Thursday: Off Day Notes

The Bucs are settled in San Diego for a day of rest before kicking off some left coast hardball. It's quiet today, but here are a couple of bits to sate your Bucco jones:

• The Pirates road trip continues tomorrow with a weekend set against the Padres, followed with a three-game set against the LA Dodgers starting on Monday. The Bucs are 1-3 v San Diego ans 1-2 v LA this year, with both series at PNC Park.
• Still no news on Chad Kuhl's forearm soreness; not sure if that's good or bad. The Bucs have a growing list of guys on the DL - Fran Cervelli, S-Rod, Michael Feliz and Enny Romero are short-term while AJ Schugel, Nick Burdi and Nik Turley are on the 60-day. Jung-Ho Kang and Chris Bostick, both with a more-or-less realistic shot at the big club, are on the minor league DL.

It's been a bumpy road for JHK... (photo source: MLB.com)

• Joshua Carney of The Sports Daily/Pirates Breakdown wonders if it's time to go to a full youth movement.
• Jerry DiPaola of the Trib looks at the Bucco spending - or lack thereof - and points out that's mainly due to young pitchers, among other things. He adds that the Pirates have a couple of issues beyond the pocketbook.
• Prospects SS Oneil Cruz (West Virginia) and 1B Mason Martin (Bristol) made this week's Baseball America Hot Sheet.
• Mark Sheldon of MLB.com picks the international player prospects to watch in the NL Central. For Pittsburgh, he likes CF Lolo Sanchez.
• For our history buffs, lots of stuff OTD: Hans 3,000th hit (1914), Pops 300th HR (1973), Bill Madlock trade (1979), 13-game skid (2006), Cole Train goes 4-for-4 to start his career (2013) and a boatload of more mundane happenings. Scroll down for the stories.

6/28 Happenings: Mad Dog Deal; Ump Save; HBD Mike, Kevin, Orlando, Michael & Frank

• 1865 - IF Frank Scheibeck was born in Detroit. He spent parts of eight seasons in the show and sported the Bucco colors for 23 games in 1894, batting .353. Frank played pro ball through 1906 and after his playing days, he went on to umpire. He later held hometown day jobs as a real estate salesman and as an auto plant assembler. 
• 1880 - P Mike Lynch was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The righty pitched four seasons (1904-07) for the Pirates, picking up 32 wins and working over 400 innings in his first two years. He was still effective in his final two years with the team, but the Bucs had juiced up their staff and he became the odd man out, going to the Giants during the second half of ‘07 and then retiring to go into business. His career Pittsburgh line was 40-26/3.01. 

Orlando McFarlane 1962 Topps Rookie

• 1938 - C Orlando McFarlane was born in Oriente, Cuba. Signed by the Bucs as an infielder in 1958, he was converted to catcher and got a cup of coffee with the Pirates in 1962, playing a bit more in 1964 and hitting .208 in his 45-game Bucco career. He was lost in the Rule 5 draft and played three more years with Detroit and the California Angels, but he battled nagging injuries while his impressive minor league bat never carried over to the show. Orlando played 10 years in the bushes with more stops in the Cuban, Mexican, Dominican and Puerto Rican leagues. 
• 1970 - SS Kevin Polcovich was born in Auburn, New York. He spent his MLB career of two years (1997-98) with the Pirates, hitting .234. The University of Florida player was drafted in the 30th round by the Bucs in 1992, getting his call when Kevin Elster was injured, and would become a key member of the 1997 “Freak Show” that against all odds stayed in the divisional race until late September despite a $9M payroll. After he left the game, Kevin did some scouting and established the Icrush Bat Company, a manufacturer of maple bats. 
• 1979 - The Pirates traded pitchers Ed Whitson‚ Al Holland‚ and Fred Breining to the Giants for P Dave Roberts and infielders Bill Madlock and Lenny Randle. Mad Dog solidified the Bucco infield at third and spent six seasons with Pittsburgh, winning batting titles in 1981 (.341) and 1983 (.323). Roberts was workmanlike for the Bucs in ‘79-80, though at 35 he was near the end of his journey; 1981 was his last season. Randle wasn’t here long enough to find his way to the North Shore before he was sold to the Yankees. Whitson pitched through 1991, winning 126 games and saving eight more while Holland worked out of various bullpens for 11 more seasons. Breining had a shorter career, lasting five years as a multi-role hurler. 

