Bucs On Rocky Mountain High; Spank Rox Again, 11-4

The Bucs continued their hot early hitting; K-Man homered to lead off again, this time on the first pitch. A single by B-Rey, a boot and Redbeard's sac fly made it 2-0 against Tim Melville. Big Joe gave up a one-out rap, followed by a DP for a clean slate. In the second, singles by Fraze, Stalls and Newman, with an error tossed in, produced a run with an out, and the latter pair came home on Reynold's two-bagger. Starling walked, and an out later, so did Moran, but no two out magic.The Rox got one back on Ryan McMahon's shot into the seats. Wes Parsons got the ball in the third for Colorado. Jake and K-Man collected knocks, but were left aboard. The Rox used a single-double-sac fly trifecta to plate a second run. J-Bell's dinger in the fourth got the run back and Joey O's bomb tacked on a tally for good measure. The Rockies answered with a triple and sac fly to make it a 7-3 game. Stalls walked to open the fifth and was bunted to second, where he died. The Rox left a runner on first.

Jake had three hits tonight - image Pittsburgh Pirates

Bryan Shaw got called for the sixth and put the Bucs away 1-2-3. Big Joe was touched for a harmless single. Jake McGee worked the seventh. Fraze legged out a squib and plated on Pablo's two-out, pinch hit double that was six inches shy of clearing the fence. No diff; he scored when McGee couldn't handle a flip to first on Newman's grounder, and K-Man scored when B-Rey smacked a two-bagger to pile it up to 10-3. Michael Feliz (Moose was at 101 pitches) fanned a pair of Rox in a clean frame. Sam Howard tossed the eighth and struck out the side around a Redbeard rap. Parker Markel took over and Daniel Murphy knocked his second pitch out of the yard. PM then whiffed two of the next three hitters. In the ninth, the Bucs got back-to-back raps from Stalls and Erik Gonzalez, and Starling knocked Jake home with two outs. Parker finished the job cleanly. Raise the Roger.

Notes:

• The top of the order - K-Man and B-Rey - collected six hits, scored four runs and chased home five. Reynolds is batting .332 and Newman .313. The bottom of the order - Fraze and Stalls - banged out five hits and plated four times.
• The Pirates have scored nine or more runs in five of their past eight games and hit double figures three times. And per Joe Block, Pittsburgh has rung up 15 or more hits in three consecutive games for first time since May 27-29th, 1936.
• The Bucco bullpen has given up homers in seven straight games.

Big Joe v Tim Melville, Lineup & Notes

Game: The game starts at 8:10 and will be carried by AT&T SportsNet & KDKA-AM (1020)/Pirates Radio Network as 93.7 The Fan will be broadcasting the Pitt-Virginia football game.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds LF, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Jose Osuna RF, Adam Frazier 2B, Jake Stallings, Joe Musgrove P. The A Team, as it stands.

Moose on the mound - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: RHP Joe Musgrove (8-12/4.67) meets RHP Tim Melville (1-0/0.75) in game three of the set. Joe pitched pretty well last time out, and two of his last three outings have been strong, but he hasn't been able to string a solid streak together since April ended. He last faced the Rox last year and went seven innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits, although he took the loss. Melville is a soft thrower with an inspiring backstory - the former high school phenom was sidetracked by injuries, clocked 11 seasons on various farms, spent the winter as a part-time cook and began the year in the indie leagues. On August 21st, he won his first MLB game as a 29-year-old. He's back to being a phenom again, though he should regress, having put up a 5.48 in AAA before being called up. Melville faced the Bucs once in 2016 as a Red and shut them down, giving up a run over four frames.

Notes:

• The Pirates claimed LHP Wei-Chung Wang off waivers from Oakland. The 27-year-old native of Taiwan was 1-0/3.33 in 20 games with the A's this season after a year in the Korean League. He started his career in the Bucco organization, but was lost on a Rule 5 claim by Milwaukee in 2013. The Pirates him expect to join the team on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.
• Starling Marte has a nine-game hitting streak going on.
• Who'd thunk the Bucs would be 6-2 in their last eight games? Colorado is on the Pirates previous track; they've lost 10-of-12. Yah, Reds & Rox, but still looks like up to us...

8/31 Through the 1950’s: Lindell Sold; HBD Ramon, Ray, Red, Syd, Wally, Duke & Monte

• 1866 - C Charley “Duke”/“Duke of Marlborough” Farrell was born in Oakdale, Massachusetts. Farrell was a big (6-1, 208), switch-hitting catcher who could fill in at other spots and batted .275 in 18 big league seasons. He stopped at Pittsburgh in 1890, playing three spots (C, 1B, OF) and batting .290. He went to Boston, then returned in 1892 but had a fairly miserable time, batting just .215 and never feeling quite at home in the clubhouse or city; he was traded in the offseason for Lefty Killen. He earned the nickname Duke of Marlborough early in his career; he was raised in Marlborough as a youth. 

Red Ehret - Ars Longa Art Card

• 1868 - RHP Phillip “Red” Ehret was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He played for Pittsburgh from 1892-94 and put up a 53-59/3.79 line in 109 starts and 15 relief appearances. Red also played some outfield and got 438 PA in that span (mostly as a pitcher), batting .201 (hey, at least he was on the right side of the Mario Mendoza line, right?) And yes, he was a redhead. 
• 1869 - SS Monte Cross was born in Philadelphia. Monte spent 15 years in the show, known as a good glove man, and helped launch his career in Pittsburgh in 1894-95, batting .273 and becoming a starter for the first time in ‘95. He spent his last 10 seasons at home with the Phillies and the Athletics. When his MLB career ended in 1907, Monte hung on for awhile, playing minor league/semi-pro, umpiring and managing, notably for several seasons at Maine, before joining the real world as a salesman. 
• 1883 - C Syd Smith was born in Smithfield, South Carolina. He spent parts of five seasons in the show, with the last two in Pittsburgh from 1914-15, getting into six games, going 3-for-12. He then managed the Pirates’ Caddo Lake Gassers, a Texas League team in a gas/oil boomtown. Before baseball, he also was the head coach at the Citadel in 1905 - for the football team. 
• 1888 - OF Wally Rehg was born in Summerfield, Illinois. He began his seven-year MLB career with the Pirates in 1912, going 0-for-9 in eight games. He did better with the Red Sox and later with the Braves as a bench outfielder. Known for his brash mouth, he greeted Hans Wagner in Pittsburgh by calling him “Grandpa.” He played in the minors until 1930, got a couple of movie cameos, and made movies his second career, albeit as an Paramount Studio electrician. 
• 1907 - C Ray Berres was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was a Bucco back-up from 1937-40, a good glove guy that hit .225. After his playing days, he was the pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox from 1949-66, then again from mid-season of 1968 through 1969, primarily under manager Al Lopez. He and Lopez had an interesting history together. Berres served as Lopez’s back-up early in his career and then was later traded to the Pirates straight-up for him. 

Ray Berres - 1940 Play Ball

• 1940 - LHP Ramon Hernandez was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The reliever tossed six years (1971-76) in Pittsburgh, going 23-12-39/2.51 after being signed by Howie Haak, and was a bullpen member of the Bucco division champs of 1972, 1974 and 1975 (he was a September call-up for the 1971 team). In a nine-season career, Hernandez’s line was 23–15-46/3.03. 
• 1953 - The Pirates sold RHP Johnny Lindell to the Phillies. His knuckler fluttered wildly that year, leading the league in walks and wild pitches. He was listed as a pitcher with the Pirates, but was often used as a pinch-hitter and hit .286, once tying a game with a three-run ninth-inning homer. The Phillies released him in May 1954 after his hybrid pitcher-outfielder role proved to be a not very strong pairing. Lindell was an odd story. He entered the league in 1941 as a pitcher, then was converted to outfield, where he played from 1943-50, earning an All-Star berth once with the Yankees. Then tried to come back again as a knuckleball pitcher after a couple of years in the minors.

