9/3 From 1980: Streak Snapped; Solly Comeback; Game Stories; RIP Rip, Clyde; HBD Mad Capper

• 1983 - The Braves took an early 2-0 lead against Rick Rhoden at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, built around a Chris Chambliss double, and the game stayed that way until the seventh inning. The Pirates tied the score on a couple of walks and doubles by Bill Madlock and Johnny Ray. An intentional walk packed the sacks for Mike Easler, making his first appearance in 25 days after a thumb injury had sent him to the DL. His first at bat back was against relief ace Steve Bedrosian, taking over from Phil Niekro. The Hit Man missed nary a beat, drilling a grand slam to center on the first pitch to carry the Bucs to a 6-2 victory. Jim Bibby got the win in relief of Rhoden while Cecilio Guante picked up a save. 

Mike Easler - 1983 Topps

• 1983 - RHP Matt Capps was born in Douglasville, Georgia. The closer spent five years (2005-09) in Pittsburgh, putting up a record of 19-19-67/3.61. Though he went converted 27 of 32 save opportunities in 2009, his 5.80 ERA led to the Pirates to non-tender him after the campaign. After stints in Washington and Minnesota, he’s been out of MLB since 2013, signing several minor league deals and hanging ‘em up after the 2016 campaign. He went by the nicknames "The Mad Capper" and "Big Bull Rider," both integral parts of his scoreboard vid intro at PNC Park. 
• 1989 - Truett "Rip" Sewell passed away in Plant City, Florida, at the age of 82. Rip was a three-time All-Star who led the NL in wins, winning percentage, and complete games. A workhorse (eight years w/175+ IP), he posted four 15-wins seasons (w/two 21-win campaigns), and logged 200 or more IP four years in a row. A cousin of big league stalwarts brothers Joe and Luke Sewell, he is best known for the eephus pitch. The righty pitched virtually his entire career in Pittsburgh, from 1938-49, starting 243 games, winning 143 (with 15 saves tossed in) while posting a 3.43 ERA. 
• 1992 - Orlando Merced drove in five runs on three hits including a double to help the Pirates complete a three-game sweep of the Giants with a 9-3 victory at TRS. Alex Cole also helped the cause with a personal-high four hits, tripling twice. Doug Drabek worked into the seventh for the win.   
• 2000 - Longtime Pirates coach and scout Clyde Sukeforth passed away in Waldoboro, Maine, at the age of 98. He caught for 10 years with the Reds and Dodgers and then became a Brooklyn coach, moving to Pittsburgh to join Branch Rickey in 1952, where he coached, managed in the minors (he turned down the Pirates reins in 1957, bringing on Danny Murtaugh) served as a super scout (he was one of several who bird-dogged Roberto Clemente) until 1965, then serving as an Atlanta scout to close out his career. 
• 2002 - Salomon Torres pitched his first MLB game since July 20th‚ 1997‚ and went 8-1/3 scoreless innings against the Braves, also collecting his first hit since 1994 in the Pirates 3-0 win. Torres‚ 30‚ retired as an active player in 1997 and served as Montreal's pitching coach in the Dominican Summer League before he signed with Pittsburgh in January. Torres now runs three training complexes for minor leaguers in the Dominican Republic to prep them for baseball and life in the US. 

Jack Wilson - 2007 Bowman

• 2007 - Jack Wilson had a big game, going 4-for-5 with a homer and double, scoring twice and driving in three as the Bucs beat the St. Louis Cards 11-0 at Busch Stadium. Ronnie Paulino was hot, too, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs and two RBI while Ian Snell and Juan Perez combined on a six hit shutout. 
• 2013 - Travis Snider’s ninth inning homer lifted the Pirates to a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park and gave Pittsburgh a two-game lead in the NL Central. It also was Pittsburgh’s 81st win and snapped a 20-year losing streak by the franchise, unmatched by any other major professional sports team in North America. There were more contributors than Snider, though - Andrew McCutchen, Justin Morneau and Marlon Byrd combined to go 7-for-10 with three RBI and three runs scored, Mark Melancon picked up the save for Vin Mazzaro, and Gerrit Cole, who gave up a pair of first inning runs after just three batters, came back to put up zeroes through six innings and retired the last 12-of-13 hitters he faced. Cutch’s homer was his 100th, putting him in the Bucco 100 HR/100 steal club along with Barry Bonds, Al Martin, Andy Van Slyke, Dave Parker and Paul Waner. And in a final bit of irony, the Brewers had broken their club record 12-season losing streak at PNC Park in 2005, so it was fitting the Bucs returned the favor at Miller. 
• 2017 - Jordy Mercer hit his 13th home run of the season to set a personal season homer high in the Pirates’ 3-1 win over the Reds at PNC Park. Rookie Trevor Williams threw seven shutout innings while scattering eight hits and fanning five. Starling Marte added a solo homer and rookie Jordan Luplow chipped in with an RBI single. The Bucs needed the power burst as they could only muster five hits. Daniel Hudson and Felipe Vazquez finished out the game, with Vazquez picking up the save.