Bill Madlock 1980 Topps

• 1993 - RHP Michael Feliz was born in Azua, Dominican Republic. Houston signed him in 2010 and he debuted in 2015. He averaged better than 13 K/nine innings with the ‘Stros from 2016-17 and was part of the Gerrit Cole package sent to the Pirates. He started as the seventh inning guy and was bumped up a notch when George Kontos was released, but hit on hard times and was removed from that role while he worked his way back. 
• 2017 - Walking on the Roberto Clemente Bridge after lunch on his way to work the Pirates-Rays game at PNC Park, umpire John Tumpane saw a woman scaling the span’s railing; she told him she wanted a better view of the river. Sensing that she was suicidal and ready to plunge into the Allegheny River below, Tumpane grabbed one arm, passer-by Chris Dazen grabbed the other and a Tampa Bay staffer heading to the yard, Mike Weinman, joined in to keep her hogtied until emergency workers came to the rescue. John modestly said "I just happened to be there."

6/28 Games: Hans 3,000; Forbes Field Finale; 300 For Willie; Four For Cole; Unlucky 13 & More

• 1914 - Honus Wagner became the first 20th century ballplayer to collect 3,000 hits when he singled off of Cincinnati's rookie Pete Schneider in the second game of a twinbill at Redland Field. While a good day for Hans, it wasn’t such a good one for the Pirates. They lost both ends of the doubleheader to the Reds by 7-6 and 1-0 scores. The first loss was especially gruesome as the Bucs blew a 6-2 lead in the ninth triggered by a missed call. Up by a run with two outs and two aboard, a 3-2 foul tip was gloved by catcher Bob Coleman. The Reds on base started to run to the dugout, but the batter, Bert Niehoff, jogged innocently to first and the ump bought his act, calling it a check swing and ball four. A protest, made en masse by the Pirate infield and battery, was to no avail and a following single gave Cincy the game. The second was a pitching duel with Schneider’s three-hitter bettering the four-hit work of Marty O’Toole and Erv Kantlehner. In the long run, it made little difference as the Pirates finished seventh and the Reds last in the NL that season. (There have been a slew of June dates tossed around for Hans’ 3,000th hit. June 9th was the consensus, but Bucco historian John Dreker of Pirates Prospects says that this date is the newly accepted one following research of old-timey box scores, which are generally kinda sketchy.) 

Honus Wagner 2016 Topps Update

• 1916 - Cubs catcher Bill Fischer set an MLB record by catching all 27 innings of a doubleheader loss to the Bucs at brand new Wrigley Field. Pittsburgh won both games 3-2 with the second game going 18 innings. The winning pitchers were Mike Prendergast and Tom Seaton with Prendergast pulling double duty, coming on to get the save in the nitecap. Impressed with Fischer's stamina‚ the Pirates traded for him at the end of July, and he played his last two seasons in the show for Pittsburgh. 
• 1970 - The Pirates swept a twinbill from the Chicago Cubs, 3-2 and 4-1, in the last games played at 61-year-old Forbes Field in front of 40,918, the second largest crowd to gather at the ballyard. Al Oliver hit the last home run in FF history. Jim Nelson got the final W iced by a Dave Giusti save. It was a fitting finale; the Cubs were the first team the Pirates played at Forbes Field in 1909. Bill Mazeroski had the last Pirate hit there, a seventh inning double, and recorded the last put-out on a force play at second. It was the Pirates seventh straight victory and the Cubs 10th straight loss. The Bucs went on the road afterwards and opened TRS on July 16th, after the All-Star streak.
• 1973 - Willie Stargell hit his 300th career home run as the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6–0 at TRS. Al Oliver had a huge day, going 4-for-5 with a triple, two doubles and three RBI while Rennie Stennett added three hits to back Dock Ellis’ five hitter. 
• 2006 - The Bucs set a team record with their 13th straight defeat, eclipsing the old mark set by the 1939 club when the White Sox edged them 4-3 at PNC Park with Paul Maholm taking the loss. They walked off the next game by a 7-6 score on a Freddy Sanchez homer, but still lost 7-of-11 on their way to a 67-95 campaign. 

Alex Presley 2011 Bowman Chrome

• 2011 - Alex Presley was called up to replace an injured Jose Tabata and banged out a pair of hits, including his first MLB homer, while driving in three runs to lead the Bucs to a 7-6 win over Toronto at the Rogers Centre. An unlikely pair of batting heroes, Matt Diaz and Ronny Cedeno, combined for five hits, three runs and an RBI to help the cause against the Jays. Chris Resop, Jose Veras and Joel Hanrahan pitched three scoreless frames to preserve the win for Kevin Correia. 
• 2013 - Gerrit Cole, the first overall pick of the 2011 draft, became the first Pirate rookie since Nick Maddox in 1907 to win the first four games he started when the Bucs shellacked the Brewers 10-3 at PNC Park in front of 36,875. Cole went six frames for the win, with Ryan Reid tossing three scoreless, two-hit innings to cruise home. They were supported by Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte, who each had three hits. Cutch had a double, homer, three RBI and a run while Starling added a double, triple, two runs and two RBI.

