5/3 TRS-PNC Park Era: Turner's Tumble, Gunner, Smith Gem, EriK, Walk-Offs, Polecats & A Long Series

• 1985 - The Gunner, Bob Prince, returned to the booth after a 10 year absence (he had been fired by KDKA). Prince got a standing ovation from the crowd, and when he took over the mic in the fourth frame, the Pirates erupted for nine runs, earning him another O after the inning. It was a short comeback as The Gunner died of cancer on June 10th.
• 1986 - A skunk wandered onto the field at San Diego in the 7th inning at Jack Murphy Stadium and held up the Padres-Pirates game for several minutes. It was rumored that a family of polecats lived under the stadium‚ feeding on peanuts and other fan debris; guess that’s one rumor that proved true. It was the Bucs who stunk out the joint early on, but they scored three times in the eighth and added the game winner in the ninth to skunk the Padres‚ 7-6.

Zane Smith 1991 Upper Deck

• 1991 - The Pirates defeated the Astros 1-0 in a one hour‚ 45 minute contest at TRS‚ the NL's shortest nine inning game since 1981. Zane Smith threw a complete game four hitter while Pete Harnisch went the distance and gave up only two knocks, one being Orlando Merced’s first homer of the year in the third inning. Harnisch threw 89 pitches and Smith 92 during the contest.
• 1998 - Turner Ward literally crashed through the right field wall at Three Rivers Stadium while running down Mike Piazza’s long fly in a 10-5 loss to the Dodgers. And yes, he hung onto the ball in a play that is still considered one of the great all-time MLB catches and an ESPN go-to clip, though he had to leave the game with bruises and some fiberglass splinters. The kid was a gamer; he crashed through the wall while LA was ahead 9-0.

And the walls came tumblin' down (image MLB.com)

• 1999 - The Bucs scored four times in the ninth on homers by Warren Morris and Brian Giles and a two-out walk off single by Brant Brown off reliever Robb Nenn to surge past the Giants 9-8 at TRS. Giles had three hits and five RBI while Jason Kendall went 5-for-5 with a pair of doubles.
• 2012 - The Pirates set a club mark by striking out 17 in nine innings during their 6-3 win over the Cards at Busch Stadium. Erik Bedard did the heavy lifting, whiffing 11 in five frames and setting a franchise record with seven consecutive K’s. Four Pirate relievers added six more K in the final four innings. Jason Grilli and Joel Hanrahan picked up a pair of punchouts apiece in the eighth and ninth.
• 2014 - Despite making four errors and falling behind 5-0, the Pirates scored six times against the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh and eighth innings to claim an 8-6 victory at PNC Park. Jordy Mercer’s two out double on an 0-2 pitch tied the game with two outs in the seventh, and Neil Walker’s two-bagger off the top of the center field wall in the eighth chased home the game winners. Mark Melancon picked up the save of Bryan Morris’ third win.

Neil Walker 2014 Topps

• 2015 - The Bucs ended one of the most frustrating series in their history by losing their third straight extra inning, walk-off contest to the Cardinals by a 3-2 score after a pair of 2-1 losses. The Bucs had the lead in the 12th thanks to a Pedro Alvarez homer, but Radhames Liz gave up a run in the St. Louis half and a homer to Kolten Wong in the 14th to absorb the defeat. The Pirates scored just four runs in 35 innings against the Redbirds, stranding 37 runners while going 2-for-25 with RISP. The Cardinals swept a three-game series with all the wins coming in extra innings for the first time in franchise history and became the first team to do so since June of 1925, when the Cincinnati Reds broomed the Boston Braves in overtime.

5/3 Expo Park-Forbes Field Era: Home Field Ad, HBD Bing, Hans & Big Poison, Lindell & Kremer, Al G Deal

• 1899 - OF Jack McCarthy hit a ball that went through an open gate in the Exposition Park outfield wall, and a hometown fan shut it before Louisville’s fielder could get there to give McCarthy an uncontested three run, walk-off homer in Pittsburgh’s 7-6 win against the Louisville Colonels. The league frowned on the helping hand and ordered a replay of the game.

