Notes From A Quiet Off Day

Quiet Day:

• The Pirates have gone 14-29 since they were a season-high nine games over .500 on May 15th at 26-17; now they're at a season-low 40-46.
• Hope the bullpen slept in today. Beginning tomorrow, the Pirates play 11 games in the 10 days leading up to the All-Star break. We'll see if good weather will help the gate - the PNC Park game crowd is 27th in the majors at 17,555, down from 23,696 last year. 

Amore is back in the saddle (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

• A little ahead of schedule, Fran Cervelli is beginning his rehab stint with Altoona tonight, taking it slow by starting out as DH (yes, he'll bat to "That's Amore" to get him up to speed). He's been on the DL since June 21st.
• Jennifer Langosch of MLB.com (former Bucco beat reporter) has the seller-buyer prognosis for the NL Central and her thoughts on what the Bucs will do.
• Enny Romero has been claimed by the KC Royals after the Bucs DFA'ed him on Wednesday.

7/5 Expo Park-Forbes Field Era: Kiner & Fryman Three-Packs; Roberto's Revenge; Game Stories; HBD Goose, Ward & Beals

• 1884 - OF Ward Miller was born in Mount Carroll, Illinois. He began his eight-year career in the show as a 25-year-old with the Pirates in 1909, batting .143 before he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds along with cash for Kid Durbin. Ward did find his eye and finished his MLB days with a .278 BA. After 15 years of pro ball, Ward retired to Dixon, Illinois, to serve in law enforcement. The city placed a monument dedicated to Miller on the lawn of the Lee County Courthouse to commemorate both his law and baseball careers. He was aka as both “Grump” and “Windy” for reasons unknown. 

Pud Galvin 1887 Goodwin Old Judge

• 1886 - The Pittsburgh Alleghenys swept a DH from the Baltimore Orioles 15-1 and 13-2 at Recreation Park, led by Fred Carroll, who banged out an American Association/big league record nine hits, later matched by eight players. The Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette wrote “The visitors were at the mercy of the home terrors from the start...” but didn’t give many game details because “...it would be too tedious to describe how each run was made.” They added that the results were to be expected “...where nine very bad ballpayers contest against nine good ones.” Pud Galvin and Cannonball Morris were the winners, with the crowd estimated at 7-8,000 fans. The Alleghenys finished the year in second and the Orioles were last, with Pittsburgh winning 12-of-19 games between them that season. 
• 1886 - OF Beals (it was his middle name) Becker was born in El Dorado, Kansas. He began an eight-year MLB run in 1908 with the Pirates as a 22-year-old, batting .154. Despite that start, Becker hung around as a platoon guy (he was a LHH) with a rep as a big banger of the deadball era, finishing up his career with a .275 BA and 45 home runs. Beals played 21 years of organized ball before retiring after the 1925 campaign at age 38. 
• 1948 - Ralph Kiner hit three HRs off Herm Wehmeier with five RBI in the opener of a twinbill split against the Reds at Forbes Field, backing Vic Lombardi’s pitching in the 10-3 win. Stan Rojek added his first MLB dinger to the pot; he would hit one more during his career. Ralph was shut down in the second game, a 6-4 loss that the Cincinnati took by scoring three times in the ninth. 

Goose Gossage 1977 Topps

• 1951 - RHP Rich “Goose” Gossage was born in in Colorado Springs. He was only here for for one of his 22 MLB years, but the Goose made the most of it, putting together an 11-9-26/1.62 slash for the 1977 Bucs and earning an All-Star spot, working 133 IP and amassing 151 punchouts. The Pirates never made a serious bid to keep him after the season, and he parlayed his Pittsburgh campaign into a six-year, $3.6M contract with George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees. Bruce Markusen of The Hardball Times posted “Gossage’s nickname was not a play on his last name. The nickname came from his White Sox roommate, fellow pitcher Tom Bradley. Shortly after Gossage joined the Sox, Bradley took note of Gossage’s unusual delivery and mechanics. Bradley told Gossage that he looked like a goose when he threw the ball. The Chicago media latched on to Bradley’s observation, quickly tagging Gossage ‘Goose.’ The name caught on with a flourish.” 
• 1953 - At Forbes Field, the Phils' Robin Roberts shutout the Pirates 2-0 in ten innings for his 28th consecutive complete game, outlasting Murry Dickson. The Bucs had 10 hits off Roberts but stranded 11 runners during the match. It was also his 13th straight win over Pittsburgh going back to August 26th‚ 1950 (the string would reach 15). The Bucs did win the nitecap of the DH by a 7-4 tally. The Corsairs managed just eight hits in that contest, but collected five of them in the opening frame, along with a couple of walks, to run away and hide with a five-run inning. Jim Waugh got the win with help from Lefty LaPalme who got the call after Waugh walked three batters in the ninth. 
• 1960 - The Bucs and Milwaukee Braves played a dramatic, see-saw game at County Stadium with the Pirates hanging on for a 5-4, 10-inning win. Down 2-0 in the top of the ninth, Rocky Nelson and Don Hoak homered to give the Bucs a 3-2 lead. The Braves Del Crandall’s two-out, bases loaded single off Paul Giel tied the game, with Bob Skinner cutting down the winning run at the plate to extend the match. With two gone in the 10th, an infield knock by Skinner was followed by Nelson’s second homer to make it 5-3. Bob Friend, a starter by trade, got the call to relieve Giel, who tossed a pair of wild pitches. Friend gave up a run, but closed it out. 

