired RHP Cody Ponce will stay in AA; he was assigned to Altoona.

Alex v Sonny Gray, Lineup & Notes - Lyles to Brew Crew

Game: The Redlegs series at Great American Ball Park opens at 7:10, with the game aired by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Adam Frazier 2B, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Bryan Reynolds RF, Colin Moran 3B, Jose Osuna LF, Elias Diaz C, Alex McRae P. Joey O gets the call to start rather than Melky; maye a hug-watch indicator? Corey D isn't 100% yet but is hoped to be available off the bench, although that's not confirmed.

It'll be Alex tonight to replace Jordan - photo Dave Arrigo/Pgh Pirates

Pitchers: RHP Alex McRae (0-2/7.71) gets it going against RHP Sonny Gray (5-6/3.29). McRae is stepping in for the newly departed Jordan Lyles. He's been up-and-down between Indy and Pittsburgh, and has given up two or more runs in four of his five outings,with this being his first MLB start. Mac twirled against the Reds in May, giving up two solo homers in three IP. Gray's had a nice bounce-back season after a miserable 2018 with the NYY. His numbers are pretty strong across the board, including 10.5 K/nine innings. Sonny is 1-2 against the Pirates, giving up five runs (four earned) in three starts covering 15 frames.

Notes:

• Jordan Lyles was scheduled to start today, but instead was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for AA RHP Cody Ponce. Ponce, 25, is 6'6" and posted a 1-3-1/3.29 line with AA Biloxi, collecting 44 K in 38-1/3 IP. The starter-turned-reliever is considered a second-tier prospect, and projected as a multi-inning long man in MLB. He has a four-pitch toolkit thanks to his days as a starter and is a ground ball guy. Milwaukee knows Lyles as he was on their staff last year and apparently feel that they can put him together again.
• RHP Montana DuRapau was recalled to fill in the roster hole, at least until Lyle's spot comes due again in five days.
• The Pirates have lost eight in a row and 13-of-15 since the AS break. Pittsburgh is in the NL cellar, three games behind Cincy. It'll be a tough series; Gray, Tanner Roark and Luis Castillo are a pretty good trio of arms.
• The Florida State League has named Bradenton 1B Mason Martin Player of the Week. Since being promoted to High A, he has five HR and a slash of .262/.400/.607 in 75 PA.

7/29 Through the 1950’s: Senior Granny; Doheny Demons; Game Stories; RIP Harry; HBD George & Dave

• 1886 - 2B George Cutshaw was born in Wilmington, Illinois. He came to the Bucs in exchange for Burleigh Grimes and manned second base for four seasons (1918-21). Cutty hit .275 as a Pirate. His best year was his last, when he hit .340. But he was injured in August, and the 35-year-old was sold to Detroit, where he spent the last two years of his career. 

George Cutshaw 1918 - photo Paul Thompson

• 1903 - P Ed Doheny, it was announced in the Pittsburgh Press, “..had left the team under a mental hallucination (he believed detectives were tailing him) and returned home.” His mental state had slowly unraveled as the season went on, and owner Barney Dreyfuss told the paper “If it is true that Doheny is mentally deranged, I am certainly sorry to hear of it. (Manager) Fred Clarke told me that there was something wrong with the pitcher before the team started West, but I laughed at him. Now it seems that Fred was right.” Ed was wrestling with real demons. After rest at home, he returned to the Pirates briefly and in September was escorted home by his brother. After some violent episodes there, he was declared insane and sent to the Danvers State Asylum, where he died in 1906. 
• 1909 - Harry Pulliam committed suicide in New York City. A writer in Louisville, he joined Barney Dreyfuss in Pittsburgh as the team president, akin to today’s general manager title. In 1903, he was elected president of the NL. He made the ruling to support umpire Hank O’Day’s call in the famous “Merkle” misadventure, which eventually cost the Giants the championship in a playoff against the Cubs. He took several months off after that after having a nervous breakdown; the following year, he took his life, often blamed on depression caused by the pressures of the president’s office. 
• 1915 - Honus Wagner hit a grand slam in the eighth inning off Brooklyn Dodger Ed Pfeffer (It was “a dandy drive” per the Pittsburgh Press) during the Pirates 8-2 victory at Forbes Field. The inside-the-park round tripper made the 41-year old infielder the second oldest player ever to hit a homer with the bases juiced, a record set by 42-year old Cap Anson in 1894. (Cap's mark stood until 1985 when 44-year-old Tony Perez of the Reds claimed it.) Erving Kantlehner scattered nine hits while going the distance for the win, helped by an unassisted DP when RF Bill Hinchman snared a short line drive and raced to first base to double off Pfeffer. 
• 1922 - Max Carey (2), Reb Russell, Cotton Tierney and pitcher Wilbur Cooper all homered at the Polo Grounds as the Pirates whipped the league-leading NY Giants, 8-3. Cooper went the distance for the win. Charlie Grimm had four hits while Carey & Russell banged out three knocks. It was a sweet victory over their rivals, but in the long run the G-Men took the flag with the Pirates finishing in third place, eight games behind. 