Der Bingle 1948 (photo Loomis Dean/Life)

• 1903 - Longtime Pirate co-owner and well-known crooner Harry “Bing” Crosby was born in Tacoma, Washington. He became a minority owner during the John Galbreath era; he and Galbreath knew one another from the horse circuit. Crosby, who held his stake from 1946-77, taped the Pirates 1960 Game Seven win against the Yankees off TV for the only nine inning video of the classic (he was too nervous to watch in person) and also helped in the signing of Bucco great Vern Law out of high school. Bing had a long-time love of baseball, playing in high school and for a year at Gonzaga University before becoming an entertainer of a different sort.
• 1909 - The Bucs whipped Chicago‚ 9-2, at the West Side Grounds. Honus Wagner went 5-for-6 during the game, scoring three times and stealing three bases to help earn Vic Willis the victory. He was repeating what he did the day before, also going 5-for-6 in a 6-0 victory over the Cubs. The Pittsburg Press wrote “Hans Wagner was the shining star of the game. The other Pirates followed and the slaughtery of the Cubs is something awful to record.” Chicago was Pittsburgh’s hottest competitor and finished second to them in the NL, 6-1/2 games off the Pirate pace.
• 1927 - Paul Waner went 3-for-4 with a triple, walk, three runs scored and four RBI as the Pirates outlasted the St. Louis Cardinals 11-10 at Forbes Field. Earl Smith had three hits, including two homers, to add three RBI to the pot and Glenn Wright also had three knocks and plated three times to give Ray Kremer, the Pirates fourth pitcher, the win.

Ray Kremer 1991 Conlin/TSN

• 1928 - Ray Kremer lost his first home start of the season to the Boston Braves at Forbes Field 5-4 in 11 innings, ending a MLB record streak of 22 straight home victories by Kremer dating back to 1926.
• 1947 - The Pirates traded OF Al Gionfriddo and $100,000 to Dodgers for P Kirby Higbe, P Cal McLish, IF Gene Mauch, P Hank Behrman, and P Dixie Howell. Gionfriddo was remembered for his 1947 World Series grab of a Joe DiMaggio blast for Brooklyn and Red Barber’s call that he was going “back back back back back” for the catch, which Chris Berman of ESPN later adopted as his home run call. Some analysts believe that Branch Rickey made the deal to send a message to the Dodger players about his support for Jackie Robinson by sending some gripers to Pittsburgh, though he may have just been housecleaning; none but Higbe had any impact with the Pirates.
• 1953 - Johnny Lindell, a pitcher turned outfielder turned pitcher‚ earned the Pirates their fifth straight win‚ beating the Cards‚ 6-2. Lindell notched his first W since 1942 when he was a Yankee reliever, his last MLB season on the mound (he converted to the OF in 1943). In 1950, he became a bush league knuckleballer and returned to the majors in 1953 at the age of 36 as a pitcher. His knuckler was a wild child, and he led the NL in walks and wild pitches that season. Although used mainly by the Bucs as a pitcher (Lindell worked 175 IP), he batted .286 and pinch hit 34 times, once tying a game with a three run, ninth inning homer.

Bucs Run Away 12-3 Over Reds Behind Tyler, Wade & Two Big Frames

The Bucs went down in order to Scott Feldman; not so the Reds with Tyler Glasnow. He walked Billy Hamilton, watched him steal a couple of bases, walked Zack Cozart and then served Joey Votto a ball that he launched halfway to Jupiter. Ty stranded an additional walk and knock, but tossed 36 pitches and is down 3-0. Pittsburgh went quietly in the second while Glasnow's Jekyll side came out - he K'ed the side on 11 pitches. The Bucs got on the board in the third when Alen Hanson tripled over Hamilton's head and Jordy's two-bagger to right sent him home. With no outs, something was cookin', but Glasnow's bunt right back to the mound caught Mercer at third and one run was it. The Reds got a leadoff walk for Votto but it led to nothing. Pittsburgh was about to have a big fourth.

Josh tearin' it up in his hometown (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Cutch walked, then JJ doubled. Jose Osuna's ball into the hole plated Andrew, but Jaso was caught going to third. An out later, Hanson singled and stole second, leading to an intentional pass for Jordy. Ty crossed up the Reds by shooting a two-run rap up the middle, then J-Hay iced the cupcake with his third long ball of the series to make it 7-3. Tyler put up another zippo, leaving a runner at third. Robert Stephenson took the ball for Queen City and gave up an Osuna double but no poits; Ty tossed a 1-2-3 frame using five pitches. The Pirates action in the sixth was a Tyler walk; the Reds opened with a single before Glasnow shut the door. The Reds were about to hand out some gifts in the seventh.