That's Why You Play All Nine Innings: Bucco Rally Earns A 5-3 Win

Austin Meadow opened with a knock off Zack Wheeler (literally; it deflected off his glove). Two outs later, Colin Moran bled another infield knock but Eli couldn't cash them in, bouncing out to short. Ivan Nova was touched for a two-out two-bagger but no problems developed. The Buccos whiffed twice in the second; the Metros went quietly also. No noise in the third for the Pirates. Ivan plunked the eight hitter, who was bunted up. He was a pitch away from escaping, but Joey Bats drilled a two-out, two-strike four-seamer into right for a double, followed by an Asdrubal Cabrera two-strike bouncer into left to make it 2-0, both off fastballs away that the Mets punched where pitched. Wheeler made it 10 in a row in the fourth and Ivan cruised too. Corey D opened the fifth with a rap and Gregory walked. A soft roller by Jordy moved them up. Nova went down on three pitches and it took five more to sit AM down.

Colin Moran had a pair of raps (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Again the eight-hole guy proved a pest when Amed Rosario opened with a double and was sacrificed to third. Ivan kept him there with a whiff and then got Bautista to find a glove to strand Rosario. Red Beard singled with two away in the sixth; Eli whiffed. Wilmer Flores smacked a heater tossed down Broadway over the fence to make it 3-0. Gregory singled with an out in the seventh; Jordy hit into an around-the-horn DP. Tyler Glasnow tossed a quiet frame as his one walk was erased trying to steal. Robert Gsellman took the torch from Wheeler in the eighth and Starling said hi with a pinch hit double, then stole third. AM's sac fly got the Bucs on the board. J-Bell singled and Tim Peterson was waved in, closing it down without breaking a sweat. Felipe Vazquez toed the slab (they didn't use him in yesterday's extra-inning game; go figure). He put up a zippo, yielding a hit.

Jeurys Familia came on in the ninth and gave up an 0-2 roller up the middle to Eli, who scampered to third on Corey D's 0-2 rap to right. Gregory followed with a two-strike grounder into right (he had a huge hole as the Mets were playing for the DP in an anti-shift of sorts), plating Diaz and sending Dickerson to third. Jordy drew a four-pitch walk to jam the sacks. Anthony Swarzak answered the phone and David Freese grabbed a stick. Freeser dropped the horsehide softly into right on the first pitch to plate a pair and chase Jordy to third. AM K'ed on three pitches, a big out for the Mets, but J-Bell brought the insurance tally home with a sac fly. J-Hay added a knock, and Clint opted to let Felipe bat, his first plate appearance as a Bucco, and he went down on three pitches. He was in the odd position of saving his own win, and though Felipe fell behind every batter, he worked a 1-2-3 frame. RTJR!

Felipe got the six-out win (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Notes:

• Red Beard, Corey D and El Coffee each had a pair of knocks
• In the last nine games, the Pirates have scored two or fewer runs five times; they've pushed across more than three runs twice. They won those two games, plus a 1-0 squeaker, over that span.
• God helps those and vice versa: Ivan Nova has gone 0-for-29 at the plate this season and is hitless in his last 56 at bats.
• The Pirates are off tomorrow; they play next in San Diego over the weekend.
• RHP Mitch Keller (9-2, 2.72 at Altoona) has been promoted to Indy, so now he's just a step away. Other Indians' news: Jung-Ho Kang (wrist) and Chris Bostick (appendicitis) have been placed on the minor league seven-day DL.
• Altoona OF Jason Martin was promoted to Indy; he's hitting .325 for the Curve.

Pirates-Mets Close It Out With A Rubber Match, Nova v Wheeler & Notes: S-Rod on DL; RHP Tanner Anderson Called Up

Today: The game has a 7:10 opening pitch and will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan, with the winner taking the series.

Pitchers: RHP Ivan Nova (4-5, 3.98) closes the set against RHP Zack Wheeler (2-6, 4.85). Ivan's been pretty dang good since he's come off the DL (2-0/0.92); hopefully it's the start of a strong run. He hasn't faced the Mets since his Yankee days; his last outing against them was in 2013. Wheeler has struck out 67 batters over his last 64-2/3 innings, but his performance has been all over the board, displaying the good, bad and ugly. Zach's not a long-distance guy; he's gotten past the sixth twice in 14 outings. He's twirled against the Pirates just once in his career, allowing three runs in six innings in May of 2017.

Ivan looking for another sharp start (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Austin Meadows CF, J-Bell 1B, Josh Harrison 2B, Colin Moran 3B, Elias Diaz C, Corey Dickerson LF, Gregory Polanco RF, Jordy SS & Nova P. Starling's turn to chill; he's hit .184 in the past month, covering 23 games.

