5/3 TRS-PNC Park Era: Gunner Returns; Turner's Tumble; Quick Draw Duel; Whiff World; Game Stories

• 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 wasted no time - 1991 Classic Game

• 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. 
• 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. 

Erik Bedard 2012 Topps Update

• 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. 
• 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: Gionfriddo Deal; Bungee Dykes; Open Door Policy; Game Stories; HBD Bing, Elmer, Chris & Ivan

• 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, though it was never made up as both clubs were middle-of-the pack and the game had no influence on the standings. 

Hans & Der Binger 1948 (photo Associated Press)

• 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 Pittsburgh 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. 
• 1923 - Scout Elmer Gray was born in Dormont. He attended South Hills HS and after an Army stint played five years of minor league ball. Gray then went into scouting, first with the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles and then with the Cincinnati Reds (1967-1984). He signed Ken Griffey Sr., giving Griffey's brother $25 for equipment; Griffey would later say he signed for $15, as his brother made off with a tenner. Elmer then joined the Pirates as scouting director, a role he held from 1984-1989 when he became director of operations. He remained with the Pirates in different roles through 2012. As scouting director for Pittsburgh, he helped draft Barry Bonds, Tim Wakefield, Jeff King, Moises Alou, Orlando Merced and Stan Belinda per BR Bullpen. 

Big Poison 1927 Spaulding Die Cut

• 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. 
• 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. 
• 1938 - C Chris Cannizzaro was born in Oakland, California. The good glove reserve backstop played 13 years in the majors, including a 1968 stop in Pittsburgh after a trade with Detroit. He started 18 games here and hit .241 before he was sent to SD in the off season with Tommie Sisk for Ron Davis and Bobby Klaus. In 1975,he served as player-coach for the Hawaii Islanders and a year later hung up his mitt as he was hired as the bullpen coach by the Braves, lasting until October, 1978. Cannizzaro then signed with the California Angels as a coach and for three seasons, he managed in the California League, retiring to his San Diego home in 1981. From there, he was active in charity events and helped coach at the high school/college level. 
• 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. 

Al Gionfriddo (photo via Main Line Autographs)

• 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. 
• 1959 - The Pirates split a twinbill with the Cardinals at Forbes Field in front of 20,860 fans. The Bucs won the opener 4-3 in 10 innings behind ElRoy Face and a little help from Redbird outfielder Gino Cimoli, who let Bill Mazeroski’s soft liner drop with the bases loaded and two outs, when, as Pittsburgh Press beat man Les Biederman wrote, he “did everything but catch it.” The nightcap featured an unassisted DP by catcher Hank Foiles - he caught a strikeout and tried to throw out a Cardinal runner on the move, but batter Bill White double swung the bat and hit the ball he missed the first time, earning an interference call as well. The real action began when player/manager Solly Hemus, who had been nicked by Pittsburgh pitcher Bennie Daniels in the first and exchanged some words, was brushed back in the sixth. He and Daniels charged each other and several tussles broke out - Danny Murtaugh v Hemus and SL pitcher Larry Jackson v Buc coach Len Levy were the main bouts during the shoving match royale - in a rain-shortened game that the Cards eventually took 3-1. 

Bennie Daniels buzzballs began a brawl - 1959 Topps Rookie Stars

• 1959 - Pirates coach Jimmy Dykes, who joined Danny Murtaugh’s staff at the start of the season, had a short stay; he was hired away to become the manager of the Detroit Tigers. Jimmy had been a skipper before and would be a skipper again after Motown - in 21 seasons, he guided his six MLB teams to 1,406 victories, although like Gene Mauch, he never did win a flag. 
• 1968 - 1B Ivan Cruz was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. He spent bits of four seasons in the show, getting 21 at-bats with the Bucs between 1999-2000 with a .238 BA while spending most of his time at AAA Nashville. He was busy after his Bucco days, playing a bit for the Cards, in Mexico and in Japan until he retired at 35 after the 2003 season.