Roberto Clemente 2017 Topps Legend

• 1963 - Roberto Clemente, always touchy about guys throwing at him, clobbered a pitch that Met’s pitcher Tracy Stallard tossed under his chin with two strikes and two outs in the eighth inning, lining it into the upper deck to break a 1-1 tie and give the Bucs a 3-1 win at the Polo Grounds. Stallard told Maury Allen of the New York Post that "'I was trying to waste a pitch. I figured maybe I could get him to swing again at a pitch around his head.” He did. Don Cardwell got the win, with Alvin McBean picking up the save. 
• 1966 - Woodie Fryman tossed his third straight shutout, a 6-0 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The rookie lefty surrendered just seven hits combined in the three complete game wins. Donn Clendenon smacked a two-run bomb and Jose Pagan added a pair of RBI. They were his only three whitewashes of the campaign as he finished the year with a line of 12-9/3.81.

7/5 TRS-PNC Park Era: 10-In-A-Row; Wil's Day; Players Mtg; Long Balls; HBD Felipe

• 1982 - Pittsburgh's first two hitters of the game, Omar Moreno and Johnny Ray‚ homered off Houston's Joe Niekro at TRS, the second time in Pirate history that feat had been done. Niekro ended up with the last laugh, though, in a 6-4 Astro win. 

Junior Ortiz 1987 Topps

• 1988 - Andy Van Slyke, Sid Bream, Jim Gott, Spanky LaValliere and Bobby Bonilla held a players-only meeting before playing San Diego at Jack Murphy Stadium after losing three in a row and falling 7-½ games off the lead. They preached doing it as a team instead of players trying to do it all themselves and won that night 3-2 as AVS homered and stole a base. The big play came with an out in the ninth when C Junior Ortiz withstood a runaway John Kruk collision at home to keep the tying run from scoring. Bob Walk got the win with Barry Jones earning the save. The meeting didn’t help long term; the Mets waltzed away with the crown by winning 100 games to the Bucs’ 85 victories. 
• 1989 - Barry Bonds homered in Pittsburgh's 6-4 loss to the Giants at TRS‚ giving him and father Bobby the MLB father-and-son home run record with 408. The Bells (Gus and Buddy) and the Berras (Yogi and Dale) had shared the record of 407; Gus and Dale both played for Pittsburgh so the Pirates had a claim on all three families. 
• 1991 - LHP Felipe Vazquez (formerly Rivero) was born in San Felipe, Venezuela. The lefty joined the Bucs from the Nationals in 2016 as part of the Mark Melancon deal and established himself as a solid setup man. The following year, the Pirates traded closer Tony Watson and Vasquez (he adopted the last name from his sister in 2018) claimed the role, featuring a 100 MPH fastball, slider and changeup combo. 
• 2000 - Wil Cordero drove in six runs with a pair of long balls to lead the Bucs to a 9-6 win against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Aramis Ramirez also added a homer against Chicago. Jimmy Anderson went five innings for the win with Scott Sauerbeck, Jason Christiansen and Mike Williams bringing it home. 

Wil Cordero 2000 Upper Deck MVP

• 2004 - Pittsburgh won its 10th straight game 3-1 over the Florida Marlins at Pro Player Stadium as Kip Wells outdueled Josh Beckett. Wells gave up four hits and K’ed eight in a scoreless eight-inning outing and then had to sweat out a shaky Jose Silva save. Abraham Nunez homered in the win. The streak, which was the highlight of an 89-loss season, ended the next day. 
• 2005 - Kip Wells scattered four hits and punched out a dozen Phils in a 3-0 complete game victory at PNC Park. Jason Bay provided the big blow with a two-run blast in the fifth while Matt Lawton’s double plated the other score. 
• 2007 - Adam LaRoche pounded a pair of homers and a double, driving in three runs and scoring three more as the Bucs dropped the Brewers 6-3 at PNC Park. Xavier Nady added three hits, including a homer of his own. Tom Gorzelanny got the win and Matt Capps the save. 

