10/9 From 1970: Postseason Play - Wakefield & Drabek/Walk Beat Braves in '91 & '92; Buster Whips Reds In '72; HBD Starling, Derek & Jason

• 1971 - Pittsburgh scored three times in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of the World Series at Memorial Stadium on just one hit. But the Birds came back on the strength of three homers, the killing blast delivered by Merv Rettenmund that chased home three runs, to take the lidlifter by a 5-3 count. Dave McNally tossed a three-hitter with nine whiffs to earn the win while sore-armed Dock Ellis took the loss in his only appearance of the Series. 
• 1972 - The Pirates overcame an early 2-0 deficit and nipped the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium, 3-2, to take a two games to one lead in the NLCS. Manny Sanguillen homered and had a pair of RBI to back winner Bruce Kison and Dave Giusti, who earned the save. 
• 1974 - The Bucs were eliminated from the NLCS three games to one by LA as Don Sutton tossed a one-hitter in a 12-1 thrashing at Dodger Stadium. Steve Garvey had four hits, including two homers, with four runs scored and four RBI to lead the Big Blue onslaught. Charlie Finley’s Oakland A’s then rolled over the Dodgers in five games to claim their third straight World Series crown. 
• 1979 - The first game of the World Series, scheduled for Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, was rained out. Not only did the showers push the Fall Classic Opener back a day, but it compressed the Series schedule by eliminating a travel off-day and squeezing together five consecutive games. Mother Nature's whim gave the Buccos a bit of an advantage; Earl Weaver had planned to basically throw a three-man rotation at the Pirates due to that off day while it didn’t change Chuck Tanner’s planned starting schedule. Another Buc edge; there was no DH this year. 

Jason Jaramillo - 2020 Topps

• 1982 - C Jason Jaramillo was born in Racine, Wisconsin. JJ came to the Pirates in the 2008 offseason after a deal for C Ronny Paulino with the Phillies, but in three years (2009-11) with Pittsburgh hit .235 and was non-tendered by the Bucs in 2012. He signed a series of minor league deals with four teams in the next two years before retiring after the 2013 season. He’s now part of Forceout, a family company that makes a protective glove to wear under a fielder’s mitt. 
• 1986 - LHP Derek Holland was born in Newark, Ohio. Holland, an 11-year veteran known as “Dutch Oven,” was added as an NRI on a minor-league deal in 2020 and broke camp as part of the rotation. He was a free spirit (and sometimes loose cannon) who brought some experience to a fairly young staff. Holland landed him in the pen after five starts, where he was much more solid (8.20 ERA starting/4.40 relieving with a line of 1-3/6.86 overall). He moved on to Detroit the next year and was last pitching in the Toronto system before being released. Dutch Oven started 2023 with York of the Atlantic League before needing TJ surgery and retiring. 
• 1988 - OF Starling Marte was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He signed as an international free agent in 2007. Starling joined the big club in 2012, the first Pirates Dominican Academy graduate to reach the majors, and won a regular OF spot in 2013. He homered on the first pitch he saw in the show off Houston’s Dallas Keuchel, the first Pirate to do so since Walter Mueller in 1922. Marte won a Gold Glove (he had 33 OF assists in 2015-16) and was named to the All-Star team in 2016. He took a big hit in 2017 when he was suspended for 80 games because of steroid use. He hit .275, but his power numbers took a nosedive. He rebounded in 2018 with a 20 HR/30 SB campaign, joining Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke in that club, followed by a strong 2019 campaign (.295/23/82 in 132 games) before he was traded to Arizona for prospects Brennan Malone and Liover Peguero in the offseason. Marte has since played for the Miami Marlins, the Oakland A’s and the New York Mets, his current club. 
• 1990 - The Pirates fell behind three games-to-one in the NLCS by dropping a 5-3 decision to the Reds before 50,461 fans at TRS as Jose Rijo topped Bob Walk. Paul O’Neill & Chris Sabo homered for Cincinnati while Jay Bell went long for Pittsburgh with Chico Lind adding a pair of hits. 

AVS - 1991 Topps Stadium Club

• 1991 - Doug Drabek and Bob Walk combined on a five-hitter, allowing just one runner to reach second, as the Bucs won the opening game of the NLCS, 5-1, against the Atlanta Braves and Tom Glavine at Three Rivers Stadium with 57,347 attending. Andy Van Slyke had two hits, two runs, and two RBI with a homer and double; Bobby Bonilla also had two knocks, scoring and plating a run. But there was a price paid; DD injured a hammy in the sixth inning and didn’t return to action until Game #6. The Buc ace was originally slated to take three turns on the hill and the hamstring twinge cost him the seventh game start. 
• 1992 - Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield pitched Pittsburgh to a 3-2 victory over the Braves at TRS with 56,610 rooters on hand, giving the Pirates their first win in three tries during the NLCS. Wakefield was the first rookie to start a National League playoff game since Philly's Charles Hudson in 1983 and showed well, allowing five hits in a complete game outing. The Bravo runs were solo shots by Sid Bream and Ron Gant. Gary Redus went 3-for-3 with a double, triple and walk while Don Slaught added a homer to carry the Bucs. 
• 2002 - After spending 36 years as a Pirates scout, starting as a regional guy and climbing to special assistant to the GM, Lenny Yochim resigned. Dave Littlefield had asked the 74-year-old to become a part-time staffer, and Lenny refused the demotion. Yochim explained to Beaver County Times beat guy John Perrotto that “My pride won’t let me take a smaller role and pay cut.” It was his last MLB job before he passed away at age 84 in his hometown, New Orleans, in 2013.
• 2013 - The Pirate playoff run ended, 6-1, at Busch Stadium as two-run homers by David Freese and Matt Adams gave Adam Wainwright all the tallies he needed to take the fifth and deciding game of the NLDS. Gerrit Cole pitched well, but the Cards scored four times off the Bucco bullpen after he was pulled for a pinch hitter in the sixth. Pedro Alvarez singled home the lone Pirates score, giving him a MLB record for chasing home a run in each of his first six postseason contests. The Redbirds made it to the World Series, where Boston bested them in six games.