8/25 Through the 1970s: 5-For-Roberto, Ding-Dong Bell, Wired Ump, Base Byrne-r, Game Days, Wilbur Swap, Walk Or Not, Blue Flu, HBD Junior, Euclides, Jim, Sam & Tony

1892 - 3B Norman “Tony” Boeckel was born in Los Angeles. He spent the first two years (1917, 1919) of his career as a Pirate, batting .259 in 109 games. He was hurt early in his first campaign, and got in just 65 games after returning from the Navy during the second stint as he lost the job to his 1918 replacement, Walter Barbare, and was waived to Boston. He prospered there from 1920-23, where he was the starter. But he was struck down in early 1924, dying in a car accident at age 31 in San Diego. The Yankees Bob Meusel was riding with him, but was uninjured; Boeckel became the first active MLB player to die in a car wreck.

1910 - In the 12th inning at Washington Park, Bobby Byrne legged out a hustle double, stole third, then swiped home to beat the Brooklyn Superbas, 4-3. It was the National League's first 20th century extra-inning steal of home. The Superba’s skipper, Bill Dahlen, decided to intentionally walk the bases loaded after the steal of third (a decision that did not sit well with his pitcher, George Bell) to set up the force rather than face Fred Clarke and Hans Wagner. Bell got two strikes on John Flynn, then Byrnes took matters in his own hands and bolted home; the 0-2 pitch was wide and eluded the catcher, so Byrne’s timing was right. As for the Superba strategy, Pirates beat man Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press wrote “...fans were calling Dahlen a dub, whereas if his plans had worked out right, they would be hailing him as a real genius and wonderful thinker.” 

1912 - The Pirates traded for 20-year-old LHP Arley Wilbur Cooper from Columbus of the American Association for a pair of PTBNL and $3,000. He was arguably Pittsburgh’s best franchise pitcher, retiring following the 1926 campaign after spending his first 13 seasons (1912-24) as a Bucco. Coop is the franchise’s all-time leader in wins with 202 while posting a 2.74 ERA, starting 369 games and appearing in 469 outings. He began his professional career in 1911 with minor league Marion, a club that was owned by newspaper publisher and future US President Warren Harding. Legend has it that Harding was the person who recommended Wilbur to the Pirates. He never made the Hall of Fame; he and Babe Adams are on the outside, looking in.

1913 - Coach Sam Narron was born in Middlesex, North Carolina. Narron spent most of his playing career in the minors as a converted OF’er turned catcher, though he appeared in parts of three seasons (1935, 1942 and 1943) with the St. Louis Cardinals, playing in 24 games and getting just 28 at bats. After his playing career ended in 1948, he became the bullpen catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers for two years, then followed GM Branch Rickey to the Pirates (and outlasted him by quite a bit) as the Buccos bullpen coach from 1951 through 1964 for managers Bill Meyer, Fred Haney, Bobby Bragan, and Danny Murtaugh. He lasted until Harry Walker became skipper and axed all of Murtaugh’s coaching staff as Sam retired.

Sam Narron - 1960 Pirates/TCMA

1926 - RHP Jim Suchecki was born in Chicago. He made MLB stops for three teams,the last being the 1952 Pirates, working 10 innings and giving up six runs on 14 hits with six K. The Pirates had purchased him from St. Louis on a “make good” basis, and after a month they returned him to the Browns after he apparently failed to make good, and it was his last MLB stint. He pitched in the pro ranks from 1943-54, with time off to serve in the Navy. After he retired from baseball, Jim worked for a refinery and later operated an employment agency.

1929 - Per The Sporting News, the fans were able to hear the calls of home plate umpire Cy Rigler, who was wired for sound, a first in major league history. Wearing a mike and metal-plated shoes, standing on a flat metal sheet, Rigler's calls were broadcast over the Polo Ground speakers as he somehow avoided electrocution. The Giants topped the Pirates 10-5 as the Bucs committed three errors and allowed six early unearned runs as the clang of their mitts resounded  throughout the Polo Grounds without any electronic assistance.

1952 - 18 year old RHP Bill “Ding Dong” Bell tossed his third no-hitter as a member of the Pirates Class D Appalachian League affiliate Bristol, winning, 4-0, in a seven inning game against Bluefield. Bell is one of two professional pitchers to toss three no-hitters in the same season. He was called up in September by the Bucs after posting an 11-3/2.09 slash, though he did have one big red flag there - in 112 IP, he had 194 whiffs, but also 113 walks. Ding Dong made it back to Pittsburgh for a short while in 1955, but his wildness continued - Bell was 0-1/4.32 in his MLB career with 14 walks in 16-2/3 IP, and that tolled his bell.

1959 - The White Sox sent 3B Bob Sagers and OF/1B Harry "Suitcase" Simpson packing to Pittsburgh in exchange for 34-year-old vet 1B Ted Kluszewski. Klu hit .297 during the rest of the season and .391 with three homers in the World Series for the Sox, playing through the 1961 campaign. Simpson retired after the season and Sagers was a career minor leaguer. Per SABR, Harry wore a size 13 shoe, and a sportswriter dubbed him “Suitcase” Simpson based on a character by that name from the comic strip “Toonerville Folks” with feet as large as suitcases.

Earl Francis - 1962 Topps

1962 - The Pirate players called off a threatened walkout in objection to a rained out game that was rescheduled as part of a Saturday doubleheader with another doubleheader already scheduled on Sunday. Bob Friend, the Pittsburgh team rep, was irked that the players weren’t consulted in the decision to reschedule the game. Friend went out and lost the opener 3-2 to St. Louis at Busch Stadium, giving up a run with two down in the ninth. The Bucs took the second game 4-0 behind Earl Francis, who tossed a three-hitter and was backed by homers off the bats of Dick Groat and Dick Stuart. They also split the next day’s twin bill.

1967 - Euclides Rojas was born in Havana. He was the Cuban National Team's all-time leader in saves before he left his homeland by raft in 1994, was rescued by the US Coast Guard, and emigrated to America. He was the Buccos bullpen coach from 2010-19, having served in the same position for the Red Sox and the Marlins. Rojas spent 2005-2010 as the Pirates Latin American Field Coordinator and also as a roving minor league instructor in 2002 with an eye on the club's Latin American program. Prior to that job, Rojas spent five seasons as a coach in the Florida Marlins organization. Now he's a player development official for MLB.