Coop used his arm and his bat - 1922 Exhibits

• 1940 - The Bucs scored six times in their final at-bat, with the lead run thrown out at the plate as Frank Gustine tried to score from first on Vince DiMaggio’s single. It was a big play; the Dodgers pushed across a two-out run in the bottom half as the Pirates went down 7-6 at Ebbets Field. The game was marked by a ninth inning brawl started when Brooklyn C Babe Phelps spiked P Mace Brown at a play at first. Manager Frankie Frisch was fined $100 and ejected while three of his players were hit with $25 fines. 
• 1947 - Frank Gustine went 4-for-5 against the Boston Braves to lead Pittsburgh to a 6-5 win at Forbes Field. It ran his hitting streak to 21 games before it was snapped the next day. Tiny Bonham went the distance for the win.  
• 1959 - LHP Dave LaPoint was born in Glen Falls, New York. the 12-year veteran spent part of 1988 with the Pirates, coming over from the Chicago White Sox in August for Barry Jones. He got eight starts for the Bucs, slashed 4-2/2.77 and signed with the Yankees in the off-season, almost doubling his salary from $425 K to $800K. He’s bounced around several baseball-themed activities since his retirement after the 1991 campaign, coaching minor & indie league ball, hosting a talk show and running academies. Dave now describes himself on twitter as a “Former MLB Pitcher with a face made for radio and a body made for bowling”

7/29 From 1960: Sanchez, Wilson, Snell Traded; RIP Bill; Game Stories; HBD Tommy & Mike

• 1963 - OF Tommy Gregg was born in Boone, North Carolina. A seventh-round pick of the Pirates in the 1985 draft from Wake Forest, Gregg spent the first two years of his nine-season career with the Buccos in 1987-88. He hit .217 in limited time before being shipped to the Atlanta Braves as part of the Ken Oberkfell deal.Tommy spent several seasons as a bench player for the Bravos, and is now part of their minor-league coaching staff. 

Tommy Gregg - 1988 Fleer Update

• 1968 - Henry Aaron was caught red-faced thanks to some smoke and mirrors by the Buccos. On a hit-and-run, Gene Alley and Bill Mazeroski decoyed Hammerin’ Hank into believing Joe Torre had hit a grounder between them; the reality was he had lifted a fly to Roberto Clemente in right. When Aaron stopped at second to try to find the ball, it was too late; it was already on its way to first for the DP. It wasn’t one of his better days on the bases as he was also picked off first base in the Pirates 3-2 win at Forbes Field. Beside his Emmy performance, Maz also homered to help Bob Veale to the win. 
• 1968 - RHP Mike Williams was born in Radford, Virginia. In six seasons (1998-2003), he went 15-23 and saved 140 games for Pittsburgh with a 3.78 ERA. His mark of 46 saves in 2002 is still a team standard, but fame is fleeting - his 12-year baseball career closed after the 2003 season following a trade to Philadelphia. 
• 1971 - Gene Clines was the hero of the Bucs 8-5 win over Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. His three-run homer was the big blow in a six-run sixth inning, and the CF went 4-for-4 with four RBI and a pair of runs. Bob Robertson and Willie Stargell also went yard in the win that was cemented by 5-2/3 scoreless frames tossed by the bullpen. 
• 2000 - Brian Giles went 5-for-5 with a pair of doubles while Warren Morris and Emil Brown homered as the Bucs ran up a 10-2 count against the San Diego Padres at TRS. Francisco Cordova got the win as three Buc pitchers scattered six hits in front of a Saturday night crowd of 30,118.
• 2007 - Bucco outfielder Bill Robinson passed away in Las Vegas. The local boy (he was from McKeesport and went to Elizabeth-Forward HS) spent eight years as a Pirate from 1975-82, hitting .276 with 109 homers. He played five positions as a Pirate (1B/3B, all three OF spots) and while a regular for only one year, he got into 100+ games six times in his eight seasons here. 