Adam LaRoche 2007 Topps Heritage

• 2015 - The Bucs used a big frame to take a 5-3 win over the Cleveland Indians at PNC Park after spotting the Tribe an early lead. The Pirates trailed 3-0 entering the bottom of the fifth before plating five runs off Danny Salazar on a two-run homer from Pedro Alvarez, a run-scoring single from Neil Walker and a two-run double from Andrew McCutchen. The Pittsburgh Kid and Cutch banged their game-tying and game-winning hits with two away. Gerrit Cole earned his league-leading 12th win by tossing eight innings of five-hit ball and striking out five. Cole tied Ken Brett (1974), ElRoy Face (1959) and Rip Sewell (1943) for the second-most wins prior to the All-Star break in Pirates history behind only Dock Ellis’ 14-win start in 1971. Mark Melancon earned his 27th save by tossing a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

LA Chases Clay & Ty, Hold Off Bucs 6-4 To Complete the Sweep

Rich Hill had no trouble with the Pirates in the first. Clay Holmes walked the first two batters, not spraying but just missing the corners. He took care of the next two hitters before Yasmani Grandal got a hung two-strike curve and singled home a run. Another free pass loaded 'em up, but he froze Enrique Hernandez on a 3-2 curve. Still, it came at the cost of 35 pitches, and just 15 strikes. It was 1-2-3 for the Pirates in the second, although they did put a charge into a couple of balls. It was a clean frame for Clay. Jordy doubled and Mad Max walked to open the third. Clay laid down a bad bunt for a force at third and Austin Meadows fanned, but Starling came through, spanking a 3-2 curve for a two-run two-bagger. The lead was very short lived. Four of the first five Trolley Dodgers rang up hits, with a wild pitch thrown in, before Clint pulled the plug and brought in Ric Rod to put out the fire with LA up 4-2. The Pirates went down without a peep in the fourth.

Clay didn't get a gold star today (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

The Dodgers opened with a bunt single by Hill; a passed ball followed by a wild pitch moved him to third. No damage done, though, as the pitcher tried to tag on a fly to center; Starling gunned him down easily despite a headfirst slide to end the inning. J-Bell and Max singled with an out in the fifth, but AM's liner was an at 'em ball (& almost a DP), then Gregory bounced out. Tyler Glasnow joined the show and plunked Justin Turner in the shoulder; he's OK as he stole second two pitches later. That was followed by two walks; he's getting squeezed some, too. A rap up the middle brought home two more runs and Edgar Santana. He got a break; a bullet to Red Beard was turned into a DP. An infield single followed before the third out. Old bud Daniel Hudson tossed the ball in sixth. Eli singled with an out and brought Scott Alexander to the hill; Huddy got bounced for beefing to the first base ump. It took one pitch to get Freeser to hit into a 6-4-3 DP. The Dodgers banged a two-out knock off Moran's mitt for their action.

Jordy worked a walk in the seventh and never moved off first. Kyle Crick drew the short straw and twirled a quiet frame. Ed Paredes was called on in the eighth and holy rally cap, a Starling single and Gregory blast with one gone made it 6-4. Kenley Jansen was waved in. He gave up a knock to Freeser between a whiff and bouncer. Josh Smoker made his Bucco return and put up a zero on a K, walk, and a couple of routine outs. Jordy whiffed to open the ninth, looking at strikes one and three. Corey D kept the pulse beating faintly with a two-out single, but AM fanned chasing a full-count cutter.

Nor did Ty (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Clay and Ty had a chance to impress and both blew it; they were charged with all six runs and combined to walk five, hit one, toss a wild pitch and balk. The recap noted they were squeezed, but that had as much to do with missing the catcher's target as with ornery umpiring (and may help explain the catchers framing decline). Don't know if it's an evaluation or developmental problem, but all the Bucs from the pipeline have pretty much underachieved, especially but not exclusively the pitchers. The organization needs to take a good look at the man in the mirror and straighten out its act.

