8/31 From 1960: Blass/Face Switch; Seven Straight; Game Stories; HBD Erik, Juan & Morris

• 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 Fastest Risers

• 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. 
• 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. 
• 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. He was hurt for the majority of 2019, but started for much of 2020.

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. 
• 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 10th, 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." 
• 2013 - The Pirates whipped 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. The newly-acquired Morneau was ready to rep; although not needed for this battle, he arrived in mid-game after flying in from Texas.