Bill Robinson - 1977 Topps

• 2009 - 2B Freddy Sanchez was traded to the San Francisco Giants for RHP Tim Alderson. The Bucs also traded RHP Ian Snell and SS Jack Wilson to the Mariners for RHP Aaron Pribanic, RHP Brett Lorin, 1B Nathan Adcock, SS Ronny Cedeno and 1B Jeff Clement. Snell was out of baseball by 2010 while Freddy & Jack were snake-bitten by injury. For the Bucs, the only contributor was Cedeno, and he wore out his welcome after 2011. 
• 2014 - The Pirates beat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 at AT&T Park behind Francisco Liriano’s 11 whiffs and homers by Travis Snider and Josh Harrison. It was the third straight game that Harrison and Snider went long. After an April-May slump that saw them fall nine games behind in the NL Central race and eight games below .500, the Bucs pulled within a game of first and even in the loss column while moving into the second wild card spot.

Arch Puts Bucs In Deep Hole; Last Minute Rally Falls Short As Mets Sweep the Series 8-7

K-Man walked on five pitches to open against Jason Vargas, and none, even the lone called strike, were near the dish. The next three Bucs couldn't get a ball past a ball the infield; Vargas is getting help from some free swinging. Arch hit the leadoff batter in the ankle with an 0-2 slider, and two pitches later, Michael Conforto swatted a belt-high heater out of the yard. So it starts already... That was followed by back-to-back walks, a wild pitch, three straight singles and a bunt back to Arch, who tried to get the lead runner and didn't to load the bases. A sac fly made it 6-0 before the 48-pitch Chiller Theater came to an end after 11 batters. It was two pop ups and a K in the second for Pittsburgh while the Mets were held to a hit. Jake dug out a two-strike hook and went deep to open the third, then Archie walked. Next came three fly balls to end the short outburst. NY got a walk and swipe but no added damage was done. Fraze singled and scored in the fourth when Jake's two-out rap into right was airmailed back into the infield. An Archie knock left Bucs on the corners, where they remained. The Bucco righty surrendered a walk after he transitioned back to the hill.

Starling's broken out of the gate since the ASG - 2019 Donruss Diamond Kings

The Bucs kept chipping in the fifth. Bryan Reynolds walked, Starling bounced into a force, stole second, and came around on Melky's two-out double. Arch had a final zero left in him, overcoming yet another dropped pop up, this one by usually sure-handed Joey O. Big Joe, pinch hitting for Arch, reached on the ol' strikeout/wild pitch ploy with two gone. That brought on Seth Lugo, who closed out the sixth. Frankie climbed the mound. A double, infield single, Marte drop of a fly, productive bouncer, and it was 8-3 just like that. The Pirates went 1-2-3 in the seventh. Michael Feliz took the ball and held the Metropolitans to a two-out, two-strike single. Justin Wilson drew the straw for the eighth and gave up a walk. Keone Kela was called in and did him one better, with a bopped batter to go along with a free pass. Tyler Bashlor was assigned the close. He walked Redbeard and an out later Bryan Reynolds took him downtown. Starling singled and Edwin Diaz toed the slab; Joey O took him deep, and at 8-7 it became interesting. A pop up and grounder later, it became the eighth straight loss.

The team's a broken record with too many skips and scratches to get to the end. Clint will praise Archie for hanging tough, but no matter how you cut it, his outing was just another bad start. Pitching and hitting are out of sync. The fielding was subpar again, with three errors and a couple of misguided throws. Oh well, let's see what happens Wednesday.

Notes:

• Bryan Reynolds and Starling Marte each had a pair of knocks.
• Starling's ninth inning single was career hit #1,000. In the last 15 games, he's hit .295 with 13 runs scored and 15 RBI.
• Four of the Pirates eight losses in this current streak have been by one run; they've lost their last six one-run decisions.
• Pirates Prospects reported that SS Oneil Cruz was promoted to Altoona.

Arch v Jason Vargas, Lineup & Notes

Game: It's a 1:10 getaway day matinee, broadcast by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. The Mets are going for the sweep.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds RF, Starling Marte CF, Jose Osuna 1B, Melky Cabrera LF, Adam Frazier 2B, Jung Ho Kang 3B, Jake Stallings C, Chris Archer P. Sunday lineup against a lefty. Jake is in; it is Arch's day and they're a pair, but day after night...looks like he's closing the gap on Eli.