8/31 From the 1960’s Through the 1980’s: Mad Dog Dealt; Johnny Ray Deal; Face Lift; Game Stories; HBD Mo & Juan

• 1960 - The Pirates fell behind the Giants and Billy “Digger” O’Dell 3-0 at Candlestick Park, but after seven were up 7-4 and that lead held up. The club got a two-run shot from Roberto Clemente in the fifth, used four singles to take a 4-3 lead in the sixth and iced it in the seventh with two more singles, a walk, an error and two sac flies. The G-Men got a run back in their half off Joe Gibbon and had a pair on base, but Elroy Face came on and struck out Felipe Alou and Willie Mays. He finished up the game, striking out six in 2-⅔ IP for his 20th save. Reliever Clem Labine was credited with the win.

Morris Madden - 1989 Score Hottest Rising

• 1960 - LHP Morris Madden was born in Lauren, South Carolina. He tossed 14 of his 16 big league outings (three starts) for the Pirates in 1988-89 with a 2-2, 5.03 line and was released after the ‘89 campaign. He had a long minor league career, spanning 1979-90 and collected 1,100 strikeouts over that stretch. Morris coaches the Carolina Metros, an umbrella organization for youth traveling teams with a strong mentoring component. 
• 1968 - Steve Blass got the first out against the Atlanta Braves‚ and then moved to LF. ElRoy Face, 40, was in the process of being sold to the Tigers (actually, it was a done deal, but Detroit wouldn’t have an open roster spot until September 1), and the club sent him in for one last appearance (legend has it he was asked whether he wanted to start or relieve, and opted to make his last outing from the pen). He retired Felix Millan on one pitch to tie Walter Johnson's MLB record of 802 pitching appearances with one club. Then manager Larry Shepherd came out for him, Blass returned to pitch and the Pirates won 8-0 at Forbes Field. 
• 1981 - The Pirates acquired 2B Johnny Ray and two PTBNL’s (pitchers Randy Niemann and Kevin Houston) from the Houston Astros in exchange for IF Phil Garner. Ray spent seven years in Pittsburgh, hitting .286, and was Rookie of the Year runner-up in 1982 to Steve Sax. Scrap Iron played through 1988 and hit .260 for the Astros, where he also had a seven-year run.  
• 1985 - The Pirates traded former batting champion Bill Madlock to the Dodgers for prospects RJ Reynolds‚ Cecil Espy‚ and Sid Bream in a pretty solid deal for the Buccos. Madlock would last two more years in the show. 1B Bream spent six years in Pittsburgh, four as a starter, and hit .269 in that span. Reynolds, a platoon OF, spent six seasons with Pittsburgh and also hit .269. Bench OF Espy spent a couple of campaigns in town, batting .254. 

Juan Nicasio 2016 - photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

• 1986 - RHP Juan Nicasio was born in San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic. The Pirates signed the five-year vet (LA, Colorado) in 2016 to a $3M deal and inked him again in 2017 for $3.65 M. After trying him out as a starter, the Pirates put him back in a bullpen role where he became an effective eighth-inning bridge. The Pirates let him go on waivers as an apparent salary dump and lost him to the Phils with no return. He’s now with Seattle. 
• 1987 - The Pirates won their seventh straight game, defeating the Atlanta Braves 7-3 at TRS. Andy Van Slyke went 3-for-3 with a homer and walk, scored three times and drove home a pair while Al Pedrique chipped in two raps. Mike Dunne went the distance, tossing a six-hitter and earning his sixth win in the last seven decisions. As the cherry on top, earlier in the day Doug Drabek had been named the NL Player of the Week for going 2-0, giving up two runs in 16 innings the week before.

8/31 From 1990: Youth Served; Diaz Dealt; Morneau, Dunston Join Up; A-Ram Signed; Game Stories; HBD Erik

• 1991 - Utilityman Erik Gonzalez was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Traded to the Bucs in the 2018 off season, he played 3B-SS-2B for Cleveland over parts of three seasons with a rep as a good glove man and meh bat (.262 BA/79 OPS+). With Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison’s departure after the 2018 campaign, Pittsburgh was looking for an IF’er, and Gonzalez was out of options and blocked with the Indians, making for a fit. 

Erik Gonzalez - 2019 Topps

• 1991 - The Pirates rode six innings of perfect relief by Roger Mason, Bill Landrum and game winner Bob Kipper to a 3-2, 12-inning victory over San Diego at Jack Murphy Stadium. The Buc tallies came in the second on Barry Bonds’ two-run shot and a leadoff homer to left by Don Slaught off Jose Melendez in the 12th. 
• 1994 - In one of their better international deals, the Pirates signed 16-year-old Aramis Ramirez as an amateur free agent. A-Ram was the Pirates' last significant signing from the Dominican until the Rene Gayo era began a decade later. Ramirez had a pair of stints with the Bucs to open and close his career. 
• 1997 - The Bucs became buyers instead of sellers when they obtained SS Shawon Dunston from the Cubs for future considerations to bolster the chances of the “Freak Show” team sneaking into the playoffs after Kevin Polcovich injured his ankle. Dunston hit .394 with five homers, but after an 18-game Bucco career was lost to the Indians in free agency after the season. He was a pretty good Plan B; the Pirates had first cast their eyes toward former Pittsburgh SS Jay Bell, but the Royals wanted more in return than the FO was willing to give. 
• 1999 - The Bucs provided lots of late-inning drama while topping the Rox at Coors Field in 10 innings by a 9-8 score. Kevin Young gave the Bucs an 8-4 lead with a two-out, first-pitch grand slam down the LF line in the ninth. In the bottom half, six straight runners reached off Mike Williams to make the score 8-8, but Angel Echevarria was thrown out at home by Brian Giles to keep the game knotted. The Bucs came up with four hits and a walk in the tenth, but could only tally a run to take a shaky lead. With two away for Colorado, Dante Bichette singled off Jose Silva and was waved around on Vin Castilla’s double to left center, but was cut down by Al Martin to Mike Benjamin to Keith Osik (7-6-2) to preserve the win. 
• 2008 - Milwaukee thumped the Bucs, 7-0, for Pittsburgh's 10th loss in a row. Ricky Weeks led off with a homer at PNC Park and it went downhill from there. The big story was CC Sabathia’s one-hitter; the lone rap was a weakly-hit fifth-inning grounder by Andy LaRoche that Sabathia dropped; the scorer, much to the chagrin of manager Ned Yost, ruled it a hit (and not unreasonably). Yost felt that CC had fired a no-hitter and even filed an unsuccessful appeal over the ruling. CC blamed himself for the controversy, telling ESPN "The ball was still rolling and I probably should have picked it up with my glove...I think if I pick it up with my glove, I get him." 

Matt Diaz - photo Claus Andersen/Getty

• 2011 - Pittsburgh shipped OF Matt Diaz to the Braves for a PTBNL, P Eliecer Cardenas, who was quickly released. Diaz hit .259 in his brief spell as a Buc and spent two more bench years before hanging up his spikes after the 2013 season. 
• 2013 - The Pirates pulled off their second trade of the week, picking up 1B Justin Morneau from Minnesota for OF Alex Presley and a PTBNL (RHP Duke Welker). They celebrated by going out and whipping the Cardinals, 7-1, at PNC Park to retake the NL Central lead behind AJ Burnett. Russ Martin had the big bop, a three-run homer, while Neil Walker added three knocks. Morneau was ready to rep; although not needed for this battle, he arrived in mid-game after flying in from Texas. Justin hit .260 w/.370 OBP during the month, but his lack of power (0 HR, 4 2B, 92 PA) led the Bucs to let him walk the following year. 
• 2017 - In an unusual move, RHP Juan Nicasio was placed on irrevocable waivers and claimed by the Phillies on his birthday. It was odd because Nicasio was a solid eighth-inning set-up guy (2-5-2, 22 holds, 2.86 ERA in 65 games w/60 K in 60 IP) who the Pirates let go for nothing. Nicasio was a FA after the season and unlikely to have been retained, but the Bucs, who were still hanging around in July when they could have traded him with no strings attached, kept Nicasio and then tried to slip him through trade waivers when the team faded. In some one-upmanship, Juan was claimed by the Chicago Cubs to block him from going to another contender. So the FO pulled him back and later put him on the waiver wire, saving some cash ($600K owed for September), opening up his spot to audition for 2018, and finally to reward Juan with a “better situation” (ie, joining a playoff contender) that was foiled by Philadelphia, the NL’s worst team, but rectified when they dealt him to St. Louis. 
• 2018 - The Pirates committed themselves to a full-scale infield youth movement (and saved a few dollars in the process) by trading vets David Freese and Adeiny Hechavarria at the playoff deadline. Freese went to the Dodgers for DSL player IF Jesus Manuel Valdez and Hechy went to the Yankees along with some cash for a PTBNL or cash considerations. Freese left a hole as a utility man with a good bat (.270, 32 HR in three years), versatile glove (1B-2B-3B) and locker room leadership while Hechy was a late pickup who only got into 15 games, hitting .233. Sean Rodriguez had been DFA’ed days earlier, cleansing the roster of most of its older infielders save starters Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison.