1971 - Roberto Clemente had five hits to lead the Pirates to a 13-6 romp over the Braves at Atlanta Stadium. It was Roberto’s eighth five-hit game, tying the team record with Max Carey. He wasn’t the only guy with a hot stick: Milt May, Dave Cash & Jackie Hernandez had three knocks each while Willie Stargell & Bob Robertson went long. Bob Moose got the dub in relief of Bruce Kison.

1972 - Steve Blass pitched a career-high 11 innings but ended up with a no-decision in a 12-inning 3-2 walkoff win in the first game of a doubleheader against the Dodgers at TRS. Steverino had a rare bout of wildness (that would plague him in the following year), walking nine and bopping one, but had some glovely fielding behind him to keep the damage to a minimum. Richie Hebner sent the game into overtime with a homer in the ninth, then Manny Sanguillen delivered the game-winning rap with a two-out single in the 12th off reliever Pete Richert. Dave Cash had reached second on a throwing error and scored the winning run. The Dodgers were held to three hits in the second game by Bruce Kison, but split on the day by taking a 4-3 win with some gifts. A walk came around, another run scored on a balk and Bill Buckner homered after an error for LA’s runs.

Gary Matthews - 2002 Upper Deck Victory

1974 - OF Gary “Junior” (he’s Gary Matthews’ son) Matthews Jr. was born in San Francisco. He put in 12 big-league years with nine stops, spending 46 games in Pittsburgh in 2001 after he was taken off waivers from the Cubs. He hit .245 and was sold to the Mets in the off season. Known for defensive flair, the late bloomer made the All-Star team in 2006, joining his dad as the 14th father-son combo to appear in the Midsummer Classic. Junior played through 2010.

1974 - The Pirates swept a twin bill at San Diego Stadium, dropping the Padres by 4-1 & 10-2 scores, to vault into first place, 1/2-game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals. Pittsburgh was on a 29-11 roll, having caught fire after a basebrawl with the Reds that seemed to bond them. The Pirates won the lidlifter in 12 innings, with Jim Rooker getting the win by tossing six-hit ball over 11 frames. The Bucs won softly - their runs in the 12th came on a sac fly and a pair of bases-loaded walks. Larry Demery won the nightcap with help from Ramon Hernandez in a game that was a cliffhanger until late, when the Buccos scored nine runs in the seventh and ninth frames. The Pirates won the NL East, but were left in the dust by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.

1978 - Major League umpires staged a one-day strike, their first walk-out, to air a laundry list of grievances they had with MLB; semi-pro and amateur arbitrators were used as replacements. The umpires walked out again at the start of the 1979 season. The Major League Umpires Association authorized several disruptive events on behalf of the boys in blue, including the ill-fated mass resignation of 1999, leading the umps to decertify the MLUA and start a new unit called the World Umpires Association (now the MLB Umpires Association), recognized in 2000 by the NLRB and still the umps’ bargaining unit.

1979 - The Bucs scored twice in the ninth after two were out and no one aboard to send the game into extra innings, eventually winning 4-3 in 19 frames over the Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium. Dave Roberts pitched out of a pair of bases loaded jams to earn the win. He wriggled off the hook with the sacks juiced and no one away in the 17th inning after escaping in the 16th, when the bases were packed with two outs and he went 3-0 to opposing pitcher John D'Acquisto. The Friars stranded 26 runners, one short of the MLB record. The contest lasted six hours and twelve minutes, the longest Pirate contest until the Jerry Meals 19-inning game at Atlanta in 2011.

8/25 From 1980: Clutch Cutch, Gary Cycle, Mitch & Dunne Dealin', King-AVS & Lee Swattin', Game Days, Candy Inked, RIP Ogden

1981 - The Pirates dropped a wild 9-7 game to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Three Rivers Stadium. The Bucs rallied from 6-1 and 7-3 deficits (driven by a couple of key errors and a blown call at first), the latter lead erased on a three-run Dave Parker homer in the ninth. Sadly, Kent Tekulve was tapped for a pair in the 10th and the Pirates were out of comebacks. But the real excitement happened out of sight, in the runway between the dugouts when both teams milled about in a mid-game shoving/verbal get together. Pittsburgh’s Paschal Perez had bopped a couple of Trolley Dodgers and LA’s Reggie Smith called him out; Perez suggested they meet to discuss it, so both teams crammed into the runway in the sixth inning. Although the 145-pound Perez carried a bat to the rendezvous, no blows were exchanged as Bill Robinson had him in tow. Willie Stargell explained to Russ Franke of the Pittsburgh Press “There wasn’t any fight. We just went in there to hold the daily lottery drawing.” In better news, the Pirates signed impending FA John Candelaria to a one-year contract for 1982; he was out for the current season with a torn bicep, getting just six starts before the injury.

1982 - The Pirates blew a 5-4 lead at TRS, allowing San Diego to score twice and edge ahead in the eighth. But they tied the game in their half when Tony Pena’s grounder scored Lee Lacy and walked it off with a 7-6 ninth-inning victory when Jim Morrison singled in Enrique Romo, running for Willie Stargell, with the game winner. Kent Tekulve claimed the win. It was a dark day for the Padres; they not only lost the game but also Tony Gwynn, who broke his wrist diving for a fly ball.

1983 - Behind the 11-strikeout performance of 22-year-old rookie Jose DeLeon and clutch hits by Jim Morrison and Tony Pena, the Pirates snapped a four-game losing streak to claw back into a virtual first-place tie with Philadelphia with a 5-3 win over the Astros at TRS. Morrison came off the bench to collect two hits & two RBI, Pena also had a pair of raps, including a solo home run, & chased home two more runs while Lee Lacy was a burr under Houston’s saddle with a hit, two walks, a stolen base and a run scored. Rod Scurry came on to get the last out.

1984 - Lee Lacy had three hits and chased home three runs to help John Candelaria to his 11th win, besting the Reds at TRS, 5-3. But the big news was after the game - a postgame pyrotechnics show that drew a crowd of 21,385 went haywire when a skyrocket landed behind the home plate stands, injuring 18 and sending 11 of the group to the hospital with burns.

Mike Dunne - 1987 Topps Rookies

1987 - Mike Dunne fired his best game of the year, a two-hitter, as the Bucs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 at TRS. Johnny Ray’s first-inning RBI single that scored Andy Van Slyke, who had also singled and stole second ahead of Ray, was the game-winner. He struck out seven, allowed just one runner to reach second, and retired the last 10 batters. Ted Power was Cincy’s hard-luck loser as he only gave up four hits, two of them to the first three batters he faced. For Dunne, it was the icing on a super rookie campaign when he finished with a line of 13-6/3.03 and was named the NL Rookie Pitcher Of the Year by The Sporting News. But the righty only won 12 more games during the remainder of his five-year career while battling shoulder injuries.