Nats Steamroller Bucs Again By 9-3 Count

With one gone, Gregory singled on a ball deflected by Stephen Strasburg and Starling followed with another knock. The Pirates got a break when J-Bell's force out was overturned on a challenge, as Trea Turner came off the bag, to load the bases. Corey D hit into a force to plate a run (the Bucs challenged that call, too, but went to the well once too often) and took a 1-0 lead. Didn't last long; Bryce Harper and Matt Adams went long against Ivan Nova. Harper's was a no-doubter off a middle-middle change and Adam's a WD-40 squeaker over the rail job, picking up right where they left off last night. The Pirates went 1-2-3 in the second and ditto for Washington. With an out in the third, Gregory doubled and Starling's knock put Bucs on the corners - until Marte tried to steal and was rung up. He may have been safe, but Clint has burned his challenges. J-Bell walked, climbing out of an 0-2 hole, and Corey D's two-out knock tied it. Again, not for long. Harper doubled, a bunt single (J-Bell hesitated and lost both runners) moved him up and Adams singled him home.

Corey D keeps on keepin' on (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Freeser opened the fourth with a knock and never left first. A single, bunt, single left Nats at first and third. Harper hit a grounder to second; he beat Jordy's relay (Bryce flew up the line) and it was 4-2. Then he stole second but no more leakage came of it as Harper was picked off heading to third on a grounder in the hole. No noise in the fifth for Pittsburgh; the Nats used a walk and two singles to juice the bases with no outs. That was followed by a hot grounder off Mad Max's mitt, turning two outs into two runs. An intentional walk loaded 'em up again. A grounder (another ball that could have been a DP; Max isn't helping himself tonight) brought home another run and Harper's two-out single yet another; why Nova is still in the game and why they didn't walk Harper are Clint mysteries. That finally brought in Kyle Crick with the score 8-2 to close the door. Fran smacked a solo shot in the sixth. A double and two-out, two-strike knock added to the Nat account.

It was three up and down for the Pirates in the seventh. Steven Brault got the call from the pen and gave up a two-bagger but no runs, yay! Trevor Gott came in for the eighth. Pittsburgh got a walk and knock, but a DP in the middle short-circuited the frame. Steven looked good; throwing strikes and hitting 94. His only blemish was walking Adams, probably a good tactical decision. Carlos Torres came on to turn out the lights.

Steven let the inner animal out tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

When the pitching - and fielding - take off the series, there's not much the guys can do. Second base has been a black hole w/o J-Hay; Clint finally gave Mad Max a chance he didn't grab. We could live with S-Rod there if the ol' skipper is willing to play with the lineup to accommodate him; there's been a lot of twin killings going by the boards with Fraze and Max there. And we were encouraged by Brault; maybe a bullpen mentality is unleashing a little aggression in his approach. Willy will try to salvage a game against Jeremy Hellickson tomorrow afternoon.

Notes:

• Starling had two hits and a walk; Gregory and Corey D had two knocks each. 
• Cervy's homer was his fifth. He had five in 2017 in 81 games; it took 25 this campaign to match.
• Pittsburgh has lost seven straight on the road. They're also 13-25 all-time at Nationals Park.
• The walk to Matt Adams was Nova's first in five games, a streak of 130 batters.
• Sheryl Ring of Fangraphs writes that there are a lot of moving pieces involved with the return of Jung Ho Kang and many don't mesh very well.

DC-Pittsburgh Round Three, Nova v Strasburg & Notes

Today: The game starts at 7:05 and will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Lineup: Max Moroff 2B, Gregory Polanco RF, Starling Marte CF, J-Bell 1B, Corey Dickerson LF, Fran Cervelli C, David Freese 3B, Jordy SS & Ivan Nova P. Fraze and Colin take seats; Mad Max and Freeser join the lineup. Odd that Clint brings in a pair of right-siders; RHH are batting .188 v Strasburg and Freeser is 0-for-8 (w/three walks) v him. Odder still that Max is batting leadoff, although he did have a .359 OBP in the minors (.300 MLB).

