9/10 From 1940 Through the 1970s: 11's & 12's; Game Stories; HBD Chad

• 1940 - The Bucs rolled 11 in consecutive games, sweeping a twin bill from the Phillies by 11-3 and 11-1 scores at Shibe Park. In the opener, Maurice Van Robays homered with four RBI while Arky Vaughan smacked two triples and drove in three runs to allow Joe Bowman to cruise to victory. Rip Sewell tossed a six hitter with lots of support in the closer. Van Robays had a double and three more RBI, Al Lopez went 2-for-2 with three runs driven in, Vaughan added four more hits and Bob Elliott homered. 

Maurice Van Robays - photo Retro Archives (filter ColouriseSG)

• 1958 - Dick Stuart banged a two-run, two-out 10th-inning homer, atoning for an earlier error that allowed a run to score, to give Bob Friend his 20th win of the year as the Pirates beat the Giants 6-4 at Forbes Field. Roberto Clemente added three hits, a run, RBI, stolen base and threw out a runner at third. Friend finished the year at 22–14 to lead MLB in victories, and became the first Buc pitcher to win twenty since Murry Dickson (20-16) in 1951. The victory guaranteed the ‘58 Pirates a winning record, snapping a nine-season drought during the “Rickey-Dinks” era. 
• 1960 - Bob Friend wasn’t at his sharpest, but he sure had his sinker working. He scattered nine hits to the Cubs but got the Chicago nine to bounce into five DPs (Billy Maz was in on every one of them) to claim a 4-1 victory at Forbes Field. The Pirates scored three times in the fourth off Bob Anderson thanks to a pair of Cubbie errors and added another run thanks to Dick Stuart’s homer, one of three hits he had during the game. 
• 1973 - Willie Stargell and Richie Zisk combined for nine hits and Jim Rooker cruised on the bump as the Pirates blasted the Cubs 11-3 at Wrigley Field. Pops (4-for-4 w/two walks) was on a tear and was on a 14-of-17 roll at the plate; Zisk (5-for-6) was in a zone, too, banging out 14 hits in his last 27 at bats. Bob Robertson added three knocks while Rennie Stennett, Richie Hebner, Scoops Oliver and Manny Sanguillen each had a pair of raps. The Pirates collected 21 hits off five Chicago pitchers as they moved 1/2 game behind the Cards. 
• 1974 - The Pirates went on rampage in Chicago, scoring all their runs in the first five innings on the way to a 12-4 win at Wrigley Field. Richie Hebner led the way with four hits, including a homer, three RBI and two runs scored while Rennie Stennett and Manny Sanguillen each had three knocks and scored five times between them. Ken Brett got the win with some late help.

 

Richie Hebner - 1974 Topps

• 1977 - OF Chad Hermansen was born in Salt Lake City. The first round (10th overall pick) of the 1995 draft straight out of high school, Hermansen played in parts of the 1999-2002 seasons with the Pirates. Considered the Bucco center fielder of the future, he hit only .199. Chad bounced around the league, mostly as a AAA player, until 2008, and is now a scout for the LA Angels.