7/25 From 1970: Candy, Danny Gems; Streaks; Game Stories; HBD Alex

• 1972 - The NL nosed the AL 4-3 at Atlanta Stadium in the All-Star game, kicking off an 11-game winning streak for the senior circuit. Manager Danny Murtaugh had a boatload of Bucs on his roster: P Steve Blass, OFs Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Al Oliver plus C Manny Sanguillen. Blass went an inning and gave up a run. Sangy went 1-for-2, Pops 0-for-1 with a walk, and Scoops went 0-for-1. The Great One didn’t get in the last of his 12 All-Star games; he was voted a starter, but was injured. He did have a pretty capable replacement, though - Hank Aaron played in his stead.

Bill Robinson - 1977 Topps

• 1977 - Bill Robinson made amends for a throwing error in the top of the eighth inning by banging a three-run homer in the bottom half as the Bucs beat Phil Niekro and the Braves for the eighth time in nine tries 6-3. Robinson had a couple of busy innings at TRS - his leadoff double in the seventh tied the game when he scored after a pair of grounders and his error put the Bravos’ leadoff guy on third in a 3-3 game, although Jerry Reuss picked him up and stranded the runner. Reuss went the distance, firing a five-hitter, for the win. 
• 1982 - John Candelaria faced the minimum 27 batters in a four-hit, 86-pitch shutout win over the Atlanta Braves. Three DP and a caught stealing took the Brave runners off the basepaths in an 8-0 whipping at TRS. The middle of the Pirate lineup - Bill Madlock, Jason Thompson and Dave Parker - drove home a pair of runs each. 
• 1985 - OF Alex Presley was born in Monroe, Louisiana. Picked in the eighth round of the 2006 draft, he hit .261 as a yo-yo part of the Pirate roster between 2010-13, when he was traded to Minnesota as part of the Justin Morneau deal. He’s played for Houston, Milwaukee and Detroit since then. 
• 1987 - The Pirates ended their west coast trip on a winning note by dropping the San Diego Padres 9-3 at Jack Murphy Stadium. The journey had started perilously, with a pair of losses to the LA Dodgers but concluded at 6-4, their first winning left coast visit since 1983. The offensive heroes were Sid Bream with three hits/five RBI, Andy Van Slyke with two knocks/three runs scored from the top of the order and Barry Bonds with two raps including a homer. Brian Fischer took the win with help from Barry Jones and Don Robinson. 
• 1992 - Danny Jackson gave up one hit at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, but it was unfortunately a home run to David Justice as the Braves behind Charlie Leibrandt beat the Bucs 1-0 for their 13th straight win. The Pirates best chance to score was in the first, but both Andy Van Slyke and Lloyd McClendon were caught stealing to run themselves out of the frame and the game. Pittsburgh didn’t make any noise again until the seventh, with Otis Nixon sprinted to the fence and pulled back AVS’s blast from over the wall. The last hurrah was in the ninth, when Barry Bonds bounced out with two down and two aboard. 

Brian Meadows - 2003 Topps Total

• 2003 - Pittsburgh won its fifth game in six tries, 10-5, over the Cards at Busch Stadium. Reggie Sanders had a homer & triple, Brian Giles contributed a long ball & double and Jose Hernandez added a pair of two-baggers against Saint Louis. Brian Meadows got the win in relief of Kip Wells. 
• 2004 - The Bucs won their eighth game in 10 outings with a 6-5 decision against the Reds at PNC Park. Tike Redman had a homer and three RBI as Sean Burnett, who was yanked with an out in the sixth, got the win behind 3-2/3 scoreless innings from the pen. 
• 2011 - In their first ESPN-televised game in seven years, Pittsburgh defeated the Atlanta Braves 3-1 behind James McDonald, who struck out nine in 5-2/3 frames, and four relievers at Turner Field, keeping the Bucs tied for first place in the NL Central for the last time in 2011. The Pirates only had five hits, but back-to-back walks by Tim Hudson turned into a pair of Bucco runs. Andrew McCutchen led the little offense the Corsairs mustered with a knock, walk, run and RBI.