Bucs Keep Rollin' With 9-4 Victory

With an out, B-Rey had a bingle stolen from him on a nice grab by Sam Hilliard; Starling and J-Bell followed with knocks. Colin kept the wheel spinning by dropping a RBI quail into center to draw first blood off Antonio Senzatela. The lead lasted three pitches before Trevor Story banged a 2-0 sinker for a long fly off Dario Agrazal. He left two more base hits on the pond. Fraze doubled in the second, moved up on a grounder and plated on Dario's sac fly. A K-Man knock and Reynold's two-bagger were stranded. The Rox left a runner on first in their half. Melky got aboard on a boot in the third for all the Bucco ado. Colorado left another runner on; lots of hits but not many runs so far. K-Man singled with two down in the fourth and galloped home following B-Rey's double; Reynolds didn't gallop quite as well and was caught trying to get to third on a textbook relay. It was a clean inning for Agrazal after a brief lightning delay. Starling opened the fifth with a rap and J-Bell walked. An out later, Melky dropped a 433' bomb to make it 6-1. A one-away Story two-bagger followed by a single got a run back for the Rockies.

J-Bell has 108 RBI with a month to go - poster Pittsburgh Pirates

Bryan Shaw tossed a quiet sixth. Another double/single combo opened the Rox half, chasing home a run and bringing in Ric Rod. He closed it out with a pair of K; it would have been three if Eli could figure out how to frame a pitch on the corner. Carlos Estevez got the seventh. Starling started it off with a double and J-Bell's knock sent Marte home. Two more singles followed to load the bases, but Fraze tapped into a 1-2-3 DP. Eli singled after that to chase home another run, but was thrown out trying to get to second as the Bucs turned a potential huge inning into just a good one while upping the lead to 8-3. Keone Kela answered the bell and tossed a strong frame with two more whiffs. Wade Davis toed the slab in the eighth and twirled a 1-2-3 inning. Frankie Liriano spun next and gave up a homer and walk. Jairo Diaz climbed the hill in the ninth and bopped Starling. A wayward pickoff try and J-Bell single tallied Marte. Geoff Hartlieb was sent out to finish the job, and holy moly, did he - he struck out the side. Raise the Roger.

Give Dario and the bullpen lots of love tonight. The Pirates did what they were supposed to against Senzatela and added on deeper into the game. Very nice team W.

Notes:

• The top six were en fuego - Starling (with four runs scored) and J-Bell had three rips, while K-Man, B-Rey, Colin & Melky (with three RBI) added a pair of knocks each. Every position player had a hit, and Dario even added an RBI with a sac fly.
• Seven of the Pirates first eight hits came after two were out and the bases empty. Still, they lit up the RISP board again, going 6-for-12.
• In the last six games, the Buc bullpen has given up 10 homers, with at least one every game during that span. 

Dario v Antonio Senzatela, Lineup & Notes

Game: The game begins at 8:40 and will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds LF, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Melky Cabrera RF, Adam Frazier 2B, Elias Diaz C, Dario Agrazal P. Melky and Eli crack the lineup.

Dario toes the slab - photo Butch Dill/USA Today

Pitchers: RHP Dario Agrazal (3-3/4.41) goes in game two against RHP Antonio Senzatela (8-8/6.75). Dario's had a rough go in his last five outings (four starts), going 1-3/7.29 with seven dingers surrendered in 21 IP. He's never bumped heads with the Rox. Senzatela features 97 MPH heat, but only averages five K per game, walking nearly as many as he fans. He's in a really rough patch, giving up 32 runs (29 earned) in his last five starts, lasting just 17-2/3 IP. The Pirates mauled him for eight runs in 3-1/3 frames back in May. Last night's fireworks could well be repeated tonight, as neither guy misses bats with any regularity.

Notes:

• And the wheel keeps on turning...RHP Geoff Hartlieb was called up and RHP Montana DuRapau has been optioned to Indy.
• Fours all around for Kevin Newman yesterday - he had four hits for the fourth time in his career and added four RBI (for the second time). For Fraze, it was the fifth time he's banged out four or more raps.
• The Pirates have won five of their last seven games.

8/30 Through the 1930’s: Coop's #200; Robby Cycle; Game Stories; HBD Kiki, Johnny, Will & Charlie

• 1870 - RHP Will Thompson (he also played 1B and the OF) was born in Pittsburgh. He made one MLB appearance, working three frames for the 1892 Pirates. He gave up a run and took the loss. After playing at Penn, he spent time in the local minors in the New York State League at Elmira, the Pennsylvania State League at Johnstown and the Iron & Oil League for New Castle. He later served in the 1898 Spanish–American War. 
• 1878 - IF Charlie Starr was born in Pike County, Ohio. Charlie played three years in the show, joining the Bucs in the middle in 1908 after a couple of years at Youngstown and batting .186 in 20 games. He played for two more clubs after that in 1909, then joined Buffalo for a couple of seasons before heading south, suiting up for New Orleans, Mobile, Chattanooga and Little Rock before his last pro at-bat in 1916. He retired and became a metal worker in construction. 

Kiki Cuyler - image from The Sporting News

• 1898 - OF Hazen Shirley “Kiki” Cuyler was born in Harrisville, Michigan. The Hall-of-Famer spent his first seven seasons (1921-27) as a Pirate, hitting .336 with a .399 OBP. The end of his Pittsburgh era was rocky. In 1927, Cuyler was benched for nearly half the season because of a dispute with rookie manager Donie Bush. The Pirates went to the World Series, but Cuyler was on the pine, and that November, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He played 11 more seasons and ended his career with a .321 BA. Per SABR, two explanations have been given for his nickname "Kiki." In one version, the players called him "Cuy" in the minors at Nashville, so when a fly ball was hit to Hazen, the shortstop would call out "Cuy" as would the second baseman, and the echoed “Cuy-Cuy” caught on with the fans. A variant says that "Kiki Cuyler" was caused by his stuttering problem and was the way Cuyler's name came out when he pronounced it. Either way, the nickname’s popularization is credited to Vol’s announcer Bob Murray. 
• 1916 - RHP Johnny Lindell was born in Greeley, Colorado. Johnny started as a pitcher in 1942 and ended as one in 1953, spending the eight years in between as an outfielder. After hitting below the Mendoza line in 1950, he was sent to the Hollywood Stars in the PCL where manager Fred Haney turned him into a knuckleballer. Lindell returned to the majors in 1953 at the age of 36 with the Pirates, who had Haney at their helm. His knuckleball was tough to hit but tougher to control, and Johnny led the league in walks and wild pitches with a line of 5-16/4.71. His stick recovered as he batted .286 in 91 appearances, but it was the end of his road. He was sold to Philly in late August of 1953, finished out the season there, then got five at-bats the following campaign before leaving the show. 
• 1921 - Dave Robertson connected for the cycle to lead the Bucs to an 8-2 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. He scored twice and drove in three runs. George Cutshaw and Clyde Barnhart added three knocks each as Whitey Glazner cruised to victory, scattering seven hits for the complete game win. 
• 1924 - Wilbur Cooper, who is the Pirates all-time pitching leader with 202 opponent scalps and 236 complete games, won his 200th career contest (he finished with 216 wins) in a 12-3, complete game decision over Cincinnati at Forbes Field. It would be Wilbur’s last Pirates campaign and he finished the year slashing 20-14/3.28 before becoming part of a six-man deal with the Cubs after the season. The 32-year-old lefty had started out with Pittsburgh in 1912 when he was just 20. Wilbur won double-digit games 10 times in that time, including four 20 or more win seasons and two more at 19. 

