7/27 From 1960 Through the 1980’s: O Canada; Cover Boy Mateo; Game Stories; RIP Babe; HBD Enrique

• 1961 - Giants’ Manager Alvin Dark said before the game that "Juan Marichal will go all the way" and kept his bullpen in the dugout to emphasize the point. And he was right. Marichal threw a complete game, five-hit shutout at Forbes Field, winning 2-0 over Vinegar Bend Mizell. 
• 1968 - Matty Alou was featured as the cover story of The Sporting News in an article titled “Pistol Packing Pirate.” Mateo was indeed packing - he hit .332 for his third straight .330+ campaign as a Pirate and earned a spot on the NL All-Star team for the first time. 

• 1968 - Babe Adams passed away in Silver Springs, Maryland, at age 80. The righty was on the short list of great Bucco pitchers, slashing 194-139-16/2.74 in 18 Pirates campaigns. Babe was the hero of the 1909 World Series, going 3-0/1.33 against Ty Cobb and the Tigers. He later was a writer, covering local sports and also serving as a foreign correspondent during World War II. 
• 1973 - IF Enrique Wilson was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The nine-year vet played half-seasons for the Bucs in 2000-01, hitting .223 and playing 2B, SS & 3B. The Bucs got him at the 2000 deadline as part of the Wil Cordero deal with Cleveland and then sent him to the Yankees at the next deadline for Damaso Marte. Two Enrique factoids: he hit .440 lifetime against Pedro Martinez, and in 2001, he was scheduled to be on American Airlines Flight 587 that crashed in Rockaway, killing everyone aboard. But when the Yankees lost the 2001 World Series, cancelling the victory parade, Wilson flew home a few days earlier and missed the doomed flight. He’s had a fear of flying ever since.
• 1979 - The Bucs swept Montreal in a twin bill at Olympic Stadium in front of a crowd of 59,260, the biggest baseball turnout in Canada. They took the opener 5-4, three times losing leads to the pesky Expos before Phil Garner’s eighth-inning single scored Dave Parker with the game winner. Garner had a big game, with three hits and a homer. Kent Tekulve allowed an inherited runner to score in the seventh to tie the game but got the win with Enrique Romo picking up the save. Bob Robertson went long and had four RBI while Phil Garner went 3-for-4 again with four runs scored in the Bucs 9-1 win in the nitecap. Bert Blyleven went the distance, scattering five hits and striking out nine as the Bucs cut the Expos lead to 1/2 game. 
• 1982 - Larry McWilliams tossed a three-hitter and struck out 11 in a complete game shutout win over Philadelphia, 4-0, at TRS. Jason Thompson drove home a pair and Bill Madlock homered to provide the cushion against the Phils. In more good pitching news, John Candelaria was named the NL Pitcher of the Week after beating Cincy 3-1 and Atlanta 8-0. 
• 1983 - Jose DeLeon spun a four-hitter while Rennie Stennett & Johnny Ray combined for six hits, three homers and seven RBI to lead a 15-hit attack as the Bucs rolled over San Diego at TRS 10-1. DeLeon struck out seven and carried a no-hitter through the sixth inning in his second major league start (he beat San Francisco in his debut)and first complete game. 

Jose DeLeon - 1984 Fleer

• 1988 - The Pirates found a ball but lost their catcher in a 3-2, 10-inning decision against the Cards at Busch Stadium. In the third inning, Bobby Bonilla at third base lost a foul pop and Ortiz ran it down, making a diving, tumbling grab. He broke his collarbone in the process and had to be carried off the field. Junior was lost to the team until mid-September with Mike Lavalliere picking up most of the slack along with Tom Prince. The Pirates had an early 2-0 lead thanks to a Barry Bonds third-inning triple hit between a single & grounder, and won it in the 10th when Bonds was chased home by Jose Lind’s double, extending Chico’s hitting streak to nine games and keeping the Pirates two games behind the Mets in the standings. Mike Dunne started the game which was eventually won by Jeff Robinson and saved by Jim Gott.