- 1974 - Jon Matlock went to the well once too often against Richie Zisk, and paid the price when Zisk banged a walk-off homer in the ninth to drop the Mets 4-3. Matlock had hung an 0-fer on Richie by starting him off with an inside fastball in his previous four at bats, getting a first-pitch out on three of the tosses. This time, Zisk was sitting on the pitch and rocketed the heater into the left field stands at TRS for the game-winner. The match had been tied at three since the fourth, with Frank Taveras and Art Howe singles accounting for the Buc runs. It was Jerry Reuss’ 11th win; he was solid, giving up six hits in a complete game victory; all three runs the Metropolitans scored were unearned.
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| Richie Zisk - 1974 Topps |
- 1977 - The Pirates had jumped out to a 3-0 lead after an inning at TRS, but Chi-town All-Star Rick Reuschel, who would become a Bucco in 1985, settled in after that. By the seventh the Cubs had banged their way back to take a 6-4 lead, but Reuschel struggled as he neared the finish line. In the seventh, he gave up a run after walking Frank Taveras, who stole second and scored on Dave Parker’s rap. Big Daddy got through the eighth, but couldn’t hang on in the final frame. Omar Moreno singled, Rennie Stennett doubled, and after a Jim Fregosi lineout, Dave Roberts got the call to face Ed Ott. Maybe they should have let Reuschel face one more batter; Otter drilled a triple off Roberts to walk off a 7-6 victory. The first inning runs were driven home by Bill Robinson and Al Oliver with a later solo shot by Fernando Gonzalez. Grant Jackson got the win; Bruce Kison and Goose Gossage preceded him.
- 1978 - Dave Parker had the first five-hit day of his career with a home run, double, three singles & three RBI while John Milner added a grand slam and Willie Stargell chipped in a pair of raps to chase home the other two runs in a 9-5 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Milner’s big blow was made possible by Chuck Tanner’s timely intervention. After Milner and ump Joe West got into a debate over a call, Tanner stepped in to protect his player and got the heave-ho but saved Milner’s hide by shoving his aggravated outfielder away from West. Don Robinson got the win as Kent Tekulve posted the final five outs.
- 1979 - The Pirates survived a rare rough outing by Kent Tekulve in a 5-2, 10-inning win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Jim Bibby and Lynn McGlothen hooked up in a duel, with Teke called on to hold a 2-1 ninth inning lead, following Bibby, Enrique Romo and Grant Jackson. The Cubbies tied the score and Steve Dillard’s single into left looked like it would chase home Steve Ontiveras from second with the game winner. But Bill Robinson came up firing, and though his throw was high and a bit off line, Ed Ott made a leaping grab and came down with the ball, managing to swipe Ontiveras’ leg and keep the game alive. In the 10th, Phil Garner was at bat with two Bucs aboard and the bunt sign on; Chuck Tanner had a change of heart and had Scrap Iron swing away after the first pitch; two tosses later, he hit one into the left field seats. Teke still struggled to ice it, but Robinson saved his bacon again with a two-out, two-on, diving catch of a sinking liner running away from him to close the book. The Pirates extended their lead over Montreal to 1-1/2 games after the victory.
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| Ohlie - 2009 Topps Update |
- 1982 - RHP Ross Ohlendorf was born in Austin, Texas. Ohlie pitched for the Pirates from 2008-11 with a line of 13-27/4.60. Ohlendorf was a bit more than a jock; he graduated from Princeton and spent a summer as an intern in Washington for the Department of Agriculture. He also tossed an “immaculate inning” - nine pitches to strike out the side - on September 5th, 2009 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ohlie tossed in the show for four years and four teams after leaving Pittsburgh, spinning the ball in Japan in 2017 to close out his pro career.
- 1988 - Rick Reed made his MLB debut memorable by tossing a three-hitter over eight innings to defeat the front-running Mets 1-0 in front of 38,307 fans at TRS with Jim Gott getting the save. The winning tally was a cheapo scored in the fourth inning when Jose Lind singled, stole second, went to third after an error on the play and then came home on a Bobby Bonilla bouncer. Reed would join NY a decade later and spend five years as a member of their rotation.
- 1990 - The Pirates sent IF Willie Greene, RHP Scott Ruskin and a PTBNL to the Montreal Expos for LHP Zane Smith. The other player was OF Moises Alou (named as part of the deal on 8/16), a highly regarded prospect deemed expendable as he was blocked by OFs Barry Bonds, Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla. Alou played 17 years, made six All-Star teams and carried a .303 career BA. Smith spent six of his last seven seasons with the Pirates, winning 47 games behind a 3.35 ERA, and was a staff mainstay for the early nineties’ clubs, winning 16 games for the division champs of 1991.
- 1995 - Orlando Merced, Jeff King and Midre Cummings hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the second inning against the Giants at Candlestick Park, the first time a trio of Bucs had turned that feat in 25 years. King also become the first Bucco to homer twice in the same inning since Jake Stenzel in 1894 (Reggie Sanders matched it in 2003) when he went yard off Sergio Valdez and Terry Mulholland in the second frame, a deed he’d do again the next season to join Willie McCovey and Andre Dawson as two-timers. The Pirates won by a tally of 9-5.
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| Glovely Brandon Moss - 2008 O-Pee-Chee |
- 2008 - The Bucs took a 2-0, 12-inning win from the Phils at Citizens Bank Park. Steve Pearce’s double and Freddy Sanchez’s two-out infield knock plated the Pittsburgh runs. Craig Hansen got the save for TJ Beam in dramatic fashion. LF Brandon Moss ran down and gloved Chase Utley’s opposite field gapper and his relay doubled Shane Victorino off first to end the game. Six Pirate pitchers allowed just a half-dozen hits, although nine walks led to a dozen stranded Phils.
- 2011 - The Pirates snapped a 10-game losing streak by beating the Giants 5-0 at AT&T Park. Charlie Morton threw a six-hitter with ninth inning help from Jose Veras while Garrett Jones’ 4-for-5 day was the highlight of the Buc attack. The sad sack run took the Bucs from five games above .500 to five below, puncturing both their playoff hopes and a shot at finishing with a winning record.
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