9/30 From 1975: '79 & '90 Clinchers; 20 For Candy; 1,200 For Clint; 20 Years Down; Pops Sets Mark; Dutch Treat; Gems & Game Tales; HBD Bryan

• 1977 - John Candelaria became the first Bucco since Vern Law in 1960 to win 20 games (and it would take until 1990 for Doug Drabek to become the Pirates next) when he downed the Cubs, 3-1, at TRS. Al Oliver, Kenny Macha and Frank Taveras chased home the Pittsburgh runs. Candy Man scattered seven hits to go with seven whiffs, and his only mistake was a 3-0 meatball that Steve Swisher smacked into the seats. Candelaria went all the way to become the first Puerto Rican pitcher to notch a 20-win season. He finished the year 20-5/2.34, both the best marks in the league. Jim Rooker didn’t have such a good day; he broke his arm and leg in a car accident, but thankfully returned hale and hearty for the following season. 
• 1978 - The Phillies clinched their third consecutive NL East title by eliminating the Pirates, 10-8, at TRS. The victory, fueled by Phil pitcher Randy Lerch’s two home runs, snapped Pittsburgh’s 24-game home winning streak. The Bucs went down fighting. They scored four times in the ninth and got the tying run to the plate twice, but Willie Stargell, who had earlier swatted a grand slam, whiffed and Phil Garner bounced out to end the rally. 
• 1979 - The Pirates clinched the NL East crown with 5-3 win over the Cubs on the last day of the season in front of 42,176 jubilant fans at TRS. Bruce Kison and Kent Tekulve got the win and save, Dave Parker had three hits, Phil Garner added an RBI, and Bill Robinson’s two-run single in the seventh was the key blow as the Bucs finished the season two games ahead of the Montreal Expos, who dropped a 2-0 decision to Steve Carlton and the Phils. Willie Stargell became the Pirates all-time RBI leader when he bombed a solo homer in the fifth to overtake Honus Wagner. Pops’ pair of RBI were numbers 1,475 and 1,476; he would finish his career with 1,540. 
• 1980 - RHP Bryan Bullington was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Ball State junior was the Bucs top pick and first selection overall in the 2002 draft. He made his debut in 2005 for the Bucs, then returned to toss some in 2007 after labrum surgery, going 0-3/5.89 in six games (three starts) as a Pirate. BB never made much headway in the show, winning just one game. After pitching for KC in 2010, he went to Japan where he tossed until a shoulder injury in 2015. 

Bryan Bullington - 2003 Topps Pristine

• 1987 - The Pirates split a doubleheader with the Chicago Cubs at TRS. They won the opener 5-3 behind Brian Fisher as Jose Lind chased two runs home and Spanky LaValliere scored twice. They dropped the nitecap 10-8 despite Darnell Coles tying a team record by blasting three homers and driving in six runs. Pirate pitching gave up just nine hits, but six were for extra bases and they added 11 walks. 
• 1988 - President Ronald Reagan tossed out two ceremonial first pitches before the Cubs lost, 10-9, to the Pirates at Wrigley. “Dutch,” a former play-by-play announcer, joined Harry Caray for an inning and a half in the WGN booth. Jose Lind and Andy Van Slyke combined for seven hits in the win, spoiling the Prez’s day. It was a wild finish; Pittsburgh and Chicago each scored five times in the eighth and ninth innings to end up with a 9-9 regulation stalemate. Andy Van Slyke drove in Rafael Belliard with the winner in the 10th. Scott Medvin claimed the W while Goose Gossage took the loss. 
• 1990 - Pittsburgh beat St. Louis, 2-0, at Busch Stadium behind Doug Drabek's three-hitter to clinch its first NL East title since 1979. Gary Redus and Andy Van Slyke had the RBI as the Pirates finished a seven-game winning streak to pull away from the Mets (the Bucs finished the year four games up). It took Drabek just 80 pitches to go the distance. It set up a Pirates-Reds NLCS; ironically, the old rivals were the only two NL teams not to win a division title in the 80s. 
• 1993 - Tim Wakefield shut out the Phillies on four hits (although he did walk six) in a 5-0 whitewashing at TRS. It was the first time Philadelphia had been shut out since September 19th, 1992 (also at TRS, by Doug Drabek), a NL record-setting stretch of 174 games between blankings. Pittsburgh’s home finale victory over Philadelphia was led by Dave Clark, who homered & tripled, and Tom Foley, who had three hits including a two-bagger. 