The Bucs need a super effort from Super Nova (image Positively Pittsburgh)

Pitchers: RHP Ivan Nova (2-1, 3.32) duels RHP Stephen Strasburg (2-3, 3.63). Noiva has been on a roll, pitching solidly in his last four outings and working an eight-inning shutout in his last start against the Tigers. He's only faced the Nats three times; last year's appearance only lasted two innings after he was hit in the hand while batting. Overall, he's 1-1/3.29 against the DC nine. Strasburg was beat up a bit in his last outing against the D-backs and made a couple of post-game comments regarding his club's effort (or lack thereof), so we'll see if that has any effect, one way or another, tonight. He's owned the Bucs, going 5-2/2.38 in eight career starts with 71 K in 56-2/3 IP and a 0.794 WHIP.

Notes:

• Jordy has an eight-game hitting streak going on.
• Corey D has homered in back-to-back games and three times in his last six contests.
• Under the radar but Richard Rodríguez has 15 punchouts over 9-1/3 IP.
• Joe Musgrove's next step is a four-inning/65 pitches outing Sunday with Altoona.
• Per Elias Sports Bureau, major-league batters have driven in only 52% of runners from 3rd base with less than 2 outs this season. The last time the percentage was that low over an entire season was 45 years ago (52% in 1973).

5/2 From the 50s Forward: Walls 5-for-5; Zach Zippo; Glasnow Turnaround; AJ Ouchie; Hans Statue; Game Stories; HBD Neftali & Jose,

• 1953 - OF Carlos Bernier hit three 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 great but misleading start to his only MLB season; he finished the year hitting .213. 

Frank Thomas 1954 Bowman

• 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. 
• 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. Roberto Clemente had two hits and Frank Thomas homered in the loss. 
• 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. 

Bob Walk 1987 Donruss

• 1987 - Bob Walk tossed six innings of three-hit ball as the Pirates squeaked by the Giants 1-0 at TRS. Logan Easley, John Smiley (W) and Don Robinson (S) carried Walkie’s torch to finish up the shutout. Sid Bream scored the winner in the eighth when his two-out grounder was booted, followed by back-to-back knocks from Jim Morrison and RJ Reynolds. 
• 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 Topps/Allen & Ginter

• 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. 
• 2016 - In one of the great Jekyll-and-Hyde outings, Tyler Glasnow tossed 36 pitches in the first inning, giving up three walks, two hits (one a moon shot by Joey Votto), two stolen bases, and three runs, then flipped the switch, tossing five shutout frames while surrendering two hits, a walk, and whiffing five on 69 pitches to earn his first MLB win, 12-3, over the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Josh Harrison, a Cincy native, hit his third homer in two nights at GABP, a three-run dinger that capped a six-run fourth inning and gave Pittsburgh a 7-3 lead. The Pirates added five more runs in the seventh as they banged out 10 hits and drew eight walks.

5/2 Through the 40s: Alleghenys Headlines; The Prez; Hans Runs Wild; Lumber & Arms; HBD Hawk, George, Freddy & Zip

• 1877 - The Alleghenys beat the Boston Red Caps, the eventual International Association champs (the IA was perhaps the first minor league ever formed), 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. These Alleghenys, who began as a local independent nine, folded after the 1878 campaign, and were unrelated to the 1882 club that eventually became the Pirates. 
• 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, led by Charlie Morton and Jim Keenan combining 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. Many consider this game the first in Pirates’ franchise history, although not the team itself, which officially dates its beginnings to its 1887 entry into the NL.

Fred Carroll 1887 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. 
• 1892 - of John “Zip” Collins was born in Brooklyn. Collins spent five years in the show, with his first two campaigns in Pittsburgh, where he hit .276 in 150 games from 1914-15 before being sold to the Boston Braves. He played pro ball until 1925 and then managed in the minors until taking a variety of day jobs. Zip got his nickname not from his wheels but because of his strong arm. 
• 1902 - RHP Freddy Sale was born in Chester, South Carolina. His MLB career consisted of an inning’s work in 1924 for the Pirates, giving up two hits but putting a zero on the scoreboard. He was a star at South Carolina, but got on with his life’s work quickly, leaving the game after spending 1925 with Wilson in the Class B Virginia League at age 23. 
• 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. 