1989 - OF Gary Redus hit for the cycle in a 12-3 win over the Reds at Riverfront Stadium, scoring three times and driving in four runs as the Pirates won their fifth game in a row. Barry Bonds homered and scored three times while Andy Van Slyke banged a pair of doubles to pave the road for Jeff Robinson, who banged out three hits to help himself, and Mike Smith.

1991 - Pittsburgh blasted four homers off the bats of Cecil Espy, Jay Bell, Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla to whip the SF Giants 8-3 at TRS. Bell had three hits, scored three times and had a pair of RBI while Espy added three RBI and Spanky Lavalliere collected three hits to back John Smiley’s 15th win, saved by Stan Belinda, who worked the final three frames.

1992 - Andy Van Slyke had three hits, including a homer and double, drove home four runs and scored twice as the Bucs beat LA 10-3 at Dodger Stadium. Leadoff hitter Alex Cole had three hits and scored three times as Danny Cox got the win in relief of Danny Jackson. AVS finished second in the batting title chase by hitting .324, trailing only Gary Sheffield’s .330 BA.

Andy Van Slyke - 1992 Studio Heritage

1993 - The Pirates were shut out for 10 consecutive innings, but still managed to top LA at Dodger Stadium 2-1 in 12 frames. In the first, Jay Bell’s triple and Orlando Merced’s single pushed across the Bucs first run, and they finally touched home again in the 12th when Andy Tomberlin’s roller up the middle cashed in Al Martin, who had doubled. Each side used three pitchers, with Denny Neagle’s three hitless frames earning him the win and ex-Bucco Jim Gott taking the loss. It was a frustrating game for the 33,194 Angelino faithful in the stands; the Dodgers collected 10 hits and nine walks during the match, but went 1-for-16 w/RISP, stranding 17 runners.

1996 - Jeff King swatted five hits, including a homer and double, but it was in vain as the Bucs lost a 13-9 decision to Colorado at Coors Field. Jay Bell and Nelson Liriano also went deep, but four Bucco pitchers couldn’t hold off the Rockies with Marc Wilkins taking the loss. After the game, Jim Leyland was asked about rumors that he was headed to Miami to manage after the season, and replied “You’re out of your mind.” He took the Marlins job three weeks later.

1997 - Joe Randa and Mark Smith homered in the ninth inning on back-to-back pitches for a 4-3 walkoff win over the Dodgers at TRS, giving the Bucs a DH split. Both blows came off Todd Worrell, who got the call when Eddie Williams walked the first hitter. Marc Wilkins, who worked the last two frames, claimed the win. Pittsburgh was clobbered 8-2 in the opener. The comeback kept the Freak Show Buccos alive, a game over .500 and just three games behind the Astros.

2006 - In a Skyblast concert the Buc PR department would rather forget, San Francisco punk cover band Me First & the Gimme Gimmes were booed out of PNC Park and their three-day booking canceled. They were lucky that the 32,000 fans were in a forgiving mood after a 5-3 Bucco win over the Astros before the group took the stage. East End native and band singer Spike Slawson said “It was an obscene amount of money for the work we did...We’re a punk band. Getting booed by a sports crowd makes us viable.” Viable, maybe; bookable, not so much.

2009 - Andrew McCutchen banged his first MLB walkoff homer in the ninth to beat Philadelphia and Brad Lidge 6-4 at PNC Park after Brandon Moss had tied the game moments earlier with a single and scored the winning run ahead of Cutch. It was atonement for a mistake earlier in the inning when Andrew misread a fly ball, blew the catch and allowed Philly to take a 4-3 lead. Matt Capps gave up a pair in the ninth to the Phillies to hit the rare daily double of a blown save and win.

Cutch Walkoff - 8/25/09 photo/MLB.com

2016 - Andrew McCutchen chased home all three of Pittsburgh's runs in a 10-inning 3-2 win over Milwaukee at Miller Park. He hit a solo shot off Wily Peralta in the first inning, singled home Starling Marte in the third inning and plated John Jaso with the game-winner with a two-out single during bonus ball. The Pirates used five pitchers, with Antonio Bastardo getting the win and Tony Watson finishing up to earn the save.

2020 - Coming into Chicago with a head of steam after sweeping the Brewers, the Pirates had the wind taken out of their sails when they were no-hit by Lucas Giolito at Guaranteed Rate Park. The White Sox’ Giolito walked one (in the fourth inning) and struck out 13 in the 4-0 win and survived a two-out, two-strike bullet (102.6 EV) by Josh Bell to right that Adam Engel gloved. It was the first no-hitter of the 2020 campaign and the 13th time the Buccos franchise was no-no’ed, with the last being in 2015 at the hands of the Nat’s Max Scherzer.

2023 - G. Ogden Nutting, whose investment in the Pittsburgh Pirates led his son Bob to later taking control, died at age 87. Nutting was a partner in the Pirates when he joined team owner Kevin McClatchy (the pair knew each other via the newspaper publishers’ fraternity) in taking a majority stake in the club in 1996 after McClatchy brought Nutting into his ownership group that kept the team in Pittsburgh. The financially overextended McClatchy eventually lost his ownership stake to Nutting, and Bob Nutting replaced McClatchy as the principal owner in 2007; he was Chairman of the Board and had represented the Nutting family Pirates interest since 2002.

2023 - Mitch Keller took the hill at PNC Park and twirled eight innings of four-hit, shutout ball with a walk and six whiffs to break a season-long, seven-game losing streak to the Cubs by a 2-1 tally. The Pirates started off hot out of the gate as Ke’Bryan Hayes singled and went to third on Bryan Reynold’s double. A pair of right-side grounders by Andrew McCutchen and Josh Palacios small-balled the runners home. The score stayed 2-0 until the ninth when Kells gave way to David Bednar (Mitch was at 93 pitches and had taken a shot off the leg in the eighth, soldiering on to finish the frame), then gave up a leadoff homer to Bucco nemesis, Mt. Lebanon’s Ian Happ, whose two-run, 10th inning single last night beat Pittsburgh, 5-4. That was followed by an apparent infield single, but a Bucco challenge was upheld, that runner was erased, and The Renegade cruised to his 28th save without any further dramatics in front of 24,379 rooters.