Wilbur Cooper - 1924 Diaz Cigarettes

• 1929 - Pie Traynor went 5-for-5 to lead a 21-hit attack in an easy 15-0 win over Chicago at Forbes Field. Heinie Meine tossed a three-hitter as Pittsburgh dominated. It was the Pirates' fourth win over the Cubs in three days, with the Windy City snapping their losing streak with a 7-6 win the following day. 
• 1930 - The Pirates swept a twinbill from Cincinnati, 5-0 and 3-2, to win their 12th game in 14 outings. The Waner brothers, Paul and Lloyd, scored all five runs in the opener with George Grantham driving them in three times. Spades Wood tossed a six-hitter for the win. Grantham was big in the second game too, with three hits, two runs and an RBI as Larry French outdid the Reds’ Larry Benton.

8/30 From 1950’s Through the 1970’s: 17 For Face; Arlin Returns; Game Stories; RIP Arky; HBD Marlon & Luis

• 1951 - The Pirates rallied from an 8-1 deficit to take a 10-9 victory from the Giants at the Polo Grounds. Frank Thomas hit his first MLB homer and Ralph Kiner won it with a long ball in the ninth while Gus Bell and Pete Castiglione also went deep for the Bucs. Pittsburgh climbed back to take the lead in the eighth, only to have the Giants tie it, but the G-Men were trumped by Kiner in the end. Murry Dickson blew the save but ultimately got the win, one of 20 he earned during the campaign. 

Arky Vaughan - 1934 Play Ball

• 1952 - Arky Vaughan, 40, and his friend Bill Wimer drowned in California’s Lost Lake. While the two were fishing, their rowboat overturned. Wimer couldn’t swim, and both men went under when Vaughan tried to save his bud. Vaughan retired with 1,173 runs scored, 926 RBI, 118 steals, a .318 BA and .406 OBP. His .385 batting average, .491 OBP, and 1.098 OPS in 1935 are Pirate team records, and the batting average is a 20th century record for NL shortstops. Arky was a Hall-of-Famer, included in the Ritter/Honig book “The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time” and cited by Bill James as the second greatest SS in history, behind only Honus Wagner. 
• 1959 - ElRoy Face notched his 17th straight victory of the year, earning a 10-inning win against Philadelphia, 7-6, at Forbes Field after Dick Stuart’s two-run double in overtime. The Bucs rallied from a five-run deficit on the strength of Danny Kravitz and Stuart homers to sweep the doubleheader. They took the opener 2-1 behind Harvey Haddix’s arm and Bob Skinner’s two-out, ninth-inning knock that scored Dick Hoak to climb to four games from the top. Maybe they listened to NBC broadcaster Leo Durocher, who regaled some of the Buccos before the game with tales of his ‘51 Giants winning the pennant although 12-1/2 games back at one point. Face had also won the last five decisions of 1958, giving him a 22 game winning streak. He finished the year 18-1, and his 18 relief wins remains the major league record. The Baron went a month (6/11-7/12) without giving up a run, and his 22 straight wins is second only to Carl Hubbell’s 24-gamer. 
• 1960 - The Pirates defeated Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers, 5-2, at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Bob Friend, with late help from ElRoy Face, picked up the win supported by long balls from Dick Groat and Roberto Clemente, who became the only right-handed hitter beside Frank Howard to homer the opposite way in the Coliseum during the season after swatting an outside-half heater 400’. 
• 1972 - Bob Prince turned the mic over to ex-KDKA announcer Harold Arlin, the first man to ever broadcast a live baseball game. The Gunner graced him to call a few innings in Pittsburgh while Harold’s grandson‚ Steve Arlin‚ was on the mound for San Diego. Pap-pap didn’t have much to brag about as the Bucs won 11-0, with Manny Sanguillen and Dave Cash combining to drive in seven runs on five hits. There was a highlight moment, though - Roberto Clemente tied the club record for hits with a pair of knocks, equaling Honus Wagner's franchise mark of 2,970 career hits. 

The Gunner and Harold Arlin - photo via Baseball Hall of Fame

• 1977 - OF Marlon Byrd was born in Boynton Beach, Florida. The Pirates acquired the vet, along with John Buck, from the Mets for the 2013 stretch run in exchange for Dilson Herrera and Vic Black. He came through, hitting .318 with three homers during the regular season and .364 in the postseason with a big three-run homer in the Wild Card win against the Reds. He then signed with the Phils during the off season. Byrd also had two PED suspensions, in 2012 and 2016, with the second one ending his 15-year career. 
• 1979 - IF Luis Rivas was born in La Guaira, Venezuela. Luis played for eight years, primarily for the Twins, and finished his career in Pittsburgh in 2008, batting .218 (he had never hit under .256 in his prior stops) after signing a minor league FA deal for $525K. He did have one big week for the Bucs, though - he had his first two-homer game on May 25th and banged his first grand slam on the 31st.

8/30 From 1990: Buchele, Martinez, Hayes Deals; New CBA; Latino HoF; Game Stories

• 1990 - The Pirates picked up vet OF/1B Carmelo Martinez from the Phillies for OF’s Tony Longmire, Wes Chamberlain and Julio Peguero. Martinez lasted less than a season with the Bucs, while the young outfield prospects ended up with bench roles during their brief careers, with Chamberlain the only solid producer of the three. 

Steve Buechele - 1991 Upper Deck

• 1991 - The Rangers traded 3B Steve Buechele to the Pirates for young pitchers Kurt Miller and Hector Fajardo. Buechele, a FA, signed with the Pirates after the season, but was moved at the next deadline for Danny Jackson after hitting .248 in 453 BA. Miller tossed off-and-on until 1999, appearing in 44 games for the Marlins and Cubs, while Fajardo was done in 1995 after pitching in 28 games for the Rangers. 
• 1996 - The Pirates sent 3B Charlie Hayes to the Yankees (the eighth player New York brought in during August) for a PTBNL, RHP Chris Corn. Charlie hit .286 for the Yankees and played through 2001; Corn never advanced past AA ball. 
• 2002 - After marathon sessions, Bud Selig & Donald Fehr announced a new four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLB and the MLBPA. Revenue sharing increased, random drug tests were permitted, a luxury tax was introduced, the minimum salary rose to $300K and contraction, a major bone of contention, was ruled out until 2006 at the earliest. The 30th was the drop-dead date set by the Union to wrap up negotiations and the two sides just crossed the wire. 
• 2005 - The Milwaukee Brewers fell 6-0 to the Bucs behind Paul Maholm’s four-hitter at Miller Park. It was an oasis in an otherwise arid stretch of games that saw Pittsburgh lose 11-of-12 contests. The Bucs put up a five spot in the first inning, keyed by Jack Wilson’s three-run, bases-loaded double. The Bucs had the bases empty with two outs, but Doug Davis walked four of the next five batters, all on 3-2 pitches, before Wilson cashed in. 
• 2006 - Pittsburgh scored three times in the 11th inning to come back against the Cubs 10-9 at PNC Park. Chicago scored twice off Marty McLeary (who got the win), but the Bucs scored on Jose Castillo’s single to cut the lead to one. Ryan Dempster walked Jose Bautista on four pitches to load the bases for Freddie Sanchez, who lined a two-run, two-out single to right for the win, giving him four RBI on the night. Castillo had four knocks while Jason Bay and Xavier Nady had three hits apiece. 

Freddy Sanchez - 2006 Upper Deck

• 2011 - Andrew McCutchen was a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dismal outing as he hit a ninth-inning homer against the Houston Astros in an 8-2 loss at Minute Maid Park, becoming the eighth Pirates player to ring up 20 home runs/20 stolen bases in one season, and the first since Nate McLouth in 2008. 
• 2013 - The Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cards 5-0 at PNC Park behind Francisco Liriano’s two-hitter and a 3-for-4 night by Garrett Jones, who had four RBI and was a triple short of the cycle. The HR was #100 of his career. Pittsburgh moved back into a Central Division tie for first with the Redbirds in front of a sellout crowd of 38,036. 
• 2013 - The Latino Baseball Hall of Fame announced its newest class, including ex-Pirates Matty Alou (1966-70), Vic Davalillo (1971-73), Rennie Stennett (1971-79), Tony Armas (1976) and Julian Javier (minors 1956-59, traded to SL 1960).