Hans couldn't steal first, but the rest... (photo via Baseball Hall of Fame)

• 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 Pittsburgh 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. 

Lee Meadows 1924 (photo Charles Conlon)

• 1941 - RHP Clay “Hawk” Carroll was born in Clanton, Alabama. He ended his 15-year MLB career with two 1978 Pirates outings, giving up a run in four innings at age 37 after spending most of the season at AAA Columbus. He was released after the year and retired in 1979. His heyday was with the Reds, where he was named Fireman of the Year in 1972 with a couple of All-Star appearances. His nickname was a nod to his competitive nature on the field. 
• 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.

Bucs Blasted 12-4

It was a quiet first; Max Scherzer had a 1-2-3 start and Chad Kuhl stranded a walk. The Buccos left Cervy at second after a two-out double in the second while DC went down in order. It was a quiet third for Pittsburgh while Washington got on the board via a solo homer by Wilmer Difo, who bopped a 3-2 sinker over the RC fence. A two-out boot was rectified by Cervy with a CS. The Pirates got their second hit in the fourth, a two-out single by J-Bell, but Scherzer got Corey D to ground out after a nine-pitch battle. Matt Adams hit a big fly to lead off, launching a 1-0 slider deep to right. The Pirates drew a walk in between three whiffs in the fifth. With one away, Red Beard booted his second ball of the game, a grounder by Scherzer, followed by an eight-pitch walk. So put on two runners w/o a hit ahead of Bryce Harper and what happens? Yah, the Nat's third homer, and now at 5-0 it's about mail-in time. To rub it in, Adams drilled another bomb with two outs to bring on Tyler Glasnow to get the third out.

Chad had the long ball blues tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

The pain continued. In the sixth, the Pirates went down without a peep. For DC, a single and stolen base came in when Scherzer singled with two outs. That was followed by two walks and a bases-clearing double by Trea Turner, who scored on Adam's knock, also KO'ing Tyler. Richard Rodriguez came on, threw a wild pitch and gave up another single to make it 12-0. J-Bell opened the seventh with a walk and jogged home ahead of Corey D's dinger, another two-strike, choked up bomb. Wander Suero took the ball and was nicked for back-to-back knocks by Red Beard and Jordy to put Bucs on the corners with an out but SOP, they left them there. The Nats had a quiet frame. In the eighth against Sammy Solis, Pittsburgh got a two-out double by J-Bell (hopefully he's snapping out of it), who was left standing. Washington wasted a leadoff single. Carlos Torres toed the rubber in the ninth; he surrendered a double to Colin and a bomb to Mad Max but had plenty of cushion to close out the night.

Max joined Corey D in home run derby night (photo Joe Guzy/Pirates)

Three of the National's four homers v Chad were off sinkers; there's been a clamor among the pundit class to expand Kuhl's toolkit and work in the slider more; this seems like a good time to revisit that thought. And in this series, the bottom of the order has hurt the Pirates; we suspect that's a matter pf poor focus. It's hard enough to deal with Harper, Turner and Adams w/o the rest of the gang chirping. As for Scherzer, nothing fancy - the Buc bats are struggling and he challenged them by filling up the dish, working up-and-down, without much fear of reprisal. And it's off the face Stephen Strasburg tomorrow...

Notes:

• J-Bell and Colin Moran each had two hits and a walk; no other Bucco reached base more than once.
• Amore has caught 6-of-14 attempted base stealers this year. That's a 43% throw-out rate compared to just 20% last year (and 19% in 2016). He caught Trea Turner, who had swiped 12-in-a-row this season.
• Joe Musgrove worked three innings for Bradenton in his first rehab start. He gave up two runs on five hits, walked none and struck out two after tossing 36 pitches.
• Jung Ho Kang reported to Pirate City. The first order of business is to get him up to speed physically, so it looks like a lot of jogging, tossing and BP are in his immediate future.

Bucs-Nats, Cool Chad v Max Scherzer & Notes

Today: The game's first pitch will be at 7:05. The game will be carried by AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan. It's a big night for DC-Steel City rivalries as the Pens take on the Caps in Pittsburgh in a Stanley Cup brawl.