Notes:

• Starling had two hits while Jordy and Mad Max each collected a knock and a walk.
• The Dodgers outscored the Pirates 31-8 in the brooming. It was the first time the Dodgers have totaled 30+ runs with 20+ extra-base hits in a three-game series since 1950, when the Brooklyn Dodgers had 47 runs and 22 extra-base hits...against the Pirates, sheesh, per Stats by Stats. The Bucs are now 40-46 (the same record after 86 games last year) and just 2-1/2 games ahead of the Reds in the battle for the cellar.
• Fran Cervelli (DL - concussion) was cleared for full baseball activities. He worked out with Altoona and could start a rehab stint this weekend.
• Other injury notes: Chad Kuhl is still feeling pain in his arm and isn't throwing. The docs are going to try rest as the first treatment, but sounds like they're still unsure of the extent of the injury. Jung-Ho Kang is in a cast for his left wrist for a soft-tissue injury and will take 10 days off from any gripping or throwing activities.

Goodby LA, Holmes v Hill & Notes - Bench Day, Josh Smoker Back

Today: It's getaway day, although an 8:10 start seems a little on the late side. The contest will be on AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan.

Pitchers: RHP Clay Holmes (3-3, 3.79) closes out against LHP Rich Hill (1-3, 4.68). Holmes is the cavalry now that J-Grove has joined Chad Kuhl on the DL; whether it's a spot start or audition depends on Musgrove's recovery time. After a spotty spring, Clay worked mainly at Indy with a slash of 6-3/3.39 in 13 games (12 starts) averaging 10 K and four walks per nine. His game is built around his fastball with a cutter/slider & curve. He's a ground ball guy and his K rate has bumped up. Holmes, 25, made his first MLB outing in April and was called back up June 24th when Michael Feliz went on the DL; he's worked two innings during each visit. This will be his first big league start. The 38-year-old Hill has missed chunks of time with blister issues. He's made three outings since coming back (for the third time) in mid-June, with two good appearances and one not so much. His last mound trip against Pittsburgh was in 2017; he tossed a complete game one-hitter with 10 K.

Clay to save the day? (photo Dave Arrigo/Pgh Pirates)

Lineup: Austin Meadows LF, Starling Marte CF, Gregory Polanco RF, Elias Diaz C, David Freese 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Jordy SS, Moroff 2B & Holmes. Corey D, J-Hay and J-Bell take a seat as Clint empties the bench for the Fourth; Jacob Stallings is the only guy that didn't get the call today, and for him, it's the price for backing up a smokin' Eli.

Notes:

• The Pirates were a man short yesterday; LHP Josh Smoker has joined the team today. Smoker gave up nine hits and four runs in four IP in his earlier Pittsburgh stop. He went 3-1/2.59 at Indy.
• Eli's last six hits have gone for extra bases (two home runs and four doubles). He's batting .319 as a starter, and today will be his 12th straight start.
• Clay Holmes is the first Pirates pitcher to make his starting debut on July 4th since Bruce Kison in 1971. 
• The Dodgers have hit 18 homers in five games against Pittsburgh this season.
• Not very patient: Bucco batters haven't drawn a walk in the last two games and in their last 22 innings of play. Among NL teams, only the Padres (253) and Marlins (255) have walked fewer times than the Pirates (263).
• The Pirates are off tomorrow and will begin an 11-game homestand on Friday against Philly, Washington and Milwaukee that will carry them into the All-Star break.

7/4 Expo Park-Forbes Field Era: First Fireworks; Flood; Brain Drain; Satch No-No; Twinbill Sweeps; HBD Chuck, Jim, Lou, Stump, Wayne, Mel & Jim

• 1884 - LHP Lou Manske was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lou had a short MLB career, getting into two games (one start) for the 1906 Pirates with no decisions and a 5.63 ERA. He had been purchased in August from Des Moines of the Western League where he had posted a 23–10 record. Manske went to the American Association for three seasons afterward and closed out his pro pitching days with St. Joseph of the Western League in 1910. 
• 1891 - RF Jacob “Stump” Edington was born in Koleen, Indiana. He got into 15 games as a 21-year-old for the 1912 Pirates, batting .302 as one of seven right fielders who saw playing time, and that was his MLB career. He returned to play for Grand Rapids in the Central League from 1915-1917, Vernon in the Pacific Coast League from 1919-1921 and Beaumont, Fort Worth and Waco of the Texas League from 1922-1927. Stump managed Raleigh for one more campaign before retiring at age 36. 