Pirates Early Push Enough To Win Opener Against Rox, 11-8

K-Man got the game off to a rollicking start with a second-pitch homer off Chi Chi Gonzalez. B-Rey and Starling followed with back-to-back knocks and J-Bell walked. Redbeard banged a two-run two-bagger, and an out later, Fraze singled home another run. So did Jake. Willy bunted, Newman's rap plated another pair, and that was it for Chi Chi; Yency Almonte took the ball and got the third out with the count 7-0. Willy gave up three straight raps with one away to make it 7-2; might be a hold-on-to-your-seatbelts night. With two gone in the second, a Moran rap and Joey O double put up another score, then Fraze knocked Osuna home. The Rox went down in order. K-Man doubled with one away for his third hit in three innings and moved to third on a fly, but the first Buc zero was posted. Colorado banged a couple of doubles to make it 9-3. With two down in the fourth, Joey O got the run back with a first-pitch dinger, then Fraze collected his third knock of the night before it ended. The Rox stranded a single.

Fraze picked his BA up to .272 with his four hit night - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Jesus Tinoco was waved on in the fifth. K-Man likes the Rocky Mountain High; he swatted another homer. Starling was plunked and J-Bell walked before the third out. The Rockies got a single, DP and bit of robbery at the wall by Starling, taking away a long fly bid by Nolan Arenado. Fraze got his fourth one-bagger in the sixth to turn the order over. Colorado was quiet. Jake McGee answered the seventh inning bell. He bopped Newman to open, but a DP and whiff quickly calmed the waters. Willy fired a clean frame. No noise from the Pirates in the eighth. Montana DuRapau gave up a two-out triple and walk. Consecutive doubles allowed a trio of Rockies to cross the dish, and in came Michael Feliz. He gave up a homer to pinch hitter Sam Hilliard on a 3-2 fastball; it's 11-8. That was followed by another free pass and a single. Frankie Liriano was called in and got a whiff *whew*. Wade Davis put the Bucs away in the ninth and Felipe Vazquez came in and earned another save nine pitches later. Raise the Roger.

It's a win, but it shows why the Pirates can't have nice things when you turn an eight-run lead in the eighth into a save situation. Maybe it's the thin air or the thin bullpen, but it's already lookin' like it might be one of those series...

Notes:

• Kevin Newman had four hits and HBP to reach all five PA's, with two homers and four RBI. Fraze also had four knocks. Joey O and Redbeard had a pair of raps; between the three, they scored five times and chased home six runs. Pittsburgh was 5-for-10 w/RISP and plated five two-out runs. The Rox did even better, going 5-for-8 w/RISP and pushing six runs across with two gone.
• Just before gametime, it was announced that Chris Stratton went on the 10-day IL with right side inflammation, joined by Yefry Ramirez with a right calf strain. Parker Markel and Montana DuRapau have been recalled from Indy.
• The Pirates have called up 14 pitchers from Indy at one time or another. Only three have an ERA under six - Ric Rod (3.91), Michael Feliz (4.05) and Dario Agrazal (4.41).

Willy v Chi Chi Gonzalez, Lineup & Notes

Game: The opening match starts at 8:05 at Coors Field, and will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds LF, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Jose Osuna RF, Adam Frazier 2B, Jake Stallings C, Trevor Williams P. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Willy works tonight - image via Positively Pittsburgh

Pitchers: RHP Trevor Williams (6-6/5.35) starts the set against RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (0-5/6.43). Willy had a long, dark stretch, but snapped out of it in his last start against the Reds, so hopefully he's ready to kick it into gear. He faced Colorado once in 2018, giving up two runs on four hits in six innings in a losing effort. Gonzalez missed 2017-18 to TJ surgery. Chi-Chi's biggest issues involve true outcomes; he gives up two homers and five walks per nine innings with only five K to counter. He's never faced the Pirates.

Notes:

• The Pirates lost 2-of-3 against Colorado at PNC Park earlier in the year. They've also now lost 32 of 44 since the All-Star break.
• Indy 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes was named the International League POTW after hitting .522. He put up four straight multi-hit games to tie a career high. He picked it up in August after a slow start to the campaign, batting .326 over the month so far
• Michael Ryan, Altoona's manager, won his 500th minor league game as a skipper last night. 
• Lots of Dominican Summer League love: CF Randy Romero was the player of the year and was named to the all-star team; other AS's were 2B Juan Jerez, 3B Alexander Mojica, RHP Sergio Umaña, and LHP Francisco Hodge. Shawn Bowman was selected as manager of the year. They're miles away from the show, of course, but it's good to see young talent in the system, which needs some new blood to fill in at the upper levels.

8/29 Through the 1950’s: Byrne Trade; WENS-TV; Friend-ly Day; HBD Pep, Woody, Dode, Billy, Jimmy & Ensign

• 1883 - UT Jimmie Savage was born in Southington, Connecticut. Savage appeared in the show for three seasons, including 1914-15 when he played for the Pittsburgh Rebels of the Federal League. Jimmie, then 30-years-old, played mostly in left but filled in at short and third base as needed. He finished his Rebel days with a .278 BA. He stayed local, dying in New Castle, but returned to his family roots and was buried in Southington.
• 1888 - LHP Ensign (his given name) Cottrell was born in Hoosick Falls, New York. He started his five-year career in the majors in 1911 with the Pirates after leaving Syracuse University, giving up four runs in his inning of work, and was released later in the season without any more action. His last game was tossed in 1915, and he went off to RPI to finish his schooling, becoming a self-employed civil engineer and surveyor.
• 1892 - OF Roy “Woody” Wood was born in Monticello, Arkansas. Roy started his three-year career with the Pirates after playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He hit .286 in a short stint and left baseball after the 1916 season to become a naval aviator in WW1. Woody went back to Fayetteville afterward, opened a dry goods store and was a mover in the town’s civic affairs before passing away at home in 1974.

Pep Young - 1940 Play Ball

• 1907 - IF Lemuel Floyd “Pep” Young was born in Jamestown, North Carolina. He played eight years (1933-40) for the Bucs, hitting .264 and playing mainly second, but with some short and third thrown in. The high tide of his career was in 1938, when he received some votes for the NL MVP after hitting .278 in 149 games. As fate would have it, he hurt his knee the next season, and played just 93 games over the final three years of his career (1940-41; 1945). He came by his nickname honestly. Per the Harrisburg Daily Independent, "He is the sort of player...who is on his toes all the time, chock full of life and ginger. It was his great display of energy in the minors that earned him the nickname of 'Pep.'"
• 1909 - The Pirates traded 3B Jap Barbeau, 2B Alan Storke, and cash to the Cardinals for 3B Bobby Byrne. Byrne had his best years as a Buc, playing through the 1913 season and hitting .277 while helping the Pirates to the 1909 World Series title. Barbeau and Storke finished the year strong but both were near the end; Storke was done after 1909 and Barbeau in 1910.
• 1918 - C Joe “Dode” Schultz Jr. was born in Chicago. He played for the Bucs from 1939-41, hitting .231 as a seldom used reserve and pinch hitter. His dad, Joe Sr., was also a Pirate, donning the Bucco uni in 1916. Dode went on manage the Seattle Pilots in 1969 and replaced Billy Martin as the Tigers skipper in 1973 to cap a long minor league coaching career. As for his nickname, Rory Costello of SABR wrote “As a child, Joe’s parents nicknamed him Dode, although the boy (Joe) ‘had no idea what it meant, if anything.’” The book “Detroit Tigers Lists and More” by Mark Pattison & David Raglin claims Dode is shorthand for “Dodo.” No wonder Joe pleaded ignorance.
• 1919 - SS Billy Cox was born in Newport, located in central Pennsylvania. He got a September call-up in 1941, spent four years in the service and became the starting Bucco shortstop in 1946-47, batting .280. He was traded to Brooklyn, moved to the hot corner, and played seven seasons for them and in three World Series.