With two outs, JJ doubled. Five walks, a wild pitch, a passed ball, and two infield singles later, it was 12-3. Wade LeBlanc took the hill and left a couple of Reds on the pond. Ty went six, gave up three runs on four hits and four walks with five fans on 105 pitches. Both sides went quietly in the eighth. Wandy Peralta gave up a ninth inning free pass while LeBlanc tossed another blank.

Well, coulda used a couple of those runs yesterday. Still, very promising to see Tyler come back from that mother-of-all-first-innings to shut down the Reds. JT and Ivan are slated to be on the hill the next two games, so it's an opportunity to take another series win on the road trip.

Notes:

• Tyler's six-inning outing was the longest of his career; it was also his first MLB win. Minus the brutal opening frame, he went five shutout IP, surrendering two hits, a walk and whiffing five on 69 pitches. Not only does the kid flash physical stuff, but coming back after that do-nothing-right opening frame showed some mental gumption, too.

Tyler was a one-man wrecking crew tonight (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

• Ty also had a big day at the dish - he singled, drew two walks, chased home three runs and scored. Jordy had a hit and two walks, JJ & Alen Hanson a pair of raps,  and J-Hay, Cutch, Jose Osuna and Elias Diaz had a knock and a walk apiece.
• Elias Diaz got his first MLB hit tonight. Seems like he's been around forever, but he only had six big-league PAs entering the game.
• Wade LeBlanc picked up his first save of the year and second as a Bucco thanks to the three-inning rule.
• The early word on Fraze is that he will not be ready for action when his DL sentence is served tomorrow. When he's physically able, he'll get some some minor-league rehab games under his belt before returning to the lineup.

Tuesday: Pirates at Reds, Glasnow v Scott Feldman, Lineup, Notes

Tonight: The game at GABP starts at 7:10 and will be carried by Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan as the Bucs try to get off the schneid against the Reds.

Lineup: Josh Harrison 3B, Josh Bell 1B, Cutch CF, John Jaso RF, Jose Osuna LF, Elias Diaz C, Alen Hanson 2B, Jordy Mercer SS & Tyler Glasnow P. Dunno if Gregory's nagging injuries have caught up to him or he just had a scheduled R&R day, but today's lineup is diggin' deep. The 2B merry-go-round continues; Alen can't have a much worse time than The Goose did last night. Amore's foot is still an issue and back-to-back is about as far as they want to push Stew, so Elias is the next man up.

Didn't take Elias long to get a start (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Pitchers: Tyler Glasnow (0-1, 7.98) takes the mound against Scott Feldman (1-2, 3.25). Tyler's had a bumpy road since his promotion, and while the team seems committed to keep feeding him the ball until the light goes on, Glasnow has only made it through the fifth inning once. The Pirates are looking for some more length from his outings to prevent bullpen burnout. He's 0-1/7.27 ERA in four career games against the Reds. Three appearances were in relief last year; he lost his only start against the Queen City nine on April 10th when he walked five batters in 1-2/3 IP to drop a 7-1 decision at PNC Park in his first start of the year. Feldman, a 34-year-old, 13-year vet has been up-and-down in April with some control issues. He hasn't faced the Pirates since 2010.

Notes:

• Adam Frazier can be be activated off the DL on Wednesday and David Freese on Friday; whether either will be ready to return that soon is yet TBD. Both are laid up with hammy sprains.

Remember him? Fraze is due back this week (photo Pgh Pirates)

• It's how you finish that counts, but a quick start never hurts. The Pirates have scored in the first inning in eight of their last 10 games, touching home 12 times. 
• Bucs on this year's All-Star ballot: J-Bell, Amore, Freeser, Fraze, El Coffee, J-Hay, Cutch & Jordy. The ballots went on-line yesterday and voting will continue through June 29th. The pitchers are selected by the manager, the Cubs Joe Maddon.
• John Sickel of Minor League Ball has the updated profile on Elias Diaz.
• 2014 Pirates first rounder Cole Tucker stole four bases last night for the High-A Bradenton Marauders. The 20-year-old enters today leading minor league baseball with 17 stolen bases in 20 tries. The SS is hitting just .244 but has a good eye and a .343 OBP.
• One of the Pirates Top 20 prospects per MLB.Pipeline, 22-year-old LHP Brandon Waddell, has been taken off the minor league DL (forearm strain) and will return to action this week for Altoona. The 2015 fifth-round pick from U of Virginia missed just a couple of starts with his owie.

