7/17 From 1990: Morris-Loaiza Deal; Moskos Signs; Bonus Ball; Game & All Star Stories

• 1998 - The Bucs traded RHP Esteban Loaiza to the Texas Rangers for RHP Todd Van Poppel and 2B Warren Morris. The Pirates plugged Van Poppel into the rotation to replace Loaiza and Morris was considered the key as a lefty-hitting, power-bat second baseman. It didn’t work out quite as planned. TVP worked 10 weeks for Pittsburgh while Morris was released after the 2001 season. Loaiza pitched for another 10 seasons (albeit with seven teams), topped by a 21-9/2.90 campaign with the White Sox in 2003 when he was an All-Star and Cy Young runner up. 
• 1999 - In a wild 13-10 win over the Cleveland Indians at TRS, Kevin Young homered twice to drive in five runs and Al Martin also went yard two times to plate three more. The teams combined to bang out 32 hits and together burned through 13 pitchers during the game. 

Kevin Young - 1999 Pacific Crown

• 2003 - The Brewers and Bucs exchanged grand slams in a 7-5 Milwaukee win at PNC Park. Ex-Bucco John Vander Wal clocked a first inning salami off Kris Benson; Craig Wilson pounded a pinch hit grannie in the fifth off Wayne Franklin. 
• 2004 - Pittsburgh scored three times in the bottom of the eighth to rally past the Florida Marlins 4-2 at PNC Park. Tike Redman and Jack Wilson had RBI knocks in the frame, while Tony Alvarez added a sac fly. Salomon Torres got the win; Jose Mesa the save. 
• 2007 - LHP Daniel Moskos, the Pirates first round draft pick and fourth overall, agreed to a deal including a $2.5M signing bonus. The Clemson junior was selected as a back-end bullpen option for the Pirates bullpen, although he made 10 starts for the Tigers as a junior. He got his only MLB action in 2007, slashing 1-1/2.96 in 312 Pittsburgh outings but with a 1.56 WHIP and just four K’s per nine innings. Moskos did pitch through 2018, spending his time working jobs in AAA, Mexico and the indie leagues. 
• 2009 - It took the Bucs 14 innings, but they ended a streak of seven losses in eight games going into the All-Star break with a 2-1 win over the Giants. Garrett Jones homered off Bob Lowry at PNC Park for the walk-off winner; he also brought in the first run with a long ball of Tim Lincecum. The pitching duel, begun by Paul Maholm and Lincecum, featured 13 pitchers between the two clubs, with Evan Meek getting the win. 
• 2013 - The International League won the AAA All-Star Game, 4-3, over the Pacific Coast League. The big bop was delivered by Pirates C prospect Tony Sanchez of the Indy Indians who banged a three-run homer off Jarred Cosart in the second inning and won the game MVP. He got a late call to the big club that season, hitting .233 in 22 games, but is still bouncing around among organizations in the minors as a depth player. He’s currently a free agent. 

Starling Marte - 2016 Topps sticker

• 2016 - Starling Marte went boom against ex-Bucco Ollie Perez in the 18th inning to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 win over Washington at Nationals Park; he had chased home Adam Frazier in the sixth with the Pirates first run. The Pirates took the 1-0 lead into the ninth in a duel between Chad Kuhl and Max Scherzer, but Daniel Murphy homered off Mark Melancon with two outs and two strikes to set up some bonus baseball. The Bucs almost ended it in the 16th when Josh Harrison doubled, but speed-challenged C Eric Kratz (who caught all 18 innings) was cut down at home. The two clubs burned through 17 pitchers (Pittsburgh used nine) with Jon Niese getting the win after three innings of work to earn his last victory in MLB. 
• 2018 - Closer Felipe Rivero got his first All-Star nod (some thought a year overdue) as the only Pirates AS rep at Nationals Park, the yard where his career started. The AL prevailed in 10 innings by an 8-6 score that saw a record 10 homers belted, but they couldn’t dent Felipe. In his inning of work, he fanned a pair, walked one and gave up a single on a routine fly that was lost in the lights.