8/26 From 1970: Giles - Jay & Ollie; Davis Deal; Cole Train Rolls; Floaters Duel; Buster 1-Man Band; Pgh HoF; Gems & Game Tales; HBD Eric & Jayson

• 1975 - The first eight Pirates hit safely against the Braves’ Jamie Easterly and Ray Sadecki - Frank Taveras (triple), Rennie Stennett (single), Al Oliver (single), Willie Stargell (single), Richie Zisk (single), Dave Parker (single), Richie Hebner (single) and Duffy Dyer (single) - before Larry Demery flew out‚ tying the MLB record. The Bucs scored six runs in the frame on their way to an 8-2 victory at TRS. Al Oliver and Richie Zisk each collected three hits to help Demery to the win. 
• 1977 - The Bucs rode Bruce Kison’s arm and bat to a 3-1 win over the Padres at San Diego Stadium. Buster gave up a run over seven innings, had three hits, a run scored, the game-winning RBI and a stolen base before Goose Gossage came up to earn a two-inning save. It was Kison’s first win in eight weeks and 11 starts. Frank Taveras chipped in with four hits and the insurance was provided by Dave Parker’s sixth-inning homer. Both guys had base-running blunders to atone for; Frank was thrown out trying to stretch a double and The Cobra was picked off first twice. Pittsburgh cut Philly’s NL lead to 5-1/2 games, but that’s about how it finished as Philadelphia won 101 games, five games ahead of the Bucs. 
• 1979 - Bruce Kison tossed seven strong innings and smacked a grand slam off Bob Shirley, the first Bucco hurler since Al McBean in 1968 to launch a grannie, to lead the Bucs to a 9-2 win over San Diego at Jack Murphy Stadium. He’s one of six Pirates twirlers to hit a grand salami, joining McBean, Deacon Phillippe (1910), Enrique Romo (1980), Don Robinson (1985) and Denny Neagle (1995). Bill “Mad Dog” Madlock had four knocks, a pair of RBI and two runs scored. 

Buster Kison - 1978 Topps

• 1982 - IF Jayson Nix was born in Dallas, Texas. The Rox took him in the first round of the 2001 draft out of Midland HS, and Nix turned into a journeyman jack-of-all-trades, playing for eight teams in seven years and stopping off in Pittsburgh in 2014 for 16 August games. Jayson hit .111 and was waived; KC picked him up, and he played his last MLB games there that season. 
• 1983 - Larry McWilliams tossed a complete game five-hitter against his old teammates, the Atlanta Braves, as the Pirates romped, 9-1, at TRS. The Bucs had 10 hits and were helped by a big three-run blast by Tony Pena and a couple of Bravo boots that led to three unearned scores. Pena, Jason Thompson and Johnny Ray each collected a pair of knocks to back McWilliams. 
• 1985 - C Eric Fryer was born in Columbus. He came to Pittsburgh as part of the Eric Hinske deal in 2009 and got a couple of cups of coffee with the Bucs in 2010-11, getting into 16 games as a C, PH, & OF. He returned in 2016 when injuries cut down the Pirates catching depth, went to the St. Louis Cardinals in the following season and then retired in 2018. 
• 1987 - The Bucs put up a three-spot against the Reds in the third inning built around John Cangelosi’s triple, but found themselves behind, 5-3, going into the eighth at TRS. Andy Van Slyke tied it with two away when he singled home Bobby Bonilla and Barry Bonds off John Franco; they had just moved up a station thanks to a passed ball. The Pirates used the same two-out formula in the ninth when Al Pedrique’s blooper plated Johnny Ray, who had led off the frame with a double. The win went to Jeff Robinson, who came in for Brian Fisher. 