5/2 From the 50s Forward: HBD Jose & Neftali; Hot Carlos & Lee; Zach's Shutout; Bob & AJ Toss BP; Walk Off; Hans Funder

• 1953 - OF Carlos Bernier hit 3 consecutive triples in a 12-4 win over the Redlegs at Forbes Field‚ the Bucs fourth straight victory. Bernier added a single and a stolen base. In a stretch of 11 at bats‚ Carlos banged four triples‚ two doubles‚ and two singles. It was a good start to his only MLB season; he finished the year hitting .213.
• 1954 - The Bucs and Cubs split a DH at Wrigley as Pittsburgh lost the opener 5-3 and won the nitecap 18-10. Frank Thomas had seven straight hits on the afternoon. Bob Friend, winner of the second game, drove in three runs to win his first of the year and set a backhand standard: Not until Vida Blue in 1979 had anyone else allowed 10 runs and still won.

Bob Friend 1954 Bowman

• 1954 - A sputtering drive to raise funds for a Hans Wagner statue received a shot in the arm when Beechview declared “Honus Wagner Day” with a game between its American Legion club and the “Old Timers” at Alton Field with the proceeds donated to the statue fund. The effort picked up steam, and on April 30th, 1955, the Frank Vittor bronze was unveiled outside Forbes Field.
• 1956 - Lee Walls went 5-for-5 in a losing effort against St. Louis at Busch Stadium. The Bucs fell 10-9 in 10 innings despite Wall’s three doubles, three RBI and three runs.
• 1985 - RHP Jose Ascanio was born in Maracay, Venezuela. He joined the Bucco system in 2009 as part of the Tom Gorzelanny/Mike Grabow deal with the Cubs and tossed that year and in 2011 for the Buccos, slashing 0-1/7.00. He was considered a potential closer, but spent all of 2010 and much of 2011 on the DL due to shoulder surgery. He never returned to the majors, but spent several years afterward in the Mexican and Venezuelan Leagues.

Neftali Feliz 2016 Topps

• 1988 - RHP Neftali Feliz was born in Azua, Dominican Republic. The Pirates picked him up in 2016 as a $3.9M FA, and he got into 62 games, compiling a line of 4-2-2, 3.52, with 29 holds and 61 K in 53-2/3 IP. The vet signed with Milwaukee in 2017, his fourth team in the past three campaigns, after beginning his career in Texas where he spent six seasons before becoming a bullpen drifter.
• 2006 - Zach Duke tossed a five-hitter for his first MLB complete game and shutout in the Pirates' 8-0 win victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Freddy Sanchez had three hits with three RBI and two runs scored to lead the attack supporting the Zackster.
• 2012 - AJ Burnett gave up 12 runs in 2-2/3 innings as the Cardinals clocked the Pirates 12-3 at Busch Stadium. AJ had shut them out two weeks earlier, 2-0, at PNC Park. He allowed the most runs by a Pirate hurler in 80 years and surrendered more earned runs in under three innings than anyone else since earned runs were first an official stat in 1913. "I stunk," Burnett told the AP. "There is nothing more I can say.” AJ got over it, going 16-10 with a 3.51 ERA during the season.

AJ Burnett 2013 Bowman

• 2014 - The Bucs rallied from a 5-3 deficit to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 at PNC Park on the strength of a pair of ninth inning homers. Pedro Alvarez slammed a two run shot to tie the game and Starling Marte walked it off with a two-out, two-strike solo bomb into left center off Sergio Santos to give Mark Melancon the win.