Expo Park Flood (photo via PittViewer)

• 1902 - The Pittsburgh Press headline read “River Invades The Park.” During a doubleheader against Brooklyn, “...the Allegheny, which does not seem to know enough to keep its place, sneaked up…” gushed through a drain pipe and resulted in knee-deep water flooding Exposition Park’s outfield. A special ground rule was created for the day: all outfield hits into the water were singles. Players occasionally caught a ball and dove into the water to splash around, providing “a source of pleasure to the crowd,” with over 20,000 pleased fans in attendance. The Pirates swept the Superbas as Jesse Tannehill tossed a 3-0 two-hitter in the opener and Tommy Leach collected two of his three hits on the day. Jack Chesbro spun a four-hit, 4-0 win in the nitecap with Lefty Davis banging out three raps to extend the team’s winning streak to eight games. 
• 1904 - The Bucs and Cubs played a holiday twinbill at Exposition Park and the Bucs swept, winning the lidlifter 7-2 and taking the nightcap 11-6 in a game that featured six Bucco doubles. Roscoe Miller won the first match, supported by Honus Wagner’s three hits and two-rap days from Fred Clarke, Claude Ritchey and Ed Phelps. Mike Lynch gave up 11 hits but cruised anyway in the late game as every Pirate had two hits except for Kitty Bransfield, who could only manage one knock. 
• 1904 - Pinch runner/OF Mel Ingram was born in Asheville, North Carolina. A multi-sports star at Gonzaga U - he won 15 letters in four sports - he signed with the Pirates in 1929. He was on the roster for one month and got into three games, all as a pinch runner; he had signed with Pittsburgh with the understanding they would release him when the Wallace Bulldogs (an Idaho college) season opened so he could manage their team. He then moved on to coaching HS baseball in Oregon. 

Dave Brain 1909 American Tobacco Company

• 1905 - The Pirates traded shortstop George McBride to the St Louis Cardinals for IF Dave Brain. Brain lasted in Pittsburgh until the end of the season (he hit .257 in 85 games), when he was packaged in the trade to get Vic Willis, who became a Bucco mainstay on the hill. McBride played for 14 more seasons in the majors. A good glove guy, he never batted higher than .235 during that time, with a lifetime .218 BA. 
• 1906 - The Cubs took two from the Pirates by 1-0 scores at Exposition Park. In the opener, Three Finger Mordecai Brown beat Lefty Leifield with both pitchers firing one-hitters. It was the second double one-hitter in history‚ the first occurring on August 20th‚ 1886. Leifield banged the only Buc hit off Brown while holding Chicago hitless until Jimmy Slagle's single in the ninth inning. The Cub came around on a sacrifice‚ error‚ and ground out. In the second game‚ Carl Lundgren won a duel against Vic Willis. The Pirates had only been shut out twice all season before the twinbill. 
• 1909 - Barney Dreyfuss started a Pirates tradition that’s carried on to this day: five days after Forbes Field opened in Oakland, he held a fireworks display after an afternoon game. Unlike today’s Zambelli exhibits, this was a separate event from the ballgame; after all, Barney had a new ballyard to pay for. He filled the house again for fireworks, the first time pyrotechnics had been featured in a baseball stadium. 

It all started in 1909 (photo Marriott Hotels)

• 1927 - The Pirates swept the World Champion Cardinals‚ 7-2 and 6-4, in a Forbes Field doubleheader. Lee Meadows took the opener behind Johnny Gooch’s bases-loaded triple. The Cards rallied to tie the second game in the top of the eighth, but Clyde Barnhart answered with a two-run double in the bottom half for the win. Carmen Hill went the distance for the W. 
• 1928 - Pirate skipper Chuck Tanner was born in New Castle. He managed the Pirates for nine years (1977–1985, 711-685 record) and won the World Series in 1979. He was also skipper of the White Sox, Athletics and Braves. Tanner was traded for Manny Sanguillen to the Pirates in 1977 by Oakland, only the second manager-for-player trade in history. He returned to the Pirates in 2007 as a special assistant to GM Neal Huntington, a spot he held until he passed away in 2011 at age 82. The Rotary Club of Pittsburgh hands out two awards in his name, the annual Chuck Tanner Major & Minor Baseball Managers of the Year, and the Pirates created the Chuck Tanner We Are Family Fund. Ever the baseball optimist, Tanner gave his view of the game, “The greatest feeling in the world is to win a major-league game. The second greatest feeling is to lose a major-league game.”
• 1934 - Satchel Paige of the Pittsburgh Crawfords tossed a no-hitter against the Homestead Grays at Greenlee Field on Bedford Avenue with the only runners reaching via an error and a walk. He struck out 17, establishing the all-time Negro League record and matching what was then the MLB whiff record for a single game in the 4-0 win against Frank Stewart. The Craw's Oscar Charleston had two hits, including a triple. Josh Gibson was Paige’s catcher, the only documented time in Negro league history in which no-hitter battery mates were both members of the Hall of Fame, something which has never happened in the majors. It was part of a holiday twinbill that drew 12,000 fans. The Grays took the nightcap 4-3, with Joe Strong getting the win over Bert Hunter. Ray Brown homered for Homestead.