Weekly Report: Swept By LA, Pitcher-Pong, SABR/TSN All-Time Teams, Seth & Termarr Done For Year, Jhostynxon On IL

Time flies - School starts next week in a bunch of places...

Pirates Stuff:

• CF Oneil Cruz returned from rehab and Yohan Ramirez from paternity leave on Monday. LHP Hunter Barco and OF Ronny Simon were optioned back to AAA Indy to clear active roster room and OF Johnathan Rodriguez, recently acquired by the Bucs from Baltimore while DFA'ed and assigned to Indy, was DFA'ed again to open up a 40-man spot for Cruz. He was claimed by the A's.
• 3B Nick Gonzales returned to the lineup after missing a couple of days following a Friday beaning last week. 
• Pin-the-tail-on-the-bullpen continued as RHP Antwone Kelly was called up and RHP Isaac Mattson optioned back to Indy. Then on Sunday with a looming bullpen game, Pittsburgh recalled RHP Khristian Curtis from Indy (he spun three shutout innings in Sunday's loss to LA) and optioned Kelly, who worked Saturday, back to AAA. 

Khristian Curtis - 2026 photo/Pirates

• The Pirates bought the contract of C Christian Bethancourt from the Yankees. he was in the Buc system in 2021 and currently was hitting .270 in AAA. He started his MLB days in 2013 and has rostered on six squads since.
• Endy Rodriguez (hip) is getting a second opinion this week and his situation is still in the air; surgery is a possibility. Konnor Griffin (finger) is on schedule; he's due for an early September return. Ryan O'Hearn (quad) is still on a six-to-eight week timetable.
• Rafael Flores became the first Pirate of the Modern Era (1901>) to hit two home runs in a game he didn't start.
• SABR selected its Integration Era (1947-'72) All-Time Team. Elroy Face was a first teamer as was Casey Stengel (as manager; he was a Pirate for a couple of years as a player); Roberto Clemente and Billy Maz made the second team, as did Donora's Stan "The Man" Musial; ditto Jim Bunning and Bobby Shantz, who both made quick stops in Pittsburgh. Wampum's Dick Allen (Wampum is outside New Castle) won a third-team spot.
• The Sporting News published its Baseball's Greatest Players - Supernovas issue; Ralph Kiner made the squad as did Chuck Klein, long-time Phillie who made a local stop in 1939.

Seth Done For The Year - 2026 photo/MLB

• Farm IL: Top prospect RHP Seth Hernandez was bumped up to the 60-day IL (oblique), ending his season. He finished 6-1/2.43 with 118 strikeouts over 74 innings/18 starts, mostly compiled at Hi-A Greensboro. 2B Termarr Johnson had knee surgery Thursday.
• OF Jhostynxon Garcia, recently optiond back to Indy, was placed on the 7-day IL, reason unspecified (SOP for minor league IL status).
• Bradenton's LHP Reinold Navarro, 19, was selected as the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week. He went five one-hit, shutout innings last week while fanning six and got himself promoted to Greensboro.

Game Stuff:

• Motown came a'calling to start the week; Carmen Mlodzinski got the opener. It was on ESPN, the first time PNC has appeared on that network since 2019. TV Land wasn't impressed - Carm was chased after three. The Bucs used a big frame to cut the gap to 8-5, the final score.
• Braxton Ashcraft drew the middle game while Oneil Cruz returned to the lineup. They both did good; Brax shoved again (eight IP, five hits, one run) and Cruz's two-run homer put the Pirates ahead for good as they evened the set with a 4-1 dub. 
• Paul Skenes took a couple of extra days off and was back in the saddle for the Detroit finale. It didn't help appreciably; he left with one out in the fifth and the Bucs in a 3-1 hole, giving up four hits, four walks and punching out five. Rafe Flores, subbed in for Hank Davis (HBP in the hand), homered in the seventh and again in the ninth to knot the score; Brandon Lowe followed with a walkoff shot an out later to make Mason Montgomery a 4-3 winner.

Oneil Cruz - 2026 Topps Wrecking Crew

• Pittsburgh got Thursday off as they're left-coasting at LA v the Dodgers starting Friday. Bubba Chandler got the ball and lasted four frames, leaving down 4-2. Oneill Cruz banged a two-run shot in the eighth to tie it up, and the Pirates had first & third with no outs in the 10th before Nick Gonzales K'ed (he earlier drove in the first two runs) and then loaded the bases with one down when Hank Davis banged into a DP. Gregory Soto had two outs and an 0-2 count with a runner on second before giving up the game-losing hit to Tommy Edman: LA 5, Pgh. 4. 
• Saturday afternoon saw Jared Jones take on Tarik Skubal. The Pirates jumped on Skubal for three runs in the first, then took a nap. JJ gave up a pair in four innings, Yohan Ramirez gave up two more in the next frame, and that was all she wrote as the Bucs fell 4-3.
• Can't score, can't win - LA 4, Pirates 0. The Bucs were held to two hits, the last in the second frame and Carmen got roughed up again for three runs in three innings. Oh well, pack 'em up and off to San Diego; when that set's done, it's a day off and a visit to St. Louis.

MLB Stuff

• RHP Ron Marinaccio lasted a week in Cincy. The Reds claimed him from the Pirates via waivers last week and then DFA'ed him on Monday after he gave up 10 runs in 5-1/3 IP. He cleared the wire and opted to become a FA; the Twins signed him to a minors deal over the weekend.
• OF Starling Marte, 37, was DFA'ed by KC ater batting .242 so far this year with two stolen sacks. He went unclaimed and was released. 

8/24 Through 1984: Jose No Cigar, Bert Earns Bucs 10th Straight, Out Of Order, Middle Flex, Game Days, Petty Goes, HBD Kevin, Al, Matty, Jewels & Billy

1881 - C George “Billy” (it was his middle name) Kelsey was born in Covington, Ohio. His MLB credentials consist of two games played for the Pirates in 1907 as a 25-year-old, going 2-for-5. He put together a nine season career with various farm clubs and later managed in the Texas League (player/manager for Oklahoma City) and the Western Association (Tulsa).