5/2 Through the 40s: Hans the Thief, Alleghenys Firsts, Prez Visits, Big Bats & Big Arms, HBD George

• 1877 - The Alleghenys beat the Boston Red Caps, the eventual International Association champs, 1-0 behind do-it-all Pud Galvin. He tossed a one-hitter and bombed a homer thought to be the first ball to clear the fence at Union Park.
• 1882 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the American Association played their first MLB game (The AA was an alternative major league in the early days; the club would join the NL five years later.) against Cincinnati at the Bank Street Grounds. The Alleghenys whipped the Red Stockings by a 10-9 tally. Charlie Morton and Jim Keenan combined for seven hits. The Alleghenys’ Jack Leary and Reds’ Will White both went the distance. For Leary, who was a jack-of-all-trades (he only pitched three times in his 60 games with the Alleghenys while batting .286), it was his sole Pittsburgh win (1-0, 6.75) before he moved on to Baltimore later in the season. White would end the campaign 40-12 with a 1.86 ERA as Cincinnati ran away with the AA crown.

Pud liked this date - 1887-90 Goodwin Old Judge

• 1887 - Fred Carroll of the Alleghenys hit the franchise’s first NL homer off Detroit Wolverine pitcher Lady Baldwin as part of his cycle at Recreation Park in an 8-3 win. Motown had won 31 straight exhibition games and three regular season games‚ but met their match in Pud Galvin and Carroll.
• 1909 - Talk about small ball! Honus Wagner stole second, third and home while his teammates turned three additional stolen bases, two walks, a plunked batter, two errors, and two hits into a five-run first frame in the Bucs' 6-0 victory in the opener of a twin bill. They also won the second game 5-2 against the Cubs at the West Side Grounds. For the Flying Dutchman, the base-stealing feat was the fourth and last time he pulled it off; it’s still the MLB record.
• 1909 - 1B George Giles was born in Junction City, Kansas. George was a well-traveled Negro League player who was considered an excellent fielder, speedy, and a solid contact hitter. He had a 1932 stint with the Homestead Grays (.301) and a 1938 stop with the Pittsburgh Crawfords (.261). He moved back to Kansas after his baseball days and raised a family. His son George Jr. played in the minors and his grandson, Brian Giles (not the old Bucco) played with the Mets and Mariners.

• 1910 - President William Taft attended the Pirates 5-2 win over the Cubs. The team set a then-attendance record of 20,265 at Forbes Field due to President’s appearance, but the Pittsburg Press headline was “Taft Was Cheered, But Thunderous Applause Met Honus Wagner.” Hans had just one hit though he did score twice. The win went to Babe Adams, who was relieved by Lefty Leifield in the seventh.
• 1925 - The Pirates scored seven times in the first frame and plated 14 runs by the third to romp over the Cincinnati Reds 18-3 at Forbes Field. Clyde Barnhart, Pie Traynor, and Earl Smith combined to drive in 10 runs while the top of the order, Max Carey, Kiki Cuyler, and Eddie Moore, scored nine times. Lee Meadows tossed a five-hitter for the victory.
• 1943 - Behind hurlers Wally Hebert and Bob Klinger‚ the Pirates claimed a twinbill from the Cubs‚ 3-0 and 1-0 at Forbes Field. In the second game‚ Cubs hurlers Dick Barrett and Lon Warneke combined on a one-hit loss: Vince DiMaggio's double in the fourth was the only Bucco knock. The Pirate run was unearned as Elbie Fletcher, who had walked, plated on the two-bagger when the relay to second was thrown away. Klinger answered the bell with a four-hit gem of his own.

Vince DiMaggio 1942 Play Ball

Bucco Boots & Billy Hamilton Carry Reds To 4-3 Win In 10 Innings

Could be interesting here; Great American Ball Park is a hitter's haven and the wind is blowing out hard, and Cutch launched one into the breeze for his fourth homer, a solo shot in the first frame off Amil Garrett. Billy Hamilton led off with a knock and stole second and third (he was originally rung up on the second swipe; a challenge overturned the call). But for once, no harm came of his escapades. Pittsburgh went quietly in the second with Goose's walk all they could muster. Cincy put runners at second and third on a pair of knocks and a stolen base with two gone, but Cole Train punched out his mound opponent to end that noise. There was no action in the third. A Cutch walk in the fourth went for naught when he was caught stealing while the Redlegs went down in order.