Satchel Paige (photo source John Thorn/Our Game)

• 1947 - RHP Jim Nelson was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Jim had brief career but his fingerprints are all over the Bucco history books. Per Wikipedia: Nelson was a 31st round pick in the 1965 draft and made a dazzling debut in 1970. He relieved against the San Francisco Giants, struck out Willie Mays, and then got Willie McCovey to GIDP. Jim spun three perfect innings with four strikeouts and a slapped a single (he was a good hitter, batting .269). Nelson started his career with a 4-0 record (and the team won his first seven starts), a feat not equaled by a Pirates starting pitcher until Zach Duke in 2005. Nelson also was the last Pittsburgh hurler to win his first three career starts until Gerrit Cole matched the feat in 2013. More trivia: Nelson also was the starting and winning pitcher in the final game played at Forbes Field on June 28th, 1970, a 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs. But the next season saw him develop serious control issues and he was shipped to the minors in mid-July. Jim refused to report (he was 2-2/2.34 with the team, but had made only 17 appearances) and it cost him as his teammates voted him a half-share of their 1971 World Series money but the FO stiffed him when handing out World Series rings. It was a sort of messy way to end a relationship, especially as he later had rotator cuff surgery and never got back to the majors. His lifetime line was 6-4/3.01 as a Buc from 1970-71. Nelson became a salesman after baseball, and used to hand out $5 bills to the homeless in his Sacramento community as Christmas gifts until he passed away at the age of 57. 
• 1947 - RHP Jim Minshall was born in Covington, Kentucky. A second round pick in the 1966 draft out of HS, he tossed six games for the 1974-75 Bucs and was 0-1, even though he never gave up an earned run. Jim was a Pirates lifer; he pitched in the organization from 1966-76, closing out his career at AAA Charleston. 
• 1948 - OF Wayne Nordhagen was born in Three Rivers Falls, Minnesota. Wayne put up eight years off the bench in MLB, getting into one game as a Bucco in 1982 and he did pretty well, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Nordhagen was part of a fairly byzantine set of moves. The Blue Jays sent him to Philly for Dick Davis; the Phils sent him the the Pirates on the same day for Bill Robinson. Then a week or so later, the Bucs shipped him back to the Jays for Davis.

7/4 TRS-PNC Park Era: Kendall Injury; Million Dollar Arms; Duel; Immaculate Inning; Long Balls; HBD Jared

• 1985 - RHP Jared Hughes was born in Stamford, Connecticut. The righty is a converted starter who began working out of the Pirates pen in 2011 until moving to Milwaukee in 2017 and the Reds the next season. The Cal State alum was selected in the fourth round of the MLB draft in 2006 and slashed 15-13-3/2.82 for Pittsburgh while making 313 outings, mainly as a mid-inning trouble-shooter.  

Jared Hughes 2012 Topps Heritage

• 1999 - C Jason Kendall tore up his ankle in a 4-3 loss to the Brewers at TRS. Kendall dragged a bunt in the fifth inning and hit first awkwardly‚ ripping the ankle bone from the joint. He was out for the rest of the season, and many believed he was never quite the same after the gruesome injury. The game ended up a bullpen battle with Brad Clontz dropping the decision to David Weathers. 
• 2000 - The Pirates scored seven times in the ninth, fueled by three homers, to drop the Cubs 10-4 at Wrigley Field in front of 37,043 stunned Cubbie fans. Jason Kendall, Wil Cordero and Pat Meares had the final at-bat Bucco blasts that made a winner out of Marc Wilkins. Kendall and Cordero went back-to-back off Rick Aguilera with one down to give the Bucs the lead and Meares long ball was the cherry on top, a three-run, two-out drive off Daniel Garibay.
• 2001 - Brian Giles and Adam Hyzdu homered twice while Aramis Ramirez added a pair of doubles, each driving in three runs, as the Bucs put on their own fireworks display in cruising to a 14-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Cinergy Field. A-Ram had four hits, Giles had three and Jack Wilson went long to boost Joe Beimel to victory. 
• 2009 - LHP Rinku Singh became the first Indian to appear in a pro baseball game in the US when he pitched the 7th inning and countryman Dinesh Patel followed in the 8th frame as the “Million Dollar Arms” made their debut for the GCL Pirates. Patel tossed a scoreless frame while Singh was touched up for a run against the Yankee rookies. Both claimed a K in the 4-2 loss. 