1889 - IF Jewel Winklemeyer Ens was born in St. Louis. He was with the Pirates from 1922-25, hitting .290 as a seldom used bench player/coach. Jewel then coached the Bucs from 1926-29 and 1935-39, managing the club in between from 1929-31, putting up an overall 176-167 slate while finishing second once. He also coached for the Detroit Tigers (1932), Cincinnati Reds (1933; 1941) & Boston Braves (1934), then spent eight seasons (1942–49) as manager of the Syracuse Chiefs, then the Reds' top farm club. He was elected to the International League Hall of Fame in 1950, a few months after his death. Jewel, btw, isn't a moniker - it was his given name.

1890 - OF Ralph “Matty” Mattis was born in Roxborough, Pennsylvania. Matty spent seven years in the minors as a pretty good batter with a lifetime .303 BA, but his only major league shot was in 1914 with the Federal League Pittsburgh Rebels where he hit .247 in 36 games. The pasture was a crowded place to elbow into that season; the Rebels carried, at one time or another, eight OF’ers including player/manager Rebel Oakes, the team’s namesake. 

1897 - C Al Bool was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. He played three years of big league ball, with his busiest year being in 1930 with the Pirates. He got into 78 games and hit .259, then moved to Boston in the off-season. He played one more year and retired to become a Nebraska farmer.

1921 - The Pirates, in front by 7-1/2 games with 35 to go, dropped a double dipper to the Giants at the Polo Grounds before 35,000. Art Nehf won the lid lifter, 10-2, to hand Babe Adams his first loss in 10 games while Phil Douglas took the nightcap, 7-0. Manager George Gibson called a team meeting after the losses, per the Pittsburgh Press, and “...club matters were discussed, but they were discussed in a way that hurt. Errors of omission and commission were probed down to the raw flesh…” It didn’t rally the boys; they would end up blowing the title to the Giants by four games, going 14-21 over their final 35 contests.

George Grantham - 1928 Strip Card

1928 - The Pirates romped over the NY Giants 16-5 at Forbes Field. The middle of the Pittsburgh order - Paul Waner, George Grantham and Pie Traynor - pounded out seven hits, including a homer and three triples, drove in 11 runs and scored six more to rev the engine. Every Pirates position player had at least two hits as the Bucco lineup banged out 19 knocks. It made for an easy day’s work for the winning pitcher, Burleigh Grimes, who notched his 22nd dub.

1930 - The Pirates sold LHP Jesse Petty to the Cubs. He was part of the return for SS Glenn Wright (Buc manager Donie Bush was a Petty fan, having coached him in the minors), and The Silver Fox (he had prematurely graying hair) was solid in his first season, with 11 wins and a 3.77 ERA for 1929. He got off to a rough start for the Bucs in 1930 and was shipped to Chicago. He pitched a little better though not very often in the Windy City, and it ended up his last MLB campaign. Petty then pitched and managed through the mid-30s in the minors.

1956 - The Cards defeated the Pirates 6-2 at Busch Stadium in a game notable for its batting order. Manager Bobby Bragan batted the pitcher seventh, Maz eighth and Hank Foiles ninth. Mazeroski went 1-for-3 while Foiles homered. Pitcher Fred Waters went 0-for-3, undermining Bragan’s brainstorm . Bragan used the ploy next season and then it wouldn’t be repeated in Pittsburgh again until 2008 when John Russell penciled in Paul Maholm to bat eighth, ahead of Jack Wilson, in a nod to youth ball “double leadoff” lineups.

1959 - Bob Friend gave up 12 hits, but went the distance to shut out SF‚ 6-0. He struck out eight and stranded a dozen G-Men at Forbes Field, backed by a pair of Rocky Nelson homers. Nelson had three hits, three RBI and three runs scored; Dick Groat also posted a trio of raps.

Bert Blyleven - 1978 Hostess

1978 - The Pirates won their 10th game in a row by dropping the Braves 5-1 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in a matchup of future Hall-of-Famers Bert Blyleven and Phil Niekro. Bert not only pitched his way to victory, but his two-out, bases-loaded double in the seventh cleared the sacks to break a 0-0 tie. Pittsburgh dropped the next two games, then started a fresh 11-game winning streak. But in the end, the Pirates couldn’t catch up to the Phils, who won the division by 1-1/2 games over the 88-73 Buccos. The race went to the wire, with Philly clinching the crown with a 10-8 win over Pittsburgh in the campaign’s next-to-last game.

1980 - RHP Kevin Correia was born in San Diego. He signed as a FA with the Pirates and slashed 11-7/4.01 before the 2011 break and was named to the All-Star team for the first (and only) time of his career, but faded during the stretch. Correia became a long man/sixth starter in 2012 after Wandy Rodriguez was picked up at the deadline, although KC was on a five-game winning streak. He was the first Pirates' pitcher since Pascual Perez in 1981 to start a game one day after appearing in relief when he volunteered to take the hill rather than have the Pirates call up a minor-league starter in 2012, losing the start 3-1. Kevin signed a two-year deal with the Minnesota Twins following that season after going 24-22/4.49 in his two Pirates campaigns, and tossed his last game in 2015 for the Philadelphia Phillies to end a 13-year MLB career.

1982 - The Bucs looked out of it, down to San Diego by a 5-1 count after six at Three Rivers Stadium, but they kept chipping away. They got a pair back in the seventh when a Padre error opened the gate, cut the lead to one in the eighth on Tony Pena & Johnny Ray doubles, and then tied it in the ninth with some flair when Bill Madlock stroked a two-out homer off Gary Lucas. The Friars stranded a pair in both the 10th and 11th frames, with SS Dale Berra making a play in the hole to save a run. The Pirates walked it off in the 11th after Lee Lacy singled, stole second, tagged to third and came in with two outs on Pena’s bouncer up the middle. Lee and Tony led the hit parade with three raps each while Kent Tekulve faced one batter in the final frame for the win.

1984 - Jose DeLeon went into the seventh inning against the Reds pitching a no-hitter, but lost it and the game when ex-Buc Dave Parker singled in a run to give Cincy the lead and eventual 2-0 win at TRS behind a three-hitter by Jeff Russell. Parker had the only Cincinnati hit.

8/24 From 1985: Grilled Win, Bashin', Freaky, Team Mixers, Aim Hi, Game Days, Riccardo Signs, Ruben Rumor, '24 Pgh HoF

1987 - Peter Gammon wrote in Sports Illustrated that GM Syd Thrift called a team meeting for his young and underachieving Pirate club (53-71) and asked the team to set goals. Reliever Jim Gott suggested aiming for 25 wins in the final 38 games. “Be realistic,” Thrift replied. It ended up that Gott was indeed a bit unrealistic - the team won 27 down the stretch, starting a seven-game winning streak that night with a 5-4 win over the Reds and Gott earned the save. The Pirates “Drive For 25” hot streak allowed them to finish the season with a competitive 80-82 slate, though they were still a couple of seasons away from contention under Jim Leyland.