Billy Cox - photo Pirates promotional

• 1953 - TV station WENS (Channel 16) kicked off its entry into the Pittsburgh market by being the first to televise a Pirate game from Forbes Field. There were two high cameras (one behind home, the other on the first base line; eventually, a third field-level camera was added) while the radio announcers, Rosey Rowswell and Bob Prince, did the play-by-play. Oh, the Bucs lost to the St. Louis Cards 5-4 in front of 3,145 that Saturday afternoon despite 2B Johnny O’Brien’s three hits. WENS chose the ballgame to start as they were heavily into sports, televising not only the Bucs but Duquesne basketball and Pittsburgh Hornet hockey. WENS (W-Entertainment, News, Sports) was an ABC affiliate and went off the air in 1957 after Channels 4 & 11 were licensed.
• 1959 - Bob Friend helped himself by driving in three runs with a two-out, bases-loaded double and tossed a nine-hitter against the Phils in an 11-1 romp at Forbes Field. Smoky Burgess also chased home a trio of runs with a pair of homers while Dick Groat added four hits.

8/29 From 1960 Through the 1980’s: TSN Dave; Ray Trade; Game Stories; RIP Big Poison

• August 29, 1965 - Hall of Fame OF’er Paul “Big Poison” Waner died in Sarasota, Florida at age 62. Among his many marks were a .333 lifetime BA, 3,152 hits with eight 200+ hit seasons, and a 1927 MVP award. His #11 was retired by the Pirates in 2007. After his playing days, he owned a batting cage establishment in Harmarville. One of the guys he helped develop there was rookie shortstop Dick Groat of Wilkinsburg. 

• 1970 - Dave Giusti was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Pirate Cutthroat.” He finished his “cutthroat” season 9-3 with 26 saves and a 3.06 ERA, working 66 games/103 IP as a multi-inning finisher.  
• 1978 - Despite a 36-minute rain delay, Bert Blyleven spun a five-hit, complete game shutout with eight strikeouts in a 5-0 win over the Reds at Riverfront Stadium. Willie Stargell led the attack with three hits, including a homer, and three RBI while Dave Parker & Ed Ott anted up a pair of knocks. It was Bert’s 39th whitewash; he would go on to toss 60 over his career. 
• 1983 - The Pirates Rick Rhoden, with late help from Kent Tekulve, edged the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 at Riverfront Stadium to increase the Bucs division lead to 1-1/2 games over the Phils and Expos. Rhoden scattered six hits and fanned nine while helping himself with an RBI knock; the other run came courtesy of a Marvell Wynne homer. Teke tossed two innings of one-hit ball after Rhoden left with a “twinge” in his arm. 
• 1984 - God helps those who help themselves: RHP Don Robinson pitched two scoreless innings of relief, knocked in the go-ahead run and scored the insurance marker as the Pirates beat the Astros, 4-2, at The Astrodome. Robinson broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 9th inning with a two-out single and touched home for the fourth run after Tony Pena followed with a double. 
• 1987 - Lotta firsts: Andy Van Slyke hit his first (and only) grand slam off Larry Andersen with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to ice an 8-2 win against the Houston Astros at TRS, extending the Bucco win streak to five games. Mike LaValliere went deep for the first time on the season and Mike Bielecki picked up his first win of the campaign while tossing the first complete game of his career. His six-hitter topped Nolan Ryan and Larry Anderson. Bobby Bonilla added three hits, including a double, and chased home three runs. Not all the goodies were first-timers: Ryan passed the 200+ K mark for a record 11th year. 

Johnny Ray - 1987 Topps Sticker

• 1987 - The Pirates traded 2B Johnny Ray to the Angels for two minor leaguers, 3B Bill Merrifield and LHP Miguel Garcia. With Jose Lind in the wings, the Pirates thought Ray, whose range had diminished noticeably at age 30, was expendable after seven years and a .286 BA. Maybe he was, but they Bucs sure didn’t get much - Merrifield never played for Pittsburgh and Garcia made 13 Pirate appearances with a 7.71 ERA. Meanwhile, Ray won an All-Star berth and hit .296 in four seasons for the Halos before closing his career in Japan. Ray’s agent said that the 2B had demanded the trade after GM Syd Thrift brought up Lind, claiming that Chico would cut into Ray’s playing time and cost him bonus money. The two sides had been cool since spring training when an expected (by Ray) contract extension didn’t happen. 
• 1988 - LHP Dave LaPoint became the first Pirate starter to begin his Pittsburgh career with three one-run or fewer starts when he whipped the Reds 8-1 at Riverfront Stadium. He was obtained for reliever Barry Jones in August from the White Sox, finished the year 4-2, and then signed with the Yankees as a FA the following season.

8/29 From 1990: J-Hay Day; S-Rod Cut; 11,000 Bombs; Wagner 1-Hitter; Game Stories

• 1990 - Barry Bonds went 3-for-4 with five RBI to lead the Bucs to a 10-0, rain-shortened seven inning win over the Braves at Atlanta-Fulton Stadium. Jeff King added three RBI, two off sac flies, as Doug Drabek won his 17th game. The game ended a four-game losing streak and followed a clubhouse meeting held by manager Jim Leyland after a lackadaisical 9-0 loss the night before. 

Paul Wagner - 1995 Fleer

• 1995 - RHP Paul Wagner came within one strike of a no-hitter with a one-hit, 11K, 4-0 win over the Rox at TRS. With two away in the ninth, 1B Andres Galarraga chopped a 3-2 pitch past the mound and over second, where Nelson Liriano made the grab but couldn’t beat The Big Cat to first with his throw. For Wagner, it was just his third win against 13 losses, and the victory snapped a six game Pittsburgh losing string. 
•  2000 - Kris Benson shutout the Giants 8-0 at TRS. He gave up one hit in eight frames, a first inning single to Barry Bonds. The Pirates banged four doubles (two by Enrique Wilson), a triple and a homer (John Vander Wal) off Livian Hernandez, who only managed six outs before getting the hook. 
• 2003 - Julian Tavares blew a ninth-inning lead, but the Bucs came back at PNC Park to top the Bravos 6-5. Taveras gave up three singles to allow Atlanta to tie the game, but the Pirates had a rally left in them after blowing an early 5-2 lead. They loaded the bases with an out, but after Jason Bay’s pop to short left looked like they had blown a golden chance when Jack Wilson failed to score on Carlos Rivera’s earlier single, taking a header after rounding third. But Jose Hernandez was the hero, bouncing a two-out single up the middle to give Taveras the blown save/win. Four Buccos had two hits, led by Rob Mackowiak who had a three-run homer to provide some instant offense. 
• 2006 - The Pirates scored twice in the 11th on an error and a bases loaded walk to defeat the Cubs 7-6 at PNC Park. Matt Capps, the sixth Pirate pitcher, picked up the win while Xavier Nady went 3-for-5 with a double and a couple of runs scored. The Cubs had jumped out to a 4-0 lead; the Bucs tied it in the sixth, then the clubs exchanged tallies in the seventh to set up some bonus baseball.

Wandy Rodriguez - 2012 Topps Update

• 2012 - The Pirates made their last push of the year by dropping the Cards by a 5-0 score behind Wandy Rodriguez at PNC Park. Pedro Alvarez banged a three-run homer to lead the attack. The Bucs moved within a game of the wildcard, having shut out the Redbirds 9-0 the day before with Petey adding another pair of homers and four RBI in support of James McDonald. It was just a tease; Pittsburgh finished September 7-21 and ended the season with just 79 wins. 
• 2014 - It was Josh Harrison day at PNC Park against the Cincinnati Reds. Presented with the Heart & Hustle Award before the game, J-Hay had the key hit in the Pirates come-from-behind, 2-1 win. His triple off Jonathan Broxton scored Andrew Lambo to tie the game in the eighth inning, and Josh came home with the game winner on Jose Tabata’s chopper through a drawn-in infield. Not only did J-Hay have three hits, but made several web-gem plays during the contest, the best of the bunch being a diving stop that he turned into a 5-3 DP and a hustling chase of a bad relay that led to a cut down runner at home. Edinson Volquez had a no-hitter through six frames, but was in line for a loss after Tony Watson, in relief with two outs in the eighth, allowed a soft single to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. Watson got the win (funny game sometimes) and Mark Melancon tossed a perfect ninth for the save. The game was played before a sellout crowd of 37,209 fans. 
• 2016 - Gregory Polanco blasted a three-run opposite field home run off the Cubs Jake Arrieta at Wrigley Field for the 11,000th homer in Pirates history. Josh Bell added his second career home run with another oppo taco, a solo shot in the fourth inning off Arrieta in a 5:03, 13-inning contest that the Bucs eventually lost 8-7. Pittsburgh loaded the bases with no outs in the final inning, but could only chase home one run on a Josh Harrison sac fly. It didn’t hold up long - Jeff Locke couldn’t get an out in his second inning of relief, and Chicago used four singles around an intentional walk to take home the bacon. 
• 2018 - Trevor Williams went six innings of three-hit, scoreless ball with a career-high eight strikeouts and the bullpen (Edgar Santana, Keone Kela and Felipe Vazquez) took care of the rest as the Pirates dropped the Cards 2-0 at Busch Stadium. A little small ball paid off in the fifth, using a bunt, bloop and hit-and-run to generate the scores with Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco driving in the runs. Polanco, Corey Dickerson and Adam Frazier each had a pair of hits while Marte and Jordy Mercer scored. 