Cutch likes GABP (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates) 

The Bucs got a Stew walk in the fifth. A bloop that the Goose couldn't get to opened the Reds half; an out later, Garrett bunted into a DP. He hasn't helped himself a lot with the bat tonight, not that's it's particularly part of his job description. J-Hay got the Bucs second hit in the sixth; like Andrew, he got it into the jet stream (tho to right) to make it 2-0. Hamilton got aboard on Goose's boot. Of course it opened the gates; Joey Votto walked, taking a couple of pitches that could have been called Cole's way, and Adam Duvall popped a fly over the fence to give the Reds the lead. The Buc action in the seventh consisted of J-Bell getting plunked then erased stealing on a failed hit-and-run with the Goose up; he K'ed to end it. Juan Nicasio came on and worked a clean frame.

Drew Storen took the hill in the eighth and with two gone, J-Hay happened again to tie the game. Juan got the first two Reds out righty-on-righty and then Felipe Rivero took the ball and fanned Votto. Micheal Lorenzen bopped Jose Osuna with two gone in the ninth but J-Bell couldn't avenge his fellow rook. Rivero walked Adam Duvall to open, but a whiff and a 6-4-3 DP cleaned that up. The Pirates went down 1-2-3 in the 10th with Votto's grab of Gift's ball up the line to open the inning saving Lorenzen's bacon. Huddy gave up a one-out walk and then fired a wide pickoff toss, moving the runner to second. And of course, an out later Hamilton slapped a two-strike heater into right to win the game.

Josh flexed his muscles tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Make two errors to give up two runs and lose by one run as Billy Hamilton took advantage of both of the miscues. Should be a lesson in there somewhere.

Notes:

• Tonight was Josh Harrison's first multi-homer game in the show, and he put on the ritz in his hometown.
• Cutch's 17 long balls at GABP are fifth-most among visiting players and extended his on-base streak to 20 games. J-Bell's streak was stretched to 14 games after he was HBP. Josh Harrison had two hits; Andrew had a bomb and a walk.
• The Reds have the Buccos number so far: they're 4-0 against them. At least this one was close; Cincy took the opening series by a 22-5 scoring margin.
• Gregory has three RBI in 90 PAs batting cleanup and is hitting .225 from the four hole.

Monday: Bucs Open Four-Game Set at GABP, Cole v Amir Garrett, Lineup, Notes

Tonight: The Bucs visit Cincinnati with first pitch slated for 7:10. Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan will broadcast the action.

The Goose is on the loose tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Josh Harrison 3B, Jordy Mercer SS, Cutch CF, Gregory Polanco LF, Jose Osuna RF, J-Bell 1B, Gosselin 2B, Stewart C & Gerrit Cole P. Stew is catching Cole; it's Chris' first back-to-back of the season. Goose is at second; we're sure Clint has some arcane bit of data to support it, tho we think alternating three guys is, to use the technical baseball term, dumb.

Pitchers: Gerrit Cole (1-3, 3.60 ERA) vs. Amir Garrett. Cole Train will be making the 100th start of his big league career tonight. Gerrit hasn't solved the Redlegs yet; they're the only NL team he hasn't defeated. He's 0-6/5.44 in eight career outings and slashed 0-2/6.10 in two starts last season. GABP has been a tough venue for him - he's 0-3/4.55 at the Cincy ballyard. Garrett started his rookie campaign with three strong starts, a 2-1 record (including a solid 9-2 Bucco spanking on April 12th) and 1.83 ERA before the Brew Crew brought him to earth last outing, collecting 10 runs, eight hits, three homers and four walks off Amir in 3-1/3 IP. We'll see what kind of bounce-back Garrett has tonight. He will be the only lefty the Pirates face this series, a rarity of late.

Eli's comin... (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Notes:

• C Elias Diaz is on the roster now, replacing John Bormann who returned to Bradenton but remained, kinda oddly, on the 40-man roster, maybe as a little financial reward for bustin' his butt to get to Miami. The 26-year-old Diaz was hitting .305 at Indy. His downside is that in 61 PAs, he has one homer and one walk. 
• Cutch has reached base safely in his last 19 games and J-Bell has reached base safely in 14 consecutive contests.
• How does Cole Train rate among Bucco starters at the 100-game mark? According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Cole’s 3.25 ERA is the lowest for a Pirates pitcher through his first 100 starts with the team since Zane Smith's 3.14 mark from 1990-1994. Bob Veale’s 2.73 ERA from 1962-66 remains the lowest by a Pittsburgh hurler after his first 100 starts with the team.
• When the Reds swept the Bucs in early April, they were on the crest of a 9-2 run; since that time, they're 3-11. Both squads are 11-13 entering the series.

