6/25 From 1980: Bomb Barrage; #9,000; Bulldog Battle; Game Stories; HBD Paul & Bobby

• 1982 - LHP Paul Maholm was born in Greenwood, Mississippi. Maholm was selected by the Pirates in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2003 draft and debuted in 2005. He worked for the Bucs through 2011, slashing 53-73/4.36, and was released with the Cubs picking him up. He played for them, the Braves and Dodgers through 2014 when a shoulder injury ended his career. 
• 1986 - LHP Bobby LaFromboise was born in Downey, California. He had two brief MLB stops, working for the Anglels and then getting into 17 games for the Pirates in 2014-15 as a depth reliever and LOOGY, with no decisions but a fine ERA of 1.54. Still, he was waived and though he signed with several teams on a look-see basis, he’s been out of baseball since 2017.

Bobby LaFromboise - photo MLB.com

• 1995 - There was plenty of good pitching in the Bucs 1-0 win over Montreal at Stade Olympique, with the Pirates making a two-out unearned run scored in the opening frame hold up. Esteban Loaiza tossed seven innings of five-hit ball, then Jason Christiansen and Dan Miceli put it to bed. Jay Bell was the only Bucco batter with a clue, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and scoring the game’s only run. Kevin Young had a record-tying day at the hot corner with 11 assists. The recently converted 1B (he had 30 MLB appearances at third in his first three campaigns) handled bunts, dribblers, and started a key around-the-horn DP in the fourth after the first two Expos had reached base, the only real jam Loaiza faced that day. 
• 2002 - The Pirates won their 9,000th game with a 4-1 victory against the Montreal Expos at PNC Park, joining the Giants, Yankees, and Dodgers in that accomplishment. Kris Benson got the W and Kevin Young went 4-for-4 on the day. 
• 2003 - The Pirates broke a 3-3 tie by scoring three times in the ninth, then barely held on to claim a 6-5 win over Montreal at Olympic Stadium. The Bucs took the late lead on a Kenny Lofton sac fly and back-to-back two-out singles by Jason Kendall and Jeff Reboulet. It was just enough for Mike Williams, who gave up a two-run homer to Ron Calloway and had Expos leading off first and second before getting the last two outs. 
• 2008 - In the battle of the Bulldogs, LHP Justin Wilson held Georgia scoreless for seven innings and got the win as Fresno State won its first College World Series by a 6-1 score. Wilson was named to the All-Tournament team and became the Bucs fifth round pick in the draft, pitching for the big club from 2012-14 before beginning a trek around the league. 
• 2009 - After falling behind the Indians 2-0 at PNC Park, the Bucs chipped away, winning 3-2 on a walk off bloop single in the ninth by Andrew McCutchen that scored Jack Wilson. Cutch was clutch; he scored the first run of the comeback in the sixth and drove in the tying run an inning later by drawing a bases-loaded walk on a 3-2 count off Cliff Lee.  

Lyle Overbay - photo 2011 Jared Wickersham/Getty

• 2011 - The Bucs downed the Red Sox and one-time Bucco hurler Tim Wakefield, 6-4, behind a three-run homer by Lyle Overbay and a solo shot by Garrett Jones. Joel Hanrahan earned the save by striking out Adrian Gonzalez, who represented the tying run, in the ninth at PNC Park. 
• 2013 - The Bucs banged five homers for the first time since 2009 and rolled to a 9-4 win over the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Starling Marte led the Pirates' offense with a pair of home runs, his first career multi-homer game, and a triple. Russell Martin, Brandon Inge and Gaby Sanchez also homered. The Pirates went long three times in the second inning off Joe Saunders; Inge and Marte went back-to-back. Jeff Locke coasted to the win, and in the process became the first Pittsburgh lefty to win seven in a row since John Smiley in 1991.