Notes:

• The Pirates called up RHP Tanner Anderson from Indy and put S-Rod on the 10-day DL (retroactive to Monday) with a right quad strain. Guess that explains why he wasn't in the lineup yesterday, and makes us wonder if J-Hay is the new backup SS w/Freeser at 2B. Anderson, 25, was 1-1-1/2.34 for the Tribe as a multi-inning reliever; he's a converted starter. Tanner was a 2015-20th round draft pick from Harvard and features a big leg kick, ala Bronson Arroyo. To make room on the 40-man roster, AJ Schugel was placed on the 60-day DL.

Surprise call-up Tanner Anderson 2016 GoSports

• No news on Chad Kuhl's "discomfort" yet. Good news on Cervy; he's out of shut-down mode and can begin working out now.
• The true test for Elias Diaz is about to begin; last year, he hit .266 (he's at .297 now) in the first half of the season, but only .193 in the second half. It would sure help ease the concern over Amore's health if Eli proves consistent this year.
• Jung-Ho Kang is still being bothered by his left wrist; he's being sat down with no baseball activities for a spell.
• Indy's Kevin Newman, Chris Bostick and Dovy Neverauskas were named to the International League All-Star Game.

6/27 Birthdays: HBD Wendell, Daryle, AJ, Hank, Jackie, Minute Man, Roy, Elmo & Lee

• 1861 - C Jackie Hayes was born in Brooklyn. Hayes played in three leagues - the National League, the American Association and the Players League - and spent two of his seven big league campaigns with the Alleghenys from 1883-84. Primarily a catcher, Jackie also played three infield positions and the corner outfield for Pittsburgh, batting .253. He fit right in with the rowdy bunch on the team at that time, gaining some notoriety for a late-evening brawl in a Cincinnati saloon. Hayes’ story had a sad ending as he died at the age of 43, deaf and suffering from locomotor ataxia, a condition that prevented him from walking unaided. 

Wendell Smith (photo source: Baseball Hall of Fame Library)

• 1914 - Sportswriter Wendell Smith was born in Detroit, Michigan. After his graduation from West Virginia State in 1937, where he pitched and played basketball, Smith began his career with the Pittsburgh Courier, then perhaps the most influential black paper in the country. He covered the Homestead Grays, Pittsburgh Crawfords, and Pittsburgh Pirates until 1947, when he went to the Chicago Herald-American and later, the Sun-Times. He also became a WGN-TV sports anchor. He passed away of cancer in 1972, and was recognized posthumously for his baseball contributions. In 1993, he received the JG Taylor Spink Award for excellence in journalism, was inducted into The Baseball Hall of Fame a year later and in 2014, was the winner of the Associated Press’ Red Smith Award. Locally, he tried relentlessly to get MLB tryouts for black ballplayers with no success, although he is often credited with getting Jackie Robinson on Branch Rickey’s radar. 
• 1916 - P Cecil “Minute Man” Kaiser was born in New York. Per BR Bullpen, Kaiser got his start on the sandlots of West Virginia and debuted in 1945 with the Homestead Grays before heading south to play. Lured by a $700 per month paycheck, he returned to the Grays in 1947 and worked through the 1949 season for the club. He spent the majority of his time in the Latino leagues, getting a shot in the minors when he was 35; unfortunately, his arm was gone by then. He was a small guy in stature at 5’6” but with great control and a killer curve. He got his “Minute Man” moniker because it was said that’s how long it took for him to strikeout a batter. 
• 1921 - RHP Hank Behrman was born in Brooklyn. The righty tossed for four seasons and split 1947 between his hometown Dodgers and the Pirates. The Bucs got him as part of the Al Gionfriddo deal, and worked him for 10 outings (0-2/9.12) before selling him back to Brooklyn. He did have one strong year for da Bums in 1946 featuring a strong heater/curve combo, but as Rob Edelman of SABR wrote “His career was all promise and little delivery.” His last MLB campaign was in 1949 and his last pro game in 1953 when his arm went bad. He retired and became a teamster. 
• 1926 - C Roy Jarvis was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma. A 17-year-old bonus baby when he played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jarvis then served in the Navy during WW2 and then returned to baseball with the Pirates which had claimed his rights in the 1944 Rule 5 draft. (Roy was the last Pirate to lose a full season to WW2 military duty. Pittsburgh sent 28 MLB players and 15 minor-leaguers to the service in WW2 per “Baseball in Wartime.”) He got a couple of cups of coffee with the Buccos in 1946-47, hitting .163 in 20 games and spent the rest of his career in the minors, retiring to become a salesman after the 1955 campaign. 