Million Dollar Arms Singh & Patel (photo Getty)

• 2010 - The Bucs trailed Philadelphia, 5-2, before scoring six times in the seventh inning for an 8-5 win at PNC Park. Evan Meek picked up the win on the same day he was named to the NL All-Star team. The seventh inning fireworks featured a leadoff homer by Pedro Alvarez and two-run knocks by Garrett Jones & Delwyn Young. 
• 2015 - Jeff Locke and Cody Anderson put on a show for the sellout crowd at PNC Park with the Bucs taking home a 1-0 decision over the Cleveland Indians. The Pirates had a runner on third with an out twice without scoring, finally plating the game’s only run in the sixth when Neil Walker’s single brought home Josh Harrison from second. Mark Melancon worked the final frame for the save. The Tribe threatened but twice - with two on and nobody out in the second, a DP defused the situation, and Melancon let a pair of runners reach after two outs in the ninth before getting a tapper to seal the deal. Locke surrendered two hits; Anderson six. 
• 2016 - Juan Nicasio became the third Pirate, along with Jeff Robinson and Ross Ohlendorf, to toss an immaculate inning (three strikeouts on nine pitches) while helping the Pirates to a 4-2 win over St Louis at Busch Stadium. The righty sat down Stephen Piscotty, Jhonny Peralta and Yadier Molina. Jon Niese got the win over Carlos Martinez, with a save by Neftali Feliz. Gregory Polanco was the hitting hero, banging two homers in a game for the first time and chasing home three runs.

LA Plays Home Run Derby, Leaves Pittsburgh In the Dust 8-3

Clayton Kershaw tossed a 1-2-3 frame although the Bucs did make some solid contact. The Dodgers kept on from yesterday; Joc Pederson smacked Ivan Nova's first pitch beach ball fastball over the RF fence. Max Muncy got pretty much the same pitch on a 3-0 count and he banged it over the CF wall. Then came a four-pitch walk. Nova came back to fan a pair, with a strike 'em out, throw 'em out DP to end the frame. Red-hot Eli opened the second with a two-bagger and Freeser singled him home. A line out and 6-3 DP closed the chapter. A gapper to right went off Gregory's glove and ended up a triple. Another walk followed and Kershaw tried a squeeze; Nova made a dandy play and Eli a nice tag to get the runner at home and keep it at one run. Pittsburgh went quietly in the third. Muncy hit the daily double when he sent a 2-0, knee-high change to the fans. Eli doubled up the line with two gone in the fourth and Freeser singled him home again.

On the bright side, he did set a record... (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Yasmani Grandal opened with a triple off the wall; a review to see if it was a four-bagger kept him at third. No diff; Chris Taylor homered off a 3-1 fastball. Pederson got plunked on the arm with two gone, but he finally got Muncy on a laser shot to J-Bell. The Pirates went down in order in the fifth. Justin Turner led off with a knock, but was doubled up try to advance on a fly to left, and a whiff ended the frame. Nada again for the Buccaneers in the sixth. Grandal led off with, yep, a dinger off a belt-high fastball. Taylor doubled and Dovy Neverauskas took the hill; he gave up a long fly to Enrique Hernandez on his first pitch - did you guess fastball? After fanning two, LA rubbed it in with an infield knock, but Dovy did strike out the side eventually. With an out in the seventh, Yimi Garcia fed Freeser a heater, and he dumped it into the seats; seems like a good day to stay off speed. It was two walks, two whiffs and a pop for Dovy.

JT Chargois spun in the eighth and fanned a pair in a clean inning. Felipe Vazquez came on out of boredom, we'd guess, and struck out a couple more in a calm frame. Erik Goeddell took the hill to ice the cake, and striking out the side did that.

The Pirates had five hits; the Dodgers had six home runs. *sigh*

Eli and Freeser were the Pirate attack tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Notes:

• The Pirates had five hits. Freeser had three of them and Eli a pair; they accounted for all three runs.
• Ivan made the record books; five homers is the most given up by a Pirates pitcher in a single game.
• The Dodgers have hit 66 homers since June 1st and 122 total. The Pirates have hit 84 home runs all this season. LA has six guys with more homers than Gregory Polanco, who leads Pittsburgh with 11, and eight players with nine or more long balls.
• Corey Dickerson has six outfield assists this year, tied with Starling Marte. 
• Joe Musgrove went on the DL with an infected finger retro to 6/30; tomorrow's starter is TBD.
• Wade LeBlanc, 33, just signed an extension with three option years w/Seattle that could max out at $32M (it could also crap out at $2.75M, depending on bonuses reached/option(s) tendered). They flipped him from the pen to the rotation; in 11 starts, he's 3-0/3.38.