1989 - The Pirates dropped the Houston Astros 3-2 in 14 frames at Three Rivers Stadium. Doug Drabek tossed a nine-inning two-hit gem that was tainted by two unearned runs due to three Bucco errors. Doug Bair got the win after Jose Lind’s bonus time sac fly brought home Gary Redus; the offensive catalyst was Barry Bonds, who scored and drove in a run earlier.

1992 - Knight-Ridder News reported that the Pirates were considered the frontrunners to land Texas Ranger rental OF Ruben Sierra, an All-Star hitting .278 w/14 HR. He was in the walk year of his contract and would be owed $1.35M for the rest of the year. Ruben was a right fielder, a spot the Pirates were filling by committee, and even wore #21 in honor of his countryman, Roberto Clemente, but he ultimately went to Oakland as part of a big trade package for Jose Canseco. The major hitch was that Texas wanted SS Carlos Garcia, and the Pirates were reluctant to deal a top prospect for a one-and-done player.

1993 - The Pirates visited LA and were clocked at Dodger Stadium by a 13-4 count. But there was a highlight film moment, albeit more appropriate for the WWF than MLB, when Jim Leyland showed more spunk than his club. It started when Kevin Gross hit Kevin Young high, in the neck/head area. Bob Walk later went old school and plunked Gross when he batted. Walkie was ejected with no warning, and Leyland visited the ump, Bruce Froemming, to argue that chain of events. Leyland was ejected, too, then chased down Gross. Jim launched a punch (and keep in mind that Gross was 6’5”, 220 lbs) to kindle a bench-clearing mixer. Froemming grabbed the Pirates skipper and Don Slaught put a hug on Gross, allowing peace in the valley to again reign.

Put 'Em Up - 8/25/1993 photo Press/Eric Draper/AP

1997 - The “Freak Show” Pirates were on a roll after sweeping the San Francisco Giants at Three Rivers Stadium, having won 9-of-12 games to claw their way to within three games of first. The Post Gazette had them featured above the fold on the front page and wrote “And what is this strange ailment suddenly gripping Western Pennsylvania...Pennant fever?” Alas, though it was a precursor of Buctober a couple of decades later, the Corsairs hit their high point on September 2nd when they got within a 1-1/2 games of first place, only to fade and finish in second, five games off the pace.

1998 - LHP Ricardo Rincon signed a two-year/$1.25M contract - his current deal was worth $245K - with incentives that could push the package to $2M if he was used as a back-end reliever rather than a set up man. The agreement was a few weeks away from becoming Cleveland’s decision; they traded for Ricardo during the winter, sending the Bucs Brian Giles.

2002 - The Milwaukee Brewers pounded out 20 hits against the Buccos at PNC Park but it was for naught as the Pirates out-slugged the Brew Crew, 17-10. Pittsburgh coasted with a 16-hit attack of their own and were up, 7-2, after three frames and 14-3 after seven innings. The Pirates had seven multi-hit performances, led by Brian Giles with three knocks, and banged out nine two-baggers and a pair of homers (Craig Wilson, Armando Rios) as every Pittsburgh starter scored (Pokey Reese & Rob Mackowiak touched home three times) and all but one chased home runs (Craig Wilson four RBI, Giles and Jason Kendall three). Kip Wells got the win with the help of three relievers. The Pirates banged out eight doubles, and three players (Pokey Reese, Brian Giles and Abraham Nunez) had a pair each, a feat not repeated again until 2025.

2005 - The Pirates were clobbered 8-3 by the Cards at PNC Park, but staged a much more competitive show before the gates opened. As the two teams were changing over during batting practice, 2-1/2 hours before the game, Redbird coach Dave Duncan chirped at Pirates reliever Rick White, who had buzzed Hector Luna earlier in the set after a hard Luna slide into Jose Castillo tore up his knee. Lloyd McClendon took exception at the barking, the pair became animated during their discussion, and Bucco coach Gerald Perry stepped between the duo, eventually popping Duncan in the jaw. Dunc and St. Louis reliever Ray King were both dragged away from the escalating brouhaha, and peace was restored under the watchful eye of four bemused city cops (there was no ump intervention; the dance was over before they arrived in the yard). 

X-Man - 2007 Topps

2007 - The Pirates’ Xavier Nady hit a two-out homer to tie the game in the ninth off Brad Lidge and then the Bucs erupted in the 15th inning to take an 8-3 victory from the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Adam LaRoche’s three-run shot in the 15th off Travis Driskill was the big blow. Shane Youman picked up the win after two innings of scoreless relief with four K against Houston. Six Pirates relievers tossed eight shutout frames, giving up just six hits and striking out eight. The Nady-Lidge result was deja vu all over again from Opening Day in Houston, when the X-Man swatted a two-out, ninth-inning bomb to knot the score in a game that the Pirates went on to wrest from the ‘Stros in the 10th frame.

2011 - Jason Grilli spun 2-2/3 scoreless innings in relief of starter Aaron Thompson to pick up his first win with the Pirates, beating the Brewers at PNC Park 2-0. Jose Veras tossed a 1-2-3 eighth while Joel Hanrahan struck out the side with a walk and hit in the final frame to add some drama to his 32nd save. Andrew McCutchen scored Jose Tabata with a sac fly in the opening inning while Neil Walker added the insurance with another sac fly in the fourth to plate Josh Harrison. The pitchers reigned as the Bucs had four hits on the day and Milwaukee posted five.

2019 - After going 8-30 after the All-Star break and falling deep into the cellar, the Pirates showed signs of life against the Cincinnati Reds. The club scored twice in the ninth inning to walkoff Cincy 3-2 while the night before the Bucs unloaded the lumber in a 14-0 romp at PNC Park. Colin Moran smacked a pinch-hit grand slam, Josh Bell swatted a three-run four-bagger and Kevin Newman reached base five times with three raps and a pair of free passes to lead the tidal wave. Trevor Williams scattered three hits over six innings with three guys behind him spinning shutout ball. The Corsairs followed up by jumping to an early lead in the third game of the set the next afternoon to broom the Redlegs 9-8 for their first series sweep since downing San Diego in June.