Elmo Paskett 1963 Topps

• 1938 - C Elmo Plaskett was born in Frederiksted, Virgin Islands. Elmo got in 17 games for the Bucs between 1962-63, hitting .200. He was a great hitter in the minors, winning a batting title and being named “Player of the Year” with Asheville of the Sally League but it didn’t carry over to the show. He played other positions beside catcher, but wasn’t much with the mitt and when he broke his leg in a winter league game in 1964, it spelled the end of his MLB days in the pre-DH era. He played in the minors through 1969, then retired to operate beisbol programs as a rec specialist for St. Croix, developing Midre Cummings for the Pirates. Plaskett, who died in 1998 at the age of 60, had a sunny, Manny Sanguillen-type personality, was dedicated to baseball throughout his life, and is still a hero in the Virgin Islands. The city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, inducted Elmo into the Museo Pancho Coímbre (Sporting Hall of Fame), and the Little League program on St. Croix is named after him, per SABR. 
• 1967 - LHP Lee Hancock was born in North Hollywood, California. He got into 24 games from 1995-96 for the Pirates, with no decisions and a 4.45 ERA, and that was the extent of his MLB days. Lee joined the Pirates in 1990 from the Mariners, swapped straight up for Scott Medvin, but spent most of his Bucco time on the farm at Buffalo and Calgary. The Cal-Poly alum finished his pro career in 1997. 
• 1975 - 1B Daryle Ward was born in Lynwood, California. He played from 2004-05 for the Bucs, with a slash of .256/27/120. Ward joined his father, Gary, to become the first father-son combination in major league history to hit for the cycle after he matched his dad’s feat in 2004 against the Cards. Ward was also the first player to hit one into the Allegheny from PNC Park while he was a member of the Astros, launching his shot off Kip Wells in 2002. 

AJ Schugel (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

• 1989 - RHP AJ Schugel was born in Winter Haven, Florida. A waiver claim by the Bucs, he got into 36 games for Pittsburgh in 2016, going 2-2-1. 3.63 as a long man in the pen with a nice 1.038 WHIP. He started 2017 at AAA Indy with a brief Pittsburgh stop in June and more permanent residence in August, but has spent 2018 on the DL.

6/27: Maz Triple Play; Neagle Granny; Triple Trouble; Frieri-Grilli Deal; Iron Man Goes Down & More

• 1903 - The Pirates banged 15 hits off Iron Man Joe McGinnity‚ including four knocks by Honus Wagner‚ and it still took the Bucs extra innings to topple the Giants 4-2 at the Polo Grounds. Tommy Leach hit a two-run double in the 11th, drilling a McGinnity curve off the LF wall, to earn a W for Deacon Phillippe, who notched his seventh straight victory. Hans stayed hot in the Big Apple; he had four hits in his next game against Brooklyn. 

Deacon Phillippe stares the batter (or cameraman) down... 1909
(Conlon Collection/Detroit Public Library)

• 1964 - Roberto Clemente's two-run, ground-rule double to center (it one-hopped the wall) in the eighth tied the game against the Reds at Forbes Field. He became the winning run when pinch hitter Manny Mota homered to give the Pirates and Al McBean, in relief of Steve Blass, a 4-2 win. 
• 1967 - Bill Mazeroski hit into the only triple play of his career (although he participated in a pair as a fielder) at Shea Stadium. It didn’t hurt the Bucs, though - it was staged before the game and filmed in ten minutes as a scene for the TV show “The Odd Couple.” 
• 1971 - Roberto Clemente bombed a pinch hit homer in the eighth to give the Bucs a wild 10-9 win at Philadelphia. He became the first player to “ring the bell” as his drive hit the replicate Liberty Bell in the second level of center field at Veterans Stadium, perhaps to celebrate his 1,200 RBI. But Jose Pagan earned the game’s gold star with a pair of home runs and five RBI. 
• 1991 - The Bucs solved rookie Frank Castillo in the ninth (he was making his MLB debut), turning a 3-0 deficit to the Cubs into a 4-3 win at TRS. Castillo and two relievers gave up four singles, two walks, and a two-out wild pitch that allowed Barry Bonds to score from third with the walk-off game winner. 

Denny Neagle 1995 Upper Deck Collectors Choice

• 1995 - Denny Neagle helped himself to his ninth W by belting a grand slam off Jim Bullinger, the key blow in a 6-5 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Neagle became the first Pirate pitcher to hit a slam since Don Robinson on September 12th, 1985 and just one of five to smack one in franchise history. Neagle told Ben Walker of the Associated Press "Something must have been in the coffee." Paul Wagner got a hold and Dan Plesac the save for Neagle. 
• 1988 - Ishmael Valdez was one batter shy of throwing a perfecto against the Bucs at Dodger Stadium, giving up a leadoff eighth-inning single to Kevin Young. Valdez struck out seven and used just 97 pitches to tame Pittsburgh. Francisco Cordova was the hard-luck loser, a victim of temporary loss of control when with two outs and a runner on third in the sixth, an intentional walk was followed by an unintentional pass to set up Raul Mondesi’s two-run single. 
• 2004 - Jason Bay, Jack Wilson and Craig Wilson combined to go 9-for-16 with three walks, three doubles, a triple and homer to score seven runs and drive in seven more as the Bucs romped over the Reds 14-4 at GABP. Josh Fogg got the win. 