Fran's foot injury just won't go away (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

• Fran Cervelli told the press gang that his right foot flared up Saturday on a swing-and-miss and that he expects to miss no more than a couple of days of action because of it. Chad Kuhl has a knee contusion (bruise) after taking a liner off the leg and says as of now he doesn't plan to miss a turn in the rotation. Chad is a little easier to carry as a starter while Fran may or may not end up in the same boat as Freeser.
• Buster Olney wrote in ESPN's Insider column (via MLB Trade Rumors) that with team control through 2019, Gerrit Cole could end up being the most sought-after name on the market if he were made available - and the Pirates, it was thought, were willing to listen to offers for Cole last year.
• Josh Bell's stolen base yesterday afternoon was the first swipe of his MLB career.
• As if there wasn't enough afterglow from Gift Ngoepe's tale, there's this - his article in the Player's Tribune about a boy, his dreams and his mom.
• Since the beginning of last year, 17 players have made their big league debuts with the Bucs, which is the second-most in the majors. The only team to have more players take their bow over that span is the rebuilding Reds with 20, per the Elias Sports Bureau. Lotta young 'uns on the field tonight...

5/1 Birthdays & Happenings: Mad Dog; Manny; Fondy/Baker Deal; HBD George, Bill, Heinie, Johnny, Uncle Ray & Chico

• 1885 - RHP George McQuillan was born in Brooklyn. He was a decent pitcher for low-scoring teams, going 29-33 from 1913-15 with a 3.06 ERA for Pittsburgh. In 1907 he set one of the longest-lived records in MLB history when he pitched 25 innings for the Philadelphia A’s before giving up his first earned run. The record stood for 101 years before being broken by Oakland A’s reliever Brad Ziegler who extended the record to 39-1⁄3 innings.

Bill Kelly 1912 (photo Bain News Service/Library of Congress)

• 1886 - C Bill Kelly was born in Baltimore. He came to the Pirates from minor league St. Paul in 1911, becoming their third catcher but personal caddy to P Marty O’Toole. He played here through 1913, hitting .293 with 20 RBI’s in 102 games with a reputation as a good hit, bad glove backstop.
• 1896 - Heinie Meine was born in St. Louis. The RHP spent six seasons with Pittsburgh (1929-1934), going 66-50 with a 3.95 ERA. Between 1931-33 he was a workhorse, throwing 663-2/3 frames in 96 games, going 46-30. In 1931, he led the NL in wins (19), innings pitched (284), and was fourth in ERA (2.98). He was an interesting guy, known as "The Count of Luxemburg" because he ran a hometown speakeasy/tavern in the Luxemburg section of St. Louis.
• 1917 - 2B Giovanni “Johnny” Berardino was born in Los Angeles. He got a couple of cups of coffee with the Bucs in 1950 and 1952, but his claim to fame wasn’t at the ballyard but rather in the back lots as he went on to become a soap opera star playing the role of Dr. Steve Hardy of General Hospital.

Uncle Ray Searage (image AT&T Sports Network)

• 1955 - Pirate pitching coach Ray Searage was born in Freeport, NY. The West Liberty State grad coached for the Williamsport Crosscutters in 2003-04, the Hickory Crawdads in 2005, the Altoona Curve in 2006-07 and the Indianapolis Indians in 2008-09. In 2010, he joined the MLB staff during John Russell’s final season, replacing Joe Kerrigan. He was a reliever in his seven year MLB career, spinning the cowhide for four different clubs, and coached for the Marlins & Cards before joining the Pirates.
• 1957 - The Cubs sent 1B Dee Fondy and 2B Gene Baker to the Bucs for 1B Dale Long and OF Lee Walls. Fondy hit .300 and Baker .266 while Walls and Long combined for 45 Chicago HRs in 1957.
• 1964 - Jose Lind was born in Toabaja, Puerto Rico. In six seasons with the Pirates (1987-92), the 2B hit .255 and appeared in three NLCS bouts. Chico was considered a top flight defender and won a Gold Glove in 1992. A coke addiction drove him out of the game and into several clashes with the law, but Chico came clean and now participates in the Bucco fantasy camps.