2024 - Barry Bonds (two-time NL-MVP), Jim Leyland (three division titles & 851 wins) and Manny Sanguillen (two-time World Series champ & three-time All-Star) were presented as the 2024 class of inductees of the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony before playing the Reds. They threw out the first pitch(es) and then partied to a Zambelli’s post game fireworks display. Their entry brought the three-year-old Pirates HoF roster up to 26 members. Alas, it failed to inspire the current club, who dropped a 10-2 decision to Cincinnati at PNC Park.

8/23: Rally Time, All In A Row, Z-onkers, Scoops & Arriba 5-ers, Quail Six-Pack, Carey Counts, Clarke Gun, Howie - 1/2 No-No, Game Days, HBD Bill, Tyler, Denny & Guy

1901 - RHP Guy “Mississippi Mudcat” Bush was born in Aberdeen, Mississippi. Guy worked in 1935-36 for Pittsburgh toward the end of his 17-year career, posting a line of 12-14-4/4.46 in 57 outings. He started in his first season and was converted to the pen in his second; that didn’t go so well and he was released in July. He did make the record books with the Bucs, though - he served up Babe Ruth’s final two home runs at Forbes Field in 1935 with the Bambino’s last dinger being the first ever to clear the right-field roof. He got his nickname from Chicago sportswriters who liked to describe him as a homespun backwoods boy.

1907 - Howie Camnitz threw a five-inning, complete game no-hitter (although not even earning an asterisk as it didn’t go the required nine innings) with four walks against the New York Giants Mike Lynch, who only surrendered two singles, at the Polo Grounds. The game was the nitecap of a doubleheader. After the first match went extra innings (the Pirates won 4-2 in 10 frames behind Sam Leever and Honus Wagner’s three hits), the teams agreed to the shortened, five-frame second game. Pittsburgh took the truncated nightcap by a 1-0 tally.

1910 - Despite manager and LF’er Fred Clarke’s four assists from the outfield, the Bucs fell 6-2 to the Philadelphia Phillies at Forbes Field. Clarke’s four toss-outs - one at home, another at third, and two more at second - set an individual NL record. He also made a sweet running catch in the eighth inning to take away extra bases from John Titus. Chief Wilson joined in with an assist from RF, bringing the team's total to five, which tied the NL single-game mark.

1924 - Leadoff man Max Carey scored the middle run in a 3-2 win by the Bucs over the Boston Braves at Forbes Field. It started a franchise-record 15-game scoring streak that saw him score 21 times; Maxie hit .426 with a .500 OBP while the Pirates went 11-4 during the stretch. 

1959 - The Pirates swept a doubleheader from the Dodgers, beating Don Drysdale in both games. As a starter, Drysdale lost the opener 9-2, lasting 2-2/3 frames, then relieved in the nitecap, taking a 4-3 loss in the 10th inning. ElRoy Face won his 16th of the year without a loss in the second game, equaling Cal Hubbell's (1936) and Ewell Blackwell's (1947) record streaks. Bill Virdon had six straight hits, went 6-for-8 and scored & drove in three runs during the day.

Bill Virdon - 1959 Topps

1970 - Roberto Clemente had his second straight five-hit game against Los Angeles, the first 20th century major leaguer to collect 10 hits in consecutive games (per Bill Christine of the Press, skipper Danny Murtaugh said: “Ten hits in two games! When I was playing, it would take me three or four weeks to get that many.”) Clemente banged a homer, double, three RBI and scored four runs in the 11-0 win at Dodger Stadium. Bill Mazeroski added four raps while Freddy Patek, Matty Alou and Manny Sanguillen each had three knocks as the Buccos collected 23 hits against the Angelinos. Steve Blass cruised to the victory, tossing a complete game four-hitter with eight whiffs. Roberto’s record only lasted until 1975 before Rennie Stennett tied the mark, beginning with his 7-hit game.

1971 - Al Oliver was hot, going 5-for-6 against the Braves with two homers, four runs scored and five RBI in a 15-4 Pirates romp at Atlanta Stadium, falling a double shy of the cycle (in the ninth, he swatted his second homer instead of a two-bagger; we suspect that he considered it a fair trade-off). Roberto Clemente added three hits, including a long ball, while four more Bucs had two raps each. Bob Moose got the win though Nellie Briles had to pick up the final four frames. It was the second game of a twilight doubleheader. The Pirates won the opener 4-3 behind a Steve Blass/Dave Giusti combo on the hill and Manny Sanguillen, who had a pair of runs and RBI to carry the offense.

1975 - Richie Zisk went 4-for-4 with a homer, a double and a sac fly to drive home six runs, but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Pirates gifted the Giants seven unearned runs in the fifth inning to drop a 12-7 decision at TRS. With two outs and two on, Joe Morgan’s grounder ticked off Rennie Stennett’s mitt and the floodgates opened - three pitchers, three walks, two hits and a wild pitch later, the G-Men had overrun Bruce Kison and company. 

1977 - It was a back-and-forth game to the very end: up by a run with Goose Gossage on the bump in the ninth, Padre Gene Tenace launched a two-out solo homer to tie the game after the Pirates had rallied for the lead in the eighth. But Al Oliver had an answer when he led off the Bucco half with a blast off Rollie Fingers to give the Pirates a 7-6 win over San Diego at TRS. Scoops and Dave Parker had a pair of hits each and Bill Robinson added a two-run long ball to give the Goose a blown save/victory. It was also announced that Willie Stargell would have surgery on his elbow and he’d be lost for the rest of the season after having already spent six weeks on the DL. He bounced back after the procedure during the next campaign, landing an All-Star berth in ‘78. 

Denny Bautista - 2008 Topps

1980 - RHP Denny Bautista was born in Sanchez, Dominican Republic. He was the epitome of a journeyman, tossing for six teams in seven MLB years while slashing 11-15/5.88. The Pirates traded with Detroit for him in 2008 in exchange for a minor leaguer, and from 2008-09, his Pittsburgh line was 5-4/5.89 in 49 outings. The 6’5” reliever moved on to the Giants in 2010 for his last big league campaign, and closed out his pro years in Korea and Mexico. 

1988 - Dave LaPoint tossed a five-hitter and Andy Van Slyke drilled a two-run homer in the seventh to carry the Bucs to a 2-0 win over Cincinnati at TRS. LaPoint and Norm Charlton traded zeroes until the AVS bomb. After the Bucs scored, the Red staged a two-out rally in the eighth to chase LaPoint, but Jim Gott came on to save the day. LaPoint ended up a rental who went 4-2/2.77 for the Bucs in the stretch, with this being his sole shutout start. 