Tim Wakefield - 1992 Score

• 1992 - Pirates rookie Tim Wakefield defeated Tom Candiotti of the Dodgers, 2-0, in the first matchup of knuckleballers in the NL since 1982 when Phil Niekro and Joe Niekro faced off in a Braves-Astros game. Wakefield scattered six hits for the victory while Jose Lind provided the offensive spark for Pittsburgh with a pair of hits, an RBI and a run scored. 
• 1998 - The Pirates extended their winning streak to nine games with a 4-3 win over the Arizona D-Backs at Bank One Ballpark, led offensively by unlikely hero Kevin Polcovich. His two-out, two-run single tied the game in the fifth frame, and after the Snakes had retaken the lead, he knotted it again with a sac fly in the seventh. Jason Christiansen got the win in relief of Chris Peters and Rick Loiselle picked up a one-pitch save, coaxing a quick fly to Jose Guillen in right to end it. After an off day, the Big Unit, Randy Johnson, fanned 16 to end the run at Houston, 3-0. 
• 2003 - The Pirates shipped Brian Giles to San Diego for Jason Bay, Ollie Perez, and Corey Stewart. Pittsburgh had wanted Xavier Nady in the deal, but SD refused and threw in Bay instead. That flip worked out pretty well, as Bay ended up the NL Rookie of the Year in 2004 and the persistent Bucs finally reeled in the X-Man from the New York Mets in 2006. 
• 2014 - Gerrit Cole pitched six no-hit innings at PNC Park, but a seventh inning St. Louis rally tied the score at 2-2. Things looked bleak when both Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez left the game with injuries soon after, but Ike Davis brightened up the room in the eighth. With Gaby Sanchez and Starling Marte aboard, he crushed a two-out, two-strike change up 442’ to lead the Pirates to a 5-2 win. Tony Watson got the victory and Mark Melancon earned a save. 

Jordy Mercer - 2016 Topps Heritage

• 2016 - Jordy Mercer capped off a five-run sixth inning with his first career grand slam off Milwaukee’s Matt Garza to give the Pirates a 5-3 win at Miller Park. The Brew Crew answered Jordy’s blast with a three-spot of their own in the bottom of the frame, but the bullpens shut the door the rest of the way. Mercer’s slam, which came the day before his 30th birthday, was the fourth of the season for the Pirates and made a winner of starter Ryan Vogelsong, who allowed two runs over 5-1/3 innings with Tony Watson notching the save. 
• 2017 - Gerrit Cole had no success whatsoever against the Reds in his career (he was 0-6 against them in nine outings) until he took matters into his own hands at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park. Not only did he throw seven shutout innings, but he homered to do it all in a 1-0 Bucco win. Cole Train's long ball was the third of his career and the first of the year. Per Elias Sports: Cole became the only Pirates pitcher ever to homer in a 1-0 win and the first in MLB since the Rays’ Nate Karns v the Phillies (July, 2015). Cole also went 8-0 in his last nine road starts; the last Pirates pitcher to win eight straight road decisions was Don Robinson in 1982. Redlegs rookie Luis Castillo was his equal but for that one pitch, tossing a three-hitter with nine K in seven frames. 
• 2020 - The Pirates made a waiver deal with the Phils for LHP Austin Davis, sending Philadelphia a PTBNL (24-year-old Class A RHP Joel Cesar) and cash. Davis had parts of five seasons in the show, with a 1-2/5.64 line. He averaged nearly 10 K per nine innings with a problem with long balls (11 in 58 career IP), but fit the Pirates need for pen depth and a lefty. He got into 15 games for the Bucs, slashing 0-1/4.73, and was traded at the 2021 deadline to Boston for IF Michael Chavis. The BoSox use Davis as a middle man and sometime opener starter. He then signed with Houston, was released, and now pitches for the Lake Country DockHounds of the American Association of Professional Baseball. 

Austin Davis - 2020 photo via MLB.com

• 2023 - Before the game against the Cubs at PNC Park started, the Pirates held a ceremony to celebrate their 2023 Hall of Fame Class of Elroy Face, Bob Friend, Dick Groat and Kent Tekulve. They were named to the Hall in April, bringing PHoF membership up to 23 players.