4/16 From 1950: Double Grannies; Jose K; 3-Run Blasts; Squeaky Openers; HBP Keone

• 1953 - The Pirates beat the Phils in a 14-12 barnburner on Opening Day at Forbes Field. The Phillies scored nine runs in the top of the fifth and the Pirates came back with six in the bottom half to tie the NL record for runs in an inning. The Bucs added five more in the sixth to pull away. It was a team effort; all nine members of Pittsburgh’s starting lineup had at least one hit. Cal Abrams led the pack with three knocks while Danny O’Connell had three RBI. 

Cal Abrams - 1953 Bowman

• 1958 - The Bucs opened the season by edging the defending World Series champs, the Milwaukee Braves, 4-3, at County Stadium. It took 14 innings before RC Stevens’ single chased home Dick Groat with the winner. The game was started by Warren Spahn and Bob Friend with the Bucs holding a 3-2 lead after scoring in the ninth, but the Braves tied it with three singles against ElRoy Face. Rookies Ron Blackburn and Curt Raydon tossed zeroes over the final four frames, with Blackburn getting the win and Raydon the save. 
• 1962 - Roberto Clemente's three-run homer in the fifth propelled the Bucs to a 6-5 win over Chicago at Wrigley Field, redeeming himself for a first-inning error that allowed a run to plate. Diomedes Olivo got the win in relief of Bob Veale. Bill Virdon had three knocks while Dick Groat, Dick Stuart and Don Hoak each chipped in a pair of hits. 
• 1985 - Jose DeLeon tied the Bucco record for most strikeouts thrown in a game by a right-handed pitcher (Bob Moose set the mark in 1969) as he whiffed 14 Mets at TRS. He gave up four hits without a run or walk in eight innings of work. The effort fell short, though, as the Pirates went down 1-0, victims of a Ron Darling/Jesse Orosco one-hitter. John Candelaria took the loss in relief. 
• 1988 - Doug Drabek fired a five-hitter as the Bucs dropped the Chicago Cubs and Greg Maddux, 4-0, at Wrigley Field in front of 30,564 fans. The Pirates attack was led by a pair of platoon guys, RJ Reynolds and Sid Bream. Reynolds had the big blow, a three-run homer in the fourth that followed Bream’s second of three hits, an RBI single. Bobby Bonilla also added two hits and scored. 
• 1993 - RHP Keone Kela was born in Los Angeles. The Texas closer joined the Bucs at the 2018 deadline, coming east in return for minor league LHP Taylor Hearn and PTBNL. He quickly stepped in as the Pirates eighth inning arm, going 0-1/2.93 in 16 appearances before being shut down in mid-September with a case of dead arm. 

Keone Kela - 2020 Topps Heritage

• 1996 - Orlando Merced and Jay Bell both hit grand slams at Busch Stadium to lead the Bucs to a 13-3 win over the Cards with Zane Smith earning the W. Pittsburgh banged out 20 knocks, led by Jeff King with four raps and Merced, Carlos Garcia, Al Martin and Keith Osik with three hits apiece.