7/2 From 1985: Kells, Kendall AS; Tomlin POTM; Fraze Afire, Jay-8, Sluggo-7, Varsh-6, A-Ram-5, Game Tales; Middle Muscle; RIP Tom; HBD Jerad

• 1988 - A very wild pitch cost the Pirates a 2-1 decision against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. Doug Drabek was working on a two-hit shutout in the eighth inning when he gave up a leadoff single and was pulled by Jimmy Leyland after 112 pitches for Dave Rucker. A walk, bunt and intentional pass loaded the bases with an out, and Barry Jones climbed the hill. His 0-2 slider was in the dirt, hopped past C Junior Ortiz and allowed two G-Men to score when Junior couldn’t find the bouncing ball quickly enough. His relay home to Jones to catch the second runner was late, wasting Drabek’s start and Darnell Coles’ solo shot. 
• 1990 - RHP Jerad Eickhoff was born in Evansville, Indiana. A 15th round draft pick of Texas in 2011, he spent his first five MLB years (2015-19) with the Phils, making 80 starts and slashing 21-30-1/4.15. He got a brief stay with the Mets in 2021 and signed with the Pirates as a NRI for 2022. He was sent to Indy and called up in mid-June to take up the slack when Zach Thompson was injured. Eickhoff started and allowed 10 runs on 10 hits (two homers) in 4-1/3 IP, becoming the first Pirates pitcher to allow 10 runs in his first start. He was DFA’ed and went unclaimed, returning to Indy two days later and then became a free agent. 
• 1990 - The San Diego Padres took a 3-0 lead in the first inning but never scored again as the Pirates came back for a 4-3, 14-inning win at Jack Murphy Stadium. Jay Bell broke a 3-3 tie when he chased home Jose Lind with the winning run. Andy Van Slyke’s two-run homer in the sixth frame was the Buccos' big blow. Bob Patterson earned the win in relief after three scoreless frames. 

Gary Varsho - 1991 Fleer Update

• 1991 - Jim Leyland took Gary Varsho off the bench and into right to give Mitch Webster a break, and Varsho made the skipper look clairvoyant. With his mom, dad, and sis in the stands at Wrigley Field after a 500-mile ride from their Wisconsin home, he collected three hits - his first two MLB homers, a triple, and a sac fly for good measure - and chased home six runs to lead the Bucs to a feisty 13-4 win over the Cubs. All the Buc bats were smokin’ as the club banged out 22 hits, the most since a 23-knock assault in 1979. Bobby Bonilla and Spanky La Valliere had four hits, while Varsho and Chico Lind posted trips to allow Doug Drabek to go into cruise control for the complete game victory. The feisty part came as the Pirates felt the Chicago pitchers were playin’ high and tight with them, leading to some dugout yelping and short tempers. 
• 1992 - LHP Randy Tomlin was named the Pitcher of the Month. The southpaw went 5-1/2.22 in June on his way to a 14-9/3.41 campaign, the only year he posted double digit victories. His career was shortened by a bum shoulder, and now Tomlin’s the skipper of Liberty Christian, a prep school in Virginia, after coaching at Liberty University and for the Nat’s organization. 
• 1993 - Don Slaught had himself a day with two homers and seven RBI as he led the Pirates to a 10-9 win in the lidlifter of a twinbill with Cincinnati at Riverfront Stadium. Orlando Merced banged out four hits, scoring three times and plating a pair. Dave Otto got the win after relieving Zane Smith; Blas Minor earned a hold and Stan Belinda got the save. It was the first doubleheader for the Bucs since September of 1991; 1992 was the first season in the 20th century that the Buccaneers didn’t play two. The second game saw the Reds bats continue the onslaught with a 9-1 decision over the Pirates and Tim Wakefield despite. 