S-Rod 2018 - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

• 2018 - Utilityman Sean Rodriguez, in his second go-around with the Pirates, was DFA’ed when Jordy Mercer came off the DL. S-Rod joined the Pirates in the winter of 2014 after a trade with Tampa Bay for P Buddy Borden, hit .246, and signed for another season at $2.5 M. He hit .270 w/18 HR and was a NL Player of the Week in 2016, then signed a two-year, $11.5 M deal with the Atlanta Braves. He injured his rotator cuff in a car accident and was traded back to the Pirates in 2017 for 1B/OF Connor Joe. In his first game back with the Pirates, he hit a walk-off home run, but it went downhill after that. S-Rod hit .168 for the Bucs over the remainder of the campaign and .167 the following year before he was let go. He played every position except pitcher/catcher while with the club. He's now with the Phils.

Pirates Pounded In Finale 12-3

Vince Velasquez and Mitch Keller traded clean first innings. Redbeard and Joey O started off the second with raps, but were left on the pond. Rhys Hoskins opened with a three-bagger and a single brought him home. Three more knocks plated a second run; Mitch got a pair of K to end the frame and strand Phils at second and third. There was no Bucco noise in the third. Bryce Harper legged out a tapper to short; Hoskins doubled him home; the ball actually rolled across the top of the wall for several feet, a Philly first, allowing Harper to score easily. Starling singled in the fourth and trotted home ahead of J-Bell's homer, making it 3-2. It was a clean frame for Kells. K-Man singled with two away for all the Pittsburgh fifth inning action; Corey Dickerson continued his "Revenge is Mine" tour by homering. That began a barrage against Keller, and he left down 8-2 before Yefry Ramirez doused the flames.

Another good day for Starling - image Pittsburgh Pirates promo

Austin Davis took the mound in the sixth and gave up a dinger to Starling; JT Realmuto got it back with a long ball in the Philadelphia half. A walk, steal, thrown away pickoff try and rap added another point to the Philly total. Jake singled in the seventh to no avail. The Phils dribbled a soft single to start, and that run plated after an infield knock and passed ball. Edgar Garcia tossed the ball in the eighth, and Starling's one-out hit was erased on a J-Bell DP. Philly banged a pair of two-out two-baggers to plate another run; after 90 pitches, Yefry's arm was no doubt dragging. Fraze doubled with two outs in the ninth to briefly prolong the misery.

Another day on the evaluation trail for 2020. Too bad everyone isn't following the example of Marte and Bell.

Notes:

• Starling had three hits and J-Bell a pair; each homered.
• Per Jayson Stark of The Athletic: "(Mitch Keller) is the first pitcher since ER became an official stat to cram 8+ strikeouts and 8+ ER into an outing that short!"
• Gregory is working out but not ready for a rehab assignment while Archie is doing site-specific exercise, but with no throwing. JT Brubaker is also back to regular throwing after a brief shutdown.
• The Pirates' Arizona Fall League roster was mostly announced: Oneil Cruz, SS; Jared Oliva, OF; Blake Cederlind, RHP; Jason Delay, C; Nick Mears, RHP; Cody Ponce, RHP. The Bucs have seven slots, sop there's one PTBNL. They'll play for the Peoria Javelinas.
• The rookie GCL season and Florida State League Bradenton Marauders (maybe) are both ending their campaigns a little bit early because of Hurricane Dorian. The GCL is cancelling its playoffs while the FSL will hold theirs post-Dorian (Bradenton didn't make the field).

Mitch v Vince Velasquez, Lineup & Notes

Game: The getaway game starts at 6:05 and will be carried by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. Today's match decides the series winner.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds LF, Starling Marte 1B, Josh Bell 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Jose Osuna RF, Adam Frazier 2B, Jake Stallings C, Mitch Keller P.  Jake swapped in for Eli while Joey O keeps getting daily looks. And with a 130 OPS+, why not?

Mitch on the mound - 2019 Bowman 30th Anniversary

Pitchers: RHP Mitch Keller (1-2/7.24) closes out the set against RHP Vince Velasquez (5-7/4.93). Mitch is serving his apprenticeship, and two of his last three games have been quite solid. With 33 punch outs in 27-1/3 IP, he's got the stuff. Kell showed much better command last game and the Bucs let him dip into his toolkit early and often to mix it up (he had been on fastball regimen before, mostly as a control issue), helping the cause. This will be his first outing against Philadelphia. Velasquez is mostly a five-inning arm with lots of ups and downs in performance. This will be the first time he's seen the Pirates since 2017.

Notes:

• Worries about Fraze at second have been way exaggerated - he has a +6 DRS, compared to -2 for J-Hay last year. He's second in MLB-DRS, behind only Kolten Wong, among qualified second sackers.
• The Altoona Mirror wonders if Uncle Ray could be replaced by Cousin Hanny?
• Old Bucco update - IF Gift Ngoepe and RHP Vin Mazzaro are still playing, albeit in the indie Atlantic League. Gift is with Lancaster while Vinnie is playing for Long Island. 
• After the game, the Bucs travel to Colorado to take on the Rockies in a four-game set.

8/28 Through the 1920’s: Bush Goes; Hangin' On; HBD Howie, Jolly Cholly, Chauncey & Wally

• 1873 - IF Bill “Chauncey” Stuart was born in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania. Bill was a two-sport star, playing halfback for Penn State. He got into 19 games and collected 77 at-bats in 1895 with the Pirates, batting .247; he would get one more major league plate appearance in 1899 with the NY Giants. He retired after that and went into oil speculation. He died in Fort Worth, but was buried at State College. 

Jolly Cholly 1923 - Bains/Library of Congress

• 1898 - Charlie “Jolly Cholly” Grimm was born in St. Louis. The 1B played six years (1919-24) in Pittsburgh, hitting .286, but made his reputation with Chicago in the following dozen years after a big 1924 trade sent him to the Windy City. Charlie became a manager after his playing days with stops in Boston/Milwaukee and the Cubs. He earned his nickname for his cheerful, upbeat manner, ala Chuck Tanner. 
• 1902 - OF Wally Roettger was born in St. Louis. Wally ended his eight-year MLB career (mostly with the Cards and Reds) in Pittsburgh in 1934, hitting .245. A college hoopster beside ballplayer, Wally went on to become the baseball skipper at the University of Illinois from 1935-51 and an assistant basketball coach from 1936-49; he started on that trail when he coached hoops at Illinois Wesleyan during the baseball off-season. His tale had a sad ending; at age 49, with heart problems and failing eyesight, he took his own life. 
• 1911 - Pirate super scout Howie Haak was born in Rochester, NY. Pittsburgh discovered much of its legendary Latino talent from the mid-1950s through the 1980s thanks to Haak's efforts. He recommended that Pittsburgh draft Roberto Clemente from the Brooklyn system and signed Manny Sanguillen, Omar Moreno and Rennie Stennett of Panama; Julian Javier, Tony Pena, Jose DeLeon, and Cecilio Guante of the Dominican Republic; Al McBean of the Virgin Islands and Roman Mejias of Cuba. 
• 1925 - The Pirates hung on to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 10-9 at the Baker Bowl. Kiki Cuyler had four hits, including a pair of inside-the-park homers, Eddie Moore and Clyde Barnhart added three knocks apiece and George Grantham homered. Babe Adams and Tom Sheehan gave up five runs in the bottom of the ninth and Ray Kremer had to come on to get the final out with the bases juiced. He retired pinch hitter Nelson “Chicken” Hawks, who was batting for the second time in the inning and already had a hit and run under his belt. 