Lineup: Adam Frazier 2B, Gregory Polanco RF, Starling Marte CF, J-Bell 1B, Corey Dickerson LF, Fran Cervelli C, Colim Moran 3B, Jordy SS & Cool Chad P. Same ol'.

Chad on the bump tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Pitchers: RHP Chad Kuhl (3-1, 4.55) will have his work cut out today against RHP Max Scherzer (5-1, 1.62). Chad is coming along; he's won back-to-back games and looks closer to figuring it out every start. He's faced Washington twice, both times in 2016, tossing a gem in one start and getting roughed up in the other, so not much to be garnered from history. Max is a three-time (and defending) Cy Young winner, five-time All-Star, has averaged better than a K per inning over his 10-year career and is basically the poster child for aces. He's 4-2/2.74 in 10 starts v the Buccos with 88 K in 65-2/3 IP and a 0.989 WHIP.

Notes:

• In an effort to wake up their attack, the Nats are batting Bryce Harper leadoff tonight.
• Pittsburgh’s outfielders have recorded a league-leading nine assists. Starling Marte and Corey Dickerson are tied for the MLB lead with four assists apiece.
• AJ Schugel made back-to-back appearances at Indy, so his rehab stint should be in its final stages. 
• Jose Osuna was named the International League's Player of the Month for April.
• Congrats to writer John Perrotto who was inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame. Also entering the HoF was 18-year MLB vet, slugger Jack Clark, who was born in New Brighton.

5/1 Games: Dock Bop; Double Grannys; 9-in-a-Row; 1-Hitter; Clutch Scoops & More Game Stories

• 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.” 
• 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, then 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). 

Paul Pettit 1953 Fritsch One-Year Wonders

• 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. Pete Castiglione had a big day in support of Pettit with three hits, including two homers. 
• 1959 - Dick Stuart hit one of the longest shots ever launched at Forbes Field, carrying well over the scoreboard and landing in the Schenley Plaza parking lot when he caught all of an 0-2 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. 
• 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. 

Big Day for Roberto 1963 Fleer

• 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. 
• 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. 
• 1977 - Al Oliver was awfully clutch on this day - he knotted the game in the ninth and then walked it off in the 10th against the Houston Astros. Down 3-2 at TRS in front of 25,371 fans, Scoops homered to lead off the final frame and send the game into extras, then singled home Omar Moreno with the game-winner in the following frame. That feat would go unmatched for 40 years until John Jaso pulled it off against the Mets in 2017. Goose Gossage gets a big high five too, tossing three scoreless innings of one-hit ball in relief of the Candy Man, John Candelaria, along with Pops Stargell who bombed a pair of solo homers to keep the Bucs afloat. 

Al Oliver 1977 Topps

• 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. The Bucs scored all four runs in the sixth inning, with Wagner helping himself with a two-out,two-run double.

5/1 Birthdays & Happenings: Fondy/Baker Deal; Manny on TSN; Mad Dog Rabid; HBD Uncle Ray, Jose, Johnny, Heinie, the Bills, George & Tom

• 1859 - IF Tom Forster was born in New York. He played four big league seasons with a stop in Pittsburgh and the Alleghenys in 1884, where he hit .222. Tom had a 10-year pro career, playing his last campaign in 1891 for Hartford of the Atlantic Association at age 31, finishing out his days working for ConEd in NYC. 
• 1860 - SS Bill White was born in Bridgeport, Ohio. He played five years in the big leagues, spending 1884 with the Alleghenys as a bench infielder and hitting .227. He played until 1889 with a rep as a good gloveman, and after his active days ended managed the Wheeling minor league clubs on three different occasions. 
• 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. 

George McQuillan 1916 Tango Eggs

• 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 served as the personal caddy for 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 Luxembourg 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 (.187 BA in 59 games), but his claim to fame wasn’t at the ballyard but rather in the back lots as he went on to become a TV soap opera star playing the role of Dr. Steve Hardy of General Hospital. 

HBD Uncle Ray (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

• 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 even 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” prediction 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.