Brandon Cumpton 2015 Topps

• 2014 - Two youngsters, the Bucs’ Brandon Cumpton and the Mets’ Jacob deGrom, pitched creditably and then turned the gamer over to the bullpens as the Pirates outlasted NY 3-2 in 11 innings at PNC Park. Pittsburgh was clutch; Jordy Mercer singled in a pair of runs with two outs in the fourth after Pedro Alvarez was worked around and walked, then Josh Harrison doubled home Clint Barmes with the game winner with a two-out double to right center; both RBI knocks came on the first pitch. Jared Hughes picked up the win. 
• 2014 - In a change of scenery deal, the Pirates and Angels traded struggling closers, with Pittsburgh sending Jason Grilli to LA for Ernesto Frieri. Both had lost their closing gigs in 2014 after being the shut-down guy in 2013, and both moved around since and are currently free agents.

Buccos Drop 10 Inning Decision To Mets 4-3

With one out, Steven Matz bopped Austin Meadows up high on a 3-2 pitch; the trainer checked him out and sent him on his way to first. Three pitches later, J-Hay bounced into a DP. Joey Bats opened with a knock off Chad Kuhl, and he went to second two outs later on a wild pitch, followed by a four-pitch walk and another wild pitch. Wilmer Flores slapped a 3-1 slider into left, scoring the pair, and ended up on third when Eli airmailed a throw trying to catch Flores heading to second. Kuhl got out of it with no additional blood-letting despite Diaz dropping a foul pop behind the plate. Sheesh, first innings. The Pirates went 1-2-3 in the second. The Mets got a one-out rap; he was bunted to second but got no further. No Bucco reached in the third; they have yet to hit a ball to the outfield. The first Metropolitan drew a free pass but stayed anchored at first. Not a peep from Pittsburgh in the fourth; they've K'ed five times already.

Chad left with a sore wing (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

With an out, Freeser botched a roller. The trainer came out to check on Kuhl after two outs and gave him the OK, then Chad tossed a wild pitch, which was followed by a steal. Kuhl fanned Matz; in between the mishaps, he also has five K jobs. Yay, Freeser opened the fifth with bouncer into right and Eli doubled him to third. Joey O fought off an 0-2 pitch and rolled an RBI knock to left. Gregory dropped a dying quail into center and it was tied, but with no outs the Bucs couldn't add anything on, largely due to, of all people, Joey Bats, who made a running grab of J-Bell's ball down the RF line. Ric Rod came on - Bell hit for Chad - and tossed a clean frame after the Bucs challenged a trap call on an El Coffee grab and had it ruled a legit catch. It took a dozen tosses to put away the Pirates in the sixth. Ric Rod gave up an opening rap and two-out wild pitch, followed by a plunked batter, finally serving up a fly ball to quiet the seas.

The Met pen is such a mess that they kept Matz in for the seventh at 96 tosses. Almost worked, too - he got two outs, one a bullet, before Gregory went yard on a 3-2 curve; it a good pitch, inside half and down, that El Coffee tracked and golfed out. Edgar Santana got the ball but couldn't keep the lead; he gave up a dinger to Michael Conforto off a fastball with two away. Anthony Swarzak got the eighth; an AM walk and J-Hay bunt single put him in one-out hot water and brought on Jeurys Familia. With his pick of lefties on the bench, Clint stuck with Freeser, who bounced into a force featuring a hard but textbook slide by J-Hay, which led to a union meeting at the mound after Familia (not Asdrubal Cabrera, who bore the brunt) started yapping. After picket duty ended, Eli walked on four pitches to fill the bases, but Joey O's bouncer doused the fire.

Gregory is coming around... (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Kyle Crick climbed the hill and Cabrera dropped a single into right, but a couple of at 'em balls sandwiched around a whiff left him there. The Bucs managed a two-out Corey D knock off Familia in the ninth that led nowhere. Steven Brault tossed a quiet frame and into overtime we go. Tim Peterson worked a calm 10th. Conforto walked to begin the Mets' half, then Todd Frazier rolled a single through the left side. The Metropolitans decided to bunt; Cabrera popped one foul that Eli again failed to grab, but the second was in the air, too, and Steven cradled it. It only delayed the inevitable; Wilmer Flores singled up the 3B line off a knee-high fastball (and the ump, who was in fair territory) to give the Mets the win.

The Pirates pitching gave up eight hits and fanned 10; they also walked three, hit one and tossed four wild pitches while the fielders committed three errors. The attack was AWOL again; this team is pretty bad right now.