Arch toes the slab today - 2019 Donruss

Pitchers: RHP Chris Archer (3-7/5.40) closes the series against LHP Jason Vargas (5-5/3.96). Well, the Bucs have gotten six innings out of Archie in the last three starts (his longest streak of six IP starts as a Pirate), tempered by the 10 runs and four homers surrendered in those 18 frames, which doesn't bode well as the Mets have spanked six long balls in the first two games. He hasn't matched up with the NYM since 2015. Vargas is also on the "makes us an offer" list for NY, though in his past eight games, he's gone deeper than six innings once and given up three or more runs in six of the outings. He is a keep-ya-in-the-game kinda guy, and is making a late rush of adding some value,  as he tossed a six-inning one-hitter against the Padres in his last visit to the slab. Vargas worked against the Bucs once last year, being chased after 4-1/3 frames and three runs.

Notes:

• The Pirates have lost seven in a row, nine-of-10, and 11-of-13 since the AS break. At least it cleared up the FO's thinking. On his Sunday show, Neal said “We are in the process of looking at future clubs.”
• Steven Matz crossed a couple of items off his bucket list last night - it was not only his first complete game shutout, but indeed his first complete game after his 91st start.
• After today, the Pirates head to Cincy for three games.

7/28 Through the 1940’s: Suhr-Butcher; Josh Bombs; Game Stories; HBD Chet, Duke & Bill

• 1867 - LHP Duke Esper (birth name: Charles H. Esbacher) was born in Salem, New Jersey. Duke spent nine seasons in the show and made a pair of brief stops with the Alleghenys (1890: 0-2/5.29) and the Pirates (1892: 2-0/5.40). In between those stints, Duke won 36 games, including 20 with Philadelphia in 1891, in 59 outings. He ended up with a solid 101-100/4.39 lifetime slash before retiring after the 1898 campaign. 
• 1867 - RHP Bill Day was born in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. Bill had a 14-game major league career working for the Phils from 1889-90 and then finishing up with the ‘90 Alleghenys, going 0-6/5.52 in six starts after the Alleghenys, dumping salary, sent OF Billy Sunday to the Quakers for him and $1,000. He hung around pro ball until 1904, closing out his ballplaying days in the Connecticut League. 

Vic Willis - 1909 American Tobacco

• 1908 - In much ado over nothing, Vic Willis and the NY Giants Hooks Wiltsie battled to a 2-2 tie at the Polo Grounds after 16 frames as the game called because of darkness. The Pittsburgh Press called it “A fitting finish to a great baseball series. Willis and Wiltse pitched high class baseball and their comrades supported them in grand style. The twirlers were cheered to the echo on leaving the slab after innings of excitement where they had baffled their foes.” The Pirates had taken 2-of-3 against their rivals while drawing 70,000 fans during the four-game series, a huge gate for old-timey baseball. 
• 1932 - Scout Chet Montgomery was born in Warsaw, Kentucky. The Western Kentucky alum was known as “Chet the Jet” for his speed on the diamond and basketball court, but never played organized pro ball. After graduation, he became a HS hoops coach, then scouted for the Bucs (1963-67), Reds, and Indians before returning to the Pirates as Special Assistant to the General Manager and Director of Player Development for a decade. 
• 1932 - Pittsburgh swept a twin bill from the NY Giants‚ winning 10-7 and 9-1. Earl Grace had three hits and three RBI during the lidlifter to pace the Pirate attack. Paul Waner and Adam Comorosky also had three raps as the Bucs banged out 16 hits, 14 of which were singles. Erv Brame got the win in relief of Steve Swetonic while Larry French picked up the save. In the nitecap, Tony Piet smacked a grand slam and three-run homer to go along with two more hits for a seven RBI, three-run day to plow the road for Heinie Meine. 
• 1938 - At Zanesville, Ohio’s Mark Grey Park (admittedly a bandbox), Josh Gibson led the Grays to a 17-4 win over the Memphis Red Sox with four home runs (two in one inning), the only four-homer game ever recorded in the Negro leagues. The Negro National League champion Homestead Grays absolutely dominated the Red Sox, going 10-0 against them, including nine wins in a late July barnstorming series through the Midwest that included this game. Because no official box score or score card has been found, the game wasn’t counted in Gibson’s statistics. 

Josh Gibson - 2007 Topps Home Run History

• 1939 - The Pirates traded veteran 1B Gus Suhr to the Phillies for RHP Max Butcher. Suhr was nearing the end of his career (he was released after playing just 10 games in 1940, his last MLB season), but Butcher became a mainstay for the Bucs, pitching for seven years, making 154 starts and winning 67 games in Pittsburgh. 
• 1940 - The Pirates won their eighth of nine games and fifth in a row after sweeping Boston at Braves Field by 5-2 and 7-3 scores. Maurice Van Robays was the hero of the opening match, homering and driving in three runs to give Dick Lanahan all the support he needed. The Bucs used a balanced attack to support Max Butcher’s four-hitter in the nitecap.