1993 - RHP Tyler Glasnow was born in Newhall, California. Glasnow was the Pirates 5th round pick in the 2011 draft and the prep star gave up a ride to the University of Portland by signing for a $600 K. Tyler dominated in the minors and was a consensus Top 25 Prospect, getting his first call to the show in 2016. He broke camp with the club the following year but was sent back to Indy in June after being batted around in the rotation and got 13 starts with the big club in 2017. He was sent to Tampa Bay in 2018 as part of the Chris Archer deal after working out of the Bucco bullpen and became a poster boy for change-of-scenery swaps. He’s been held back by annual injuries and now is with the Dodgers.

1994 - OF Billy McKinney was born in Dallas. He was a first-round pick (#24) of Oakland in 2013 as a prep player. He never cracked a lineup as a regular (his .209 career BA marked him as a AAAA talent), and the Pirates, who got him for cash from the Yankees in the 2023-24 off season, were his seventh MLB team. He was called up by the Bucs in August, then was released and claimed by the Mets, who also let him go. Bill then signed on with the Rangers for the 2025 campaign and became a free agent after the year but didn’t find any ‘26 takers.

Tony McKnight - 2002 Fleer

2001 - The Pirates defeated the Diamondbacks 5-1 in front of 30,784 at PNC Park, despite a 16-strikeout performance by Randy Johnson, who became the first pitcher in history to fan 300 batters in four straight seasons. Johnson only gave up six hits, but he walked nine batters in the loss to Tony McKnight and the bullpen. The big blows off the Big Unit were a two-run homer by Kevin Young and two-run pinch-hit double by Keith Osik, both in the seventh. Brian Giles also went deep for his 30th long ball, his third of four consecutive 30-homer campaigns. 

2002 - The Pirates were down 3-2 in the seventh against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, and it had been a frustrating day - they had left the bases loaded with two gone in the first and with nobody out in the sixth. They looked destined to fall into the same trap once again in the seventh when Pittsburgh juiced the bases with no outs just to have Craig Wilson and Kevin Young fan. Adam Hyzdu came to the rescue; he popped an 0-1 pitch into the stands for his third long ball in four games (Adam’s granny broke a string of 11 straight solo bombs by the Pirates) to give the Bucs a lead they wouldn’t lose. The bullpen was nearly flawless; Mike Lincoln got the win, Brian Boehringer the hold and Mike Williams notched his 36th save as they tossed four scoreless frames, giving up just two hits, to carry home the 6-3 victory.

2014 - The Pirates 4-5-6 hitters (Neil Walker, Russ Martin & Pedro Alvarez) went 7-for-11 with three walks, two doubles, three homers, six runs scored and 10 RBI to help rough up the Milwaukee Brewers 10-2 at Miller Park. Alvarez hit a pair of opposite field homers after a six-week long ball drought, one of them coming back-to-back following Martin’s blast into the bullpen. Edinson Volquez got the win with clutch pitching - he gave up 11 hits in 5-2/3 IP, but stranded runners at second & third with no outs once and later in the game worked out of a bases loaded jam with one out against Ryan Braun & Aramis Ramirez coming up.

2016 - The first six Pirates batters hit safely against Houston’s Joe Musgrove - Adam Frazier (single), Matt Joyce (double), Andrew McCutchen (double), Gregory Polanco (single), David Freese (single) & Josh Bell (single) - before Bell was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double, and the Bucs scored four times on the way to a 7-1 victory at PNC Park. Ivan Nova tossed a complete game six-hitter on 98 pitches, losing a shutout in the ninth inning, while Polanco launched a pair of home runs. It was the first time since 1975 that the Pirates strung together that many knocks to open a game when the first eight Buccos banged out hits. Despite that soft rookie outing, Musgrove joined the Pirates as a major piece of the 2018 Gerrit Cole trade package with the ‘Stros, then in turn becoming the centerpiece of a 2021 swap with San Diego.

J-Hay celbrates walkoff homer: 8-22-2017 photo/Pirates

2017 - The Dodgers Rich Hill took a perfect game into the ninth inning at PNC Park and a no-hitter into the 10th; both went by the wayside as the Pirates prevailed in an unlikely 1-0 victory. The perfecto was lost on Logan Forsythe’s error while the no-no, shutout, and game were deep-sixed by Josh Harrison’s leadoff walkoff homer in overtime. Trevor Williams matched zeroes with him through eight innings without the style points - he gave up seven hits, four walks and bopped a batter, but stranded nine runners thanks to a pair of DPs and a throw-out on the bases. Felipe Rivero and Juan Nicasio kept the Trolley Dodgers at bay for the win. Game factoids: J-Hay is the first and so far only player to end a no-hit bid with a walkoff HR. On the bump, Hill became just the second pitcher to lose a no-hitter via a walk off hit, joining the original Heartbreak Kid, the Pirates’ Harvey Haddix, who lost his perfect game in 1959 in the 13th inning. Going into the game, the Pirates had scored five or more runs in seven straight games for the first time since 1996, so Hill was spinning his magic against a tea on a roll.

2019 - A couple of “up” outings by a pair of Pirates pitchers who had decidedly up-and-down seasons and a ninth-inning uprising carried the Bucs to a 3-2 win over the Reds at PNC Park. Mitch Keller struck out nine in six innings, but left runners on first and third with no outs during a 1-1 game for Michael Feliz in the seventh. It took Feliz 12 pitches to retire the next three Redlegs swinging. Cincy edged ahead in the eighth, but the Pirates lit it up in the ninth. Four of the five batters hit safely - the only out was a sac bunt - with Adam Frazier’s rap tying the game and Pablo Reyes' single walked it off to give Felipe Vazquez the victory.

2024 - The Pirates equaled their largest comeback of the season, brushing off an early five-run deficit to rally for a 6-5 dub over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park. The Bucs small-balled a four-run fifth, and then Bryan De La Cruz chased home the lead run in the sixth. The club posted eight hits; seven of them were in the fifth/sixth innings, when they scored all their runs. The bullpen stood tall behind Bailey Falter, with Dennis Santana putting up two zeroes for the win, Aroldis Chapman striking out the side in the eight to give him 1,226 K, fourth most among relievers, and David Bednar, working through a bumpy few weeks, holding on for his 23rd save after allowing the first two batters to reach base, but stranding Reds at first and third at the end.