Notes:

• Gregory, who came into the game hitting .196 against LHP, had two hits and two RBI; Freeser had a hit and a walk. The Bucs had seven knocks.
• Chad Kuhl was removed from the game after four frames with "right forearm discomfort," per the Pirates. We'll have to keep an eye on him; that general description often spells trouble.

NY-Pgh Take A Second Spin w/Chad v Matz & Notes

Today: The game starts at 7:10 and will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Pitchers: RHP Chad Kuhl (5-5, 4.56) starts round two of the set against LHP Steven Matz (3-5, 3.68). Chad was turned every which way but loose in his last outing against Arizona and suspected he may have been tipping his pitches, tho his coaches think not. We'll see how he bounces back. Chad has seen the Mets once, and it wasn't pretty. He allowed five runs and eight hits in 4-1/3 innings of work and lost an 8-1 decision to Jacob deGrom on 5/26/17 at PNC Park. Matz has been one of the Mets’ bright spots, posting a 3.10 ERA since the start of May, although the Rockies beat him up some in his last outing. He's been susceptible to the long ball (1.5/nine innings) and averages 3.8 walks per game, so he can be worked. Matz allowed two runs in five innings in his only previous career start against the Pirates, back in 2016.

Bad Chad or Cool Chad tonight? (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Starling Marte CF, Austin Meadows LF, Josh Harrison 2B, David Freese 3B, Elias Diaz C, Jose Osuna 1B, Gregory Polanco RF, Jordy SS & Kuhl P. Clint's lineup against lefties minus S-Rod.

Notes:

• David Laurila of Fangraphs has the tale of Colin Moran's reinvented swing.
• Back to the future: Tho last night was the first time J-Bell batted second this year, he's started in the two-hole 36 times prior to that as a Bucco. In fact, he's been in every lineup spot possible as a Pirate, even ninth (as a sub). Same deal for Starling at leadoff, which over his career has been the order spot he's been in the most. He also has batted in every position (eighth and ninth as a sub). Josh only had six games as the three hitter and has, like the rest of the gang, batted everywhere (cleanup as a sub). Eight different Bucs have hit leadoff this year; nine others in the two spot and seven from the three hole.
• Homecoming: Ray Searage was born in Deer Park, NY, and is a 1973 graduate of Deer Park HS on Long Island. He made his MLB debut with the Mets on 6/11/81 and pitched two scoreless innings against the Reds at Shea Stadium. 

6/26 Birthdays & Moments: String Snapped; Clarke Clocked; Wills 24-Gamer; Meares Antics; HBD Jason, Bill, Debs, Howie, Elmer, Babe & Smokey

• 1893 - RHP Elmer Ponder was born in Reed, Oklahoma. Elmer was an Oklahoma U grad who was of Cherokee descent and was part of the early wave of Native American players (the Bucs also had Moses “Chief” Yellowhorse on the 1921 roster). He played for the Pirates in 1917, then again from 1919-21. He got into three games his first year before he left to join the Army during WW1, and didn’t return until 1919. His late July debut was special; although the Bucs lost to the Phils 6-1, Ponder tossed 5-⅔ perfect innings of relief. No Pirates reliever could claim five or more innings of perfect work until 94 years later, when Vin Mazzaro did it in 2013 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Elmer went 14-21/2.74 for the Pirates before he was traded to the Cubs in ‘21. He finished the year there before being sent to the Pacific Coast League, where he toiled through the 1928 campaign before retiring to Albuquerque and the work-a-day world. 

Steve Brodie

• 1897 - Pittsburgh CF Steve Brodie's string of consecutive games ended at 574. His arm was so sore the Pirates went on the road without him, though he did recover. The streak was a 19th-century NL record, three games shy of the then MLB mark. Brodie was a strong two-way player that the Bucs released the following year in a move to cut salary, a fairly recurrent theme throughout franchise history. Steve was eccentric, even for the era. Per the Baltimore Sun’s Mike Kingaman “Brodie talked to baseballs, caught flies behind his back and once nabbed a line drive that had ricocheted off his head. He mumbled to himself in the outfield, passing time by reciting soliloquies from Shakespeare. Once, Brodie chastised himself for committing an error, The Sun wrote: ‘Then, as further punishment, he refused to talk to himself for the rest of the game.’ A solid fielder, he cut a hole in the pocket of his glove, believing he could better grasp the ball with his bare palm. In winter, he stayed fit by donning a catcher's mask and chest protector and wrestling a muzzled black bear in his backyard.” 
• 1903 - Lose the fight and the game: Before the start of a Giants-Pirates duel at the Polo Grounds, NY catcher Frank Bowerman started a fight with Pittsburgh’s player/manager Fred Clarke. Bowerman was fined $100 for starting the brawl while Clarke escaped with his wallet intact, as the league apparently felt his shiner was punishment enough. Christy Mathewson then led the fired-up New York nine over Pittsburgh by an 8-2 tally. There are various tales of what led to the fisticuffs, the two favorites being bad blood carried over from when Clarke managed Bowerman at Louisville to John McGraw egging Bowerman into the bout to light a fire under the G-Men before their series with the Bucs (though they won that battle, they lost the war, falling 6-1/2 games short of the Pirates at season’s end). 
• 1903 - OF Floyd “Babe” Herman was born in Buffalo. His stories are legion, such as the time he ended up on third base with two other teammates or tales of fly balls bouncing off his body in the outfield. In actuality, Babe was an average fielder with a great stick - his lifetime BA was .324 and he retired with a 140 OPS+. Herman played part of his 13-year career in Pittsburgh, batting .235 (the lowest average of his career) in 1935, returning as a coach in 1951 and later serving as a Bucco scout. Per the New York Times, he got his nickname in the minors, playing when Babe Ruth was a star. ''He was put in to pinch-hit, and the first time he got a hit, the manager of the club said, 'You're my Babe,''' Charles Herman, Floyd’s son, told the paper. 