Donie Bush 1927 - Harwell Collection/Detroit Public Library

• 1929 - Donie Bush resigned as the Pirate manager, replaced by coach Jewel Ens. Bush took the team to the World Series in 1927, where they were swept by the Murderer’s Row Yankees and played without Kiki Cuyler, who Bush had benched. The Pirates had lost 8-of-9 when Bush resigned and were 14-½ games behind the eventual titlists, the Chicago Cubs.

8/28 From 1930 Through the 1960’s: Shep's New Deal; Brown's Streak; Game Stories

• 1930 - The Pirates scored in double figures for the third straight game, beating the Cincy Reds 11-2 at Forbes Field in the second game of a twin bill after winning 16-12 in the lid lifter. The club started the streak at Wrigley Field with a 10-8 win over the Chicago Cubs. Gus Suhr went 7-for-13 with six runs, eight RBI, two homers, two triples and a double over that span. 

Ray Brown - Negro League Magnet Card

• 1940 - Homestead Grays RHP Ray Brown earned his 27th consecutive victory over a two year span when he shut out the Baltimore Elite Giants 5-0 on three hits, bringing his record to 12-0 (he finished 15-4). Brown played for Cum Posey's Grays from 1932-45 and again in 1947-48 (in fact, he married Posey’s daughter Ethel), winning 109 games in his career. He was selected for the Hall of Fame in 2006. 
• 1951 - The Bucs ended the New York Giants winning streak at 16 games, the longest since 1935, when LHP Howie Pollet tossed a six-hit shutout for a 2-0 win at the Polo Grounds. The Pirates only had three hits (two by rookie Frank Thomas), but were issued eight free passes (three to Ralph Kiner), and both Bucco runs were unearned.
• 1956 - The Bucs spotted Warren Spahn and the first place Milwaukee Braves a four-run lead at County Stadium, then scored four times in the seventh to tie the game on the back of Dale Long’s three-run homer. The Pirates took command the next frame when Dick Groat’s two-out infield knock to the SS hole plated Frank Thomas. A tag team sixth-inning catch may have ignited the Bucs: per the Milwaukee Journal's Cleon Walfoort "Clemente and Bill Virdon robbed Spahn of an extra-base hit and the Braves of one or more runs. Clemente got his glove on the ball against the fence and Virdon grabbed it as it squirted out. It was just after this remarkable catch that the Pirates came to life." 
• 1959 - Vern Law whitewashed the Philadelphia Phillies 9-0 on five hits at Forbes Field, striking out seven and supported by three solo homers off the bats of Roberto Clemente, Smoky Burgess and Rocky Nelson. Clemente’s was an inside-the-park four-bagger that hit off the flagpole in left center 457’ away on one hop, the deepest part of FF. Pittsburgh banged out 10 hits and drew nine walks. 

Vern Law - 1959 Topps

• 1964 - Joe Gibbon and the Phils’ Jim Bunning traded zeroes for the first seven innings at Forbes Field. Then Bunning led a charge of four straight Philadelphia hits in the eighth as the Brotherly Love nine pulled ahead 2-0 before Tommie Sisk and Roy Face could quiet their bats. The score stayed that way until the bottom of the ninth. A Bill Virdon knock and one-out Jerry Lynch walk was followed by a Willie Stargell single to make it 2-1, and then old Shake, Rattle and Roll, Smoky Burgess, lifted an Ed Roebuck offering into the seats to walk off a 4-2 win. 
• 1967 - Roberto Clemente had three hits, including two homers, to lead the Bucs to a 4-3 win over the Braves. He hit the game winner with two outs in the 10th at Atlanta Stadium. Denny Ribant got the win, and Juan Pizarro the save. 
• 1968 - The Bucs gave Larry Shepard a new contract. GM Joe Brown said “I’m making the announcement now to give the players an incentive to finish higher, knowing Larry will be back.” Guess they weren’t all that gung ho...Larry managed the Pirates to an 80-82 record in 1968, and the Pirates were 84-73 when the team fired him late in the 1969 campaign and replaced him with Alex Grammas, who was bumped by Danny Murtaugh in 1970.

8/28 From 1970: Neagle-Schmidt; Petey Launch; Byrd Bomb; Game Stories; HBD TJ

• 1972 - Willie Stargell single handedly carried the Bucs to a 5-3 win over San Diego at TRS with a pair of two-run blasts off Mike Caldwell. He gave Bob Moose a 5-1 lead to work with, and until the ninth he was cruising before the Padres banged back-to-back long balls with one out; he then gave up a single. Ramon Hernandez was waved in; he gave up another knock to bring the winning run to the plate. Ramon settled down and a whiff & a pop into short right closed the book. Pops’ blasts were big; the Pirates only had six hits during the contest. 

Ed Kirkpatrick - 1974 Topps

• 1974 - The Giants banged out 14 hits at Candlestick Park, but the Bucs took home the win 3-1 in 11 innings on Ed Kirkpatrick’s two-out double. San Francisco stranded 16 runners as Jerry Reuss and game winner Dave Giusti bent but didn’t break. It was Pittsburgh’s sixth straight win and nudged them 1-½ games ahead of the Cardinals. 
• 1978 - John Candelaria, pitching through a bad elbow (he had to skip some starts to let it calm down), went six innings of two-hit, one-run, six strikeout ball and Ed Whitson followed with three no-hit frames as the Bucs tossed their way past the Reds 3-1 at Riverfront Stadium. It wasn’t much of an attack by the Pirates - Dave Parker’s triple sent home Omar Morena while Bill Robinson had a sac fly & blooper to plate Parker and Steve Brye. Pittsburgh stranded 10 runners during the contest, leaving the bases loaded twice 
• 1980 - RHP TJ Beam was born in Scottsdale, Arizona. TJ put his second and last MLB campaign in with the Pirates in 2008, slashing 2-2-1/4.14 in 32 appearances. He afterward inked a couple of minor league deals and closed out his playing days in an indie league. Beam served as a pitching coach for Ole Miss for two seasons when he returned to campus to complete his degree. 
• 1996 - LHP Denny Neagle was traded to the Atlanta Braves for RHP Jason Schmidt, OF Corey Pointer and 1B Ron Wright. Schmidt continued the series of starters who would be developed by the Bucs (like Neagle) just to blossom elsewhere because of salary constraints in Pittsburgh. Schmidt went 44-47/4.39 in six Bucco seasons before breaking out as a Giant (three All-Star nods & a World Series); Neagle had gone 43-35/4.02 for his five seasons as a Pirate before five strong campaigns with the Braves (All-Star) and Reds, with two World Series. 
• 2003 - Josh Fogg tossed a four-hitter - he didn’t give up a hit until the sixth inning - en route to a 5-0 win over the Marlins and Dontre Willis at TRS. Jack Wilson had four RBI, with the game’s key blow a two-out, bases loaded double in the fourth to give Fogg a cushion to work with. Mike Lincoln and Julian Taveras got the final four outs to preserve the whitewash. Kip Wells had shutout the Fish in the previous game as the Pirates swept the three-game series. 

Josh Fogg - 2003 Donruss Studio

• 2012 - Pedro Alvarez hit the longest homer by a Pirate to date at PNC Park, bombing a sixth inning Brandon Dickson delivery 469’. The shot cleared the seats in center and bounced onto the Riverwalk beside the Allegheny River during the Bucs 9-0 win over St. Louis. El Toro also added a 422’ shot in the third off Jake Westbrook as James McDonald got the win. 
• 2013 - Newly acquired Marlon Byrd hit a homer and tallied three RBI in his first game with the Bucs to ice Pittsburgh’s 7-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park, with Charlie Morton getting the victory. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Byrd was the third Pirate player to hit a home run and have at least three RBI in his first game with the team after playing for another MLB team earlier in the season. Derrek Lee hit two dingers and had three RBI on August 1st, 2011 after being traded by the Orioles and Shawon Dunston hit two long balls and drove in four runs on September 2nd, 1997 after being acquired from the Cubs.