Jason Kendall - 1998 Pacifica

• 1998 - C Jason Kendall was the only Bucco named to the National League All-Star team; it was his second selection in the past three seasons. He was strong from start to finish, ending the year batting .327 with 12 homers, 95 runs scored, 75 RBI and 26 stolen sacks. And although he was the only Pittsburgh player on the squad, he had plenty of acquaintances in the dugout - Florida’s Jim Leyland was the manager with his old Buc assistants Rich Donnelly, Tommy Sandt, Milt May and Bruce Kimm, along with Pirates pilot Gene LaMont, who was also named a coach. 
• 2001 - The Bucs bopped the Reds, 10-5, at Cinergy Field with the winning spread provided by Aramis Ramirez’s five RBI. A-Ram had three hits and a walk, falling a triple shy of the cycle, with Jack Wilson and Brian Giles also holding up their end by collecting three hits apiece. Jason Kendall chipped in with three runs scored on two hits and a free pass. For Cincy, home was anything but sweet; they dropped to 10-29 at Cinergy with the loss to Jason Schmidt. 
• 2002 - The Pirates were run over by the Brewers at PNC Park by a 12-6 count, but did their share to help break the MLB record for homers hit in a day when 53 batters blasted 62 long balls. The Bucs hit four as Kevin Young, Jack Wilson, Abraham Nunez and Adam Hyzdu all went long in the loss. It was their first home run of the season for Wilson, Nunez and Hyzdu. 
• 2004 - Jason Bay drove in eight runs for the second time as a Buc, slamming a homer and three doubles, as the Pirates mashed the Milwaukee Brewers, 13-2, in the nitecap of a twi-lite DH sweep at PNC Park. He fell one short of Johnny Rizzo’s 1939 single-game franchise RBI mark of nine. Josh Fogg worked into the seventh for the win. Pittsburgh took the opener, 8-1, behind Ollie Perez, who punched out 11 in seven frames, backed by Tony Alvarez, who homered & doubled to plate four runs, and Jack Wilson, who hit his only MLB inside-the-park homer. The win was the Buccos sixth straight victory, with the streak reaching 10 before it ended. 

Casey McGehee - 2012 photo Mike McGinnis/Getty

• 2012 - The middle of the Pirate order was on fire against the Astros at PNC Park, leading the way to an 11-2 win. Andrew McCutchen, Garrett Jones, Neil Walker and Casey McGehee went 12-for-20 with five doubles, two homers, nine runs scored and 10 RBI. James McDonald got the win with help from Jared Hughes, who mopped up the final two frames after Mac hit 110 pitches. 
• 2019 - Adam Frazier had a night at PNC Park. Back in his familiar leadoff spot after being dropped to the 7/8 spots in the order, he followed a 5-for-6 game with a 4-for-4 night, hitting a three-run homer and scoring three times to lead the Bucs to a 5-1 win over the Cubs. The game was just three innings old when a two-hour rain delay hit, forcing both teams to switch starters. The Pirates used six pitchers to get through the game, with Clay Holmes getting the win, his second MLB victory. Fraze became the first Buc to bang out seven straight hits since Freddy Sanchez in 2009 and the first to have back-to-back four+ hit games since Neil Walker in 2015. He also jumped his BA from June 30th’s .254 to .276 after the two-day hit barrage. 
• 2021 - Early Pittsburgh player agent Tom Reich (Allderdice, Pitt, Duquesne) passed away in Los Angeles at age 82. He started his career in 1970, representing Dock Ellis, Dave Parker, John Candelaria and Manny Sanguillen of the Pirates. The feisty Reich also handled deals for stars like Joe Morgan, George Foster, Jack Clark and Sammy Sosa before branching into hockey. 
• 2023 - RHP Mitch Keller was named to the National League All-Star team, the first Pirates starting pitcher to be selected to the ASG since AJ Burnett and Gerrit Cole repped the Buccos on the 2015 Midsummer Classic squad. Keller (9-3/3.34) ranked second in the NL in strikeouts (118), third in wins, sixth in WHIP (1.10), and ninth in batting average against (.223). Also, skipper Derek Shelton was named to Philly manager Rob Thompson's NL All-Star Game Coaching Staff.