Debs Garms 1941 Goudey Big League

• 1907 - OF Debs Garms was born in Bangs, Texas. Debs played 12 years in the show, mainly as a utility player although he did start three seasons for the Boston Braves. That’s where the Bucs got him from in 1940, and he hit .355 in 358 ABs. That was good enough for him to be awarded the batting title by Ford Frick; there was no minimum at-bat requirement and the NL President used 100 games played as the qualifier (Garms got into 103 contests). Stan Hack of the Cubs was the next highest hitter at .317, compiled in 603 at-bats, and Chicago fans cried “we wuz robbed” to no avail. Thx to Debs, in 1950 the standard was changed to a 400 at-bat minimum and a few years later to 3.1/PA per game (502 PA). There was no controversy the next season as he hit .264 for Pittsburgh. Garms was a good stickman with a .293 career BA, and in 1941 he set the then-record of seven consecutive pinch hits. He retired after the 1945 season to become a rancher and later a quarryman. BTW, Debs wasn’t a baseball moniker - he was named after socialist politician Eugene Debs. 
• 1918 - RHP Elmer “Smoky” Singleton was born in Ogden, Utah. He came to the Pirates as part of the Bob Elliot deal, working for Pittsburgh from 1947-48 while slashing 6-8-3, 5.54. Bert put parts of seven seasons in the show and his overall professional career spanned 24 years, from 1940-63, when he retired at age 45 to become a salesman. 
• 1921 - LHP Howie Pollet was born in New Orleans. After some stellar seasons with St. Louis (two World Series, three All-Star selections), he was sent to Pittsburgh in 1951, the victim of a slow start and back-to-back contract holdouts. He pitched here through 1953 and returned for his final bow in 1956, going 14-31-2, 4.59 for some sad sack teams. Howie coached for the Cards and Astros from 1959-64, then retired and joined the business world. 
• 1943 - OF Bill Robinson was born in McKeesport. The Elizabeth-Forward grad played eight years for Pittsburgh, from 1975-82, batting .276 with 109 HR and 412 RBI. He was a fairly regular starter from 1976-79, and won a ring with the 1971 Bucs. He held a variety of coaching jobs afterward as a hitting coach for the Mets and Yankees, a minor league skipper for the Giants and Phils (he was also a batting instructor w/Philly) and Venezuelan manager,along with a brief gig with ESPN. 

Bill Robinson 1980 Topps

• 1968 - Bucco 3B Maury Wills ran his hitting streak to 24 games against Bob Gibson in a 3-0 loss to the Cards at Busch Stadium. It ended during the second game of the twinbill, a 3-1 Pirate win, when Larry Jaster and Wayne Granger laid an 0-for-5 on Wills. 
• 1974 - Jason Kendall was born in San Diego. He spent nine years as a Pirate (1996-2004), putting up a .308 BA, hitting over .300 six times and earning three All-Star berths. He was on a Hall of Fame track before a string of injuries slowed his career, finishing his 16-year run with a .288 BA. Kendall has been a member of the KC Royals coaching staff, serving as a roving special assignment coach, since retiring as a player in 2012. 
• 1999 - SS Pat Meares, on the DL recovering from surgery on his left hand but traveling with the team, ran in a mascot race at Milwaukee's County Stadium. Meares, dressed as a bratwurst, won the race by defeating a hot dog and a polish sausage. Two days prior, Meares had been caught on videotape sunbathing in the upper deck of Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium for the first six innings of a game. He missed all but the first 21 games of the ‘99 season after signing a contract that carried him until 2003. He played 2000-01 for the team, then spent the next two years on the DL; the Pirates wanted further surgery on his hand and he didn’t. Needless to say, the relationship became contentious, involving the union, league office and random attorneys. They eventually reached an uneasy truce, but Meares never played in the majors again after his 2001 campaign.