Dewey - 2009 Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts

• 2009 - Ryan Doumit went 4-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored and four RBIs in the second game of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs, an 8-3 Pittsburgh win behind Jeff Karstens. Dewey became the second Pirate catcher in the last 40 years to have at least four hits and four RBIs in the same game; Jason Kendall collected four knocks and five RBIs in a 13–1 Pirates victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on May 19th, 2000. It was a good day at Wrigley Field for the Bucs as they took the opener, too, 4-0. Charlie Morton tossed a four-hitter and Jason Jaramillo doubled in two runs. 
• 2012 - The Pirates were dropped by Cincinnati, 4-3, for their 82nd loss, finishing below .500 for the 20th consecutive season to extend their sad little record. The Bucs were 16 games over .500 on August 6th, but for the second consecutive year, a dog day’s collapse was in the cards. This one at PNC Park hurt, as the Reds scored twice in the ninth off closer Joel Hanrahan to steal the win in front of 32,814 fans. 
• 2015 - The Pirates stayed alive in the NL Central race by winning the lid lifter of a twin bill at PNC Park against St. Louis, 8-2, for Gerrit Cole's 19th win. The offense was generated via a grand slam by Francisco Cervelli, Neil Walker’s homer and Gregory Polanco chasing home two runs. But the Cardinals clinched the flag and a 100-win season when they won the back end, 11-1, chasing Charlie Morton in the third and getting a Jason Heyward grand slam of their own off Bobby LaFromboise. The Pirates hosted the Wild Card walk-in game for the third straight season as their consolation prize. 
• 2017 - The Pirates had been held to one hit over eight innings by Max Scherzer, AJ Cole and Enny Romero, and were down 1-0 going into the ninth at Nationals Park. Washington sent Brandon Kintzler to close it out, and he got within a strike of doing it. With runners at first and second, Sean Rodriguez slapped a two-out, 3-2 sinker into left to tie the game. A walk loaded the bases and Max Moroff cleared them with a triple to open a wide safety net. Felipe Rivero mopped it up to save George Kontos’ win (Jameson Taillon tossed seven innings of four-hit ball to start the game) and the Bucs took home a 4-1 win from Washington.

Max Moroff - 2017 image Root Sports

• 2018 - The Pirates finished an 82-79, roller-coaster campaign with a 6-5, 10-inning win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park. The teams used 13 pitchers in a showcase of the young guys that featured four home runs, three errors and everything in between. Pablo Reyes scored on a wild pitch to win it for Michael Feliz, and Jose Osuna added a pair of doubles. The vets had a hand in it, too, as Josh Bell homered, Starling Marte went long & doubled, and Felipe Vazquez notched his 37th save. Some notable achievements: Marte became the third Pirate to have a 20 HR/30 SB season, joining Barry Bonds (four times) & Andy Van Slyke (1987-88). It was also the first time that the Bucs had two relief pitchers with at least 80 strikeouts in the same season as Vazquez punched out 89 and Richard Rodriguez, 88. Only two Pirate relievers have reached 90 Ks in a campaign (Joel Hanrahan w/100 in 2010 & Jason Grilli w/90 in 2012). And finally, Clint Hurdle got his 1,200th career victory in the show. He joined Bruce Bochy, Mike Scioscia, Buck Showalter and Terry Francona as active skippers in the 1,200 win club.