• 1971 - Manny Sanguillen was featured on the cover of The Sporting News for the story “Pirate Treasure.” It was an “X marks the spot” campaign as The Roadrunner hit .319 and made his first All-Star appearance; he also was a Top Ten MVP finisher.
• 1980 - Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock was fined $5‚000 and suspended 15 games by NL president Chub Feeney for jabbing ump Jerry Crawford in the face with his mitt when he took the field after being called out on strikes with the bases loaded. Madlock appealed‚ but withdrew the protest and accepted his medicine after the NL umpires threatened their own brand of justice by promising to eject him from every game he tried to play while fighting the penalty.

5/1 Games: Duck Ellis, Two Grannies, Stu Bomb, Streakin', Team Effort, Hart Gem, Come-From-Ahead Loss

• 1895 - Bill Hart hurled a one-hitter in a 4-1 victory over Cincinnati at Exposition Park. CF Jake Stenzel and C Joe Sugden each had a pair of knocks to lead the Pirates while SS Monte Cross made several nice running catches of short outfield flares. As The Pittsburg Press noted succinctly of the Reds: “One hit will not win many games.” 

Arky Vaughan (above) & Earl Grace cleaned the sacks - 1988 TSN

• 1933 - The Pirates banged a pair of grand slams to back Bill Swift’s nine-hit, complete game shutout pitching and throttled the Philadelphia Phils 10-0 at the Baker Bowl. Arky Vaughan hit an inside-the-park grannie when his ball caromed wildly off the scoreboard in the third frame and the Bucs iced the game with a five spot in the seventh, primarily fueled by Earl Grace’s grand slam over the right field wall. Vaughan and Grace became the first pair of Pirates to hit grand slams in the same game (Bill Madlock & Richie Hebner matched the feat in 1982).
• 1953 - The Pirates defeated the Reds‚ 8-3‚ at Forbes Field for their third win in a row‚ their longest streak since August, 1951. Bonus baby Paul Pettit was the winner in his first MLB start. It was his only win, as he never recovered from arm injuries suffered the previous year in the minors, and spent most of his remaining career as a minor league outfielder.
• 1959 - Dick Stuart hit one of the longest shots ever launched at Forbes Field, carrying well over the scoreboard and landing in Schenley Plaza when he caught all of a 2-0 curve off Jim Brosnan. Alas, the almost 500’ two-run, two-out drive in the ninth only made it close as the Bucs went down to the Cards 7-6. Big Stu had three hits, including a double, in the loss.

Maz 2013 Leaf Masterwork

• 1960 - The Pirates won their ninth straight game, their longest string since 1945, against the Reds by a 13-2 count at Crosley Field. Roberto Clemente had a grand slam and Maz added a three run shot to back Vern Law’s pitching. The streak would end the next day against the Cards and ex-Bucco Ronnie Kline by a 4-3 score.
• 1966 - The Bucs pounded the Mets 8-0 at Forbes Field. Roberto Clemente led the attack with four hits, but it was a true team effort from the batter’s box. Every starter but the pitcher reached base, seven different Buccos scored, and five drove in runs. Of the Pirates 12 hits, five went for two bases and two more were triples. Big lefty Bob Veale went the distance, tossing a four-hitter and fanning nine.
• 1973 - The Giants scored seven runs with two outs in the ninth to claim an 8-7 win at Candlestick Park. Bob Moose started and got the first two outs in the ninth, but Ramon Hernandez and Dave Giusti gave up three hits and two walks trying to close out the game, the capper being Chris Arnold’s pinch-hit bomb off Hernandez. The Bucs wasted Stargell’s three hits and three RBI.

Dock was feeling a little ornery (photo 5/1/1974 - AP)

• 1974 - Dock Ellis hit the Reds’ Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Dan Driessen in the top of the first inning; Tony Perez ducked several times and drew a walk as Ellis tied a MLB record for consecutive beaned batters before Danny Murtaugh yanked him. Ellis later revealed that he was high on pep pills as the Bucs lost 5-3 to the Reds and was trying to counter what he saw as the Reds intimidation of the Pirates.
• 1994 - The Pirates completed a three game sweep of the Braves as Paul Wagner defeated Atlanta’s Tom Glavine 4-1 for his second career complete game in front of 30,614 fans at Three Rivers Stadium. Wagner allowed just three hits, losing his shutout bid in the ninth inning on a home run by David Justice.