Bucs Look For Bounce Back, Nova v Kershaw & Notes - Dovy Up, Tanner Down

Today: Another night owl special that begins at 10:10. The game will be carried by AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan.

Pitchers: RHP Ivan Nova (4-5, 4.02) trades twirls with LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-4, 2.84). In his four games since returning to action, Nova has put up a 2-0/1.75 slash, although his last outing against the Mets was just so-so; his strong line has been fueled by limited his bane, the long ball. He's tossed against LA twice and done well, going 1-0/2.36 with starts in 2017 & '16. The Dodgers' Mr. Big Stuff will be making his third start since leaving the disabled list. He's still building up his arm, but tossed five good innings against the Cubs in his last outing. This will be his 12th start against the Pirates. He's been quite good but not untouchable with a 2-3/3.18 slash against the Buccaneers.

Ivan will try to get the Bucs back on track (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Austin Meadows CF, Josh Harrison 2B, Gregory Polanco RF, Elias Diaz C, David Freese 3B, Josh Bell 1B, Corey Dickerson LF, Jordy SS & Nova P. Colin sits for Freeser today after J-Bell took a seat last night. Freese, btw, is hitting .213 v LHPs. Starling is still out for swing maintenance, and since he's hitting .239 v southpaws may miss tomorrow, too, with lefty Rich Hill due to toss.

Notes:

• Dovydas Neverauskas has been recalled and Tanner Anderson has been optioned to Indy.
• Gregory has reached base safely 27 times in his last 48 PAs (.563 OBP), going 16-for-37 (.432 BA) with three doubles, three homers and 11 walks.
• In the last week, Steven Brault has been called on four times. He's gone four IP, giving up seven earned runs on nine hits with three walks and three whiffs. We wonder if he's running into some dead arm issues now that he's in the pen and getting used every other day? He's only pitched back-to-back twice, both this week, and put up a zero in the first outing and been scored on the following appearance.
• Jacob Stallings has been up for 20 days in two different stints. He's gotten five at bats (1-for-5) and caught seven innings.
• RHP Montana DuRapau, 26, was promoted from Altoona to Indianapolis. You may recall that he was at Indy last year before being suspended 50 games for testing positive for a "drug of abuse."
• Altoona's 1B Will Craig has been selected to participate in the Eastern League Home Run Derby He has 12 long flies in 75 games for the Curve.

7/3 Through the 20s: Chief's Cycle; Hugo Named Manager; 8-Run Inning; HBD Bunny, Chet & Luke

• 1892 - OF Anthony John Grzeszkowski (“Bunny Brief”) was born in Remus, Michigan. He ended his four-year career as a bench player for the Pirates in 1917, hitting .217. Bunny wasn’t much of a major-leaguer, but he ruled on the farm. After his show days, Brief played in the minors until 1928. Though he never hit more than two home runs in any of his big league seasons, Bunny holds the all-time record for home runs in the American Association (by then, a minor league) with 256 and his eight AA home run crowns are tied for the most ever with Ken Guettler. How did Tony Grzeszkowski become Bunny Brief? The Bunny part is easy; it’s a take-off of his childhood nickname of Bundy. As for the Brief, well, you can thank Ellis Island. According to Major-Smolinski’s “Favorite Baseball Nicknames,” his parents were immigrants and when they were processed by a clerk who wrestled with their long Polish name, Papa Grzesikowski suggested that the registrar Americanize the name. "Just change it to something brief," he said. The official did, literally, as related by Joe Brief, a great-nephew of the ballplayer. 

Bunny Brief (1917 Morning Oregonian via Wiki)

• 1897 - RHP Chet Nichols was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Chet, a three-sport star in high school, was a big-time prospect when the Bucs bought him from New Haven of the Eastern League, but his minor-league chops never carried over. He began his less-than-distinguished six year career (1-8, 7.19) with the Bucs, tossing from 1926-27 and slashing 0-3/6.37. He spent his last three campaigns with Philadelphia, leaving the game after the 1932 season with a bum arm. Chet went on to coach at Woonsocket HS and the University of Rhode Island. 
• 1904 - RHP Luke Hamlin was born in Ferris Center, Michigan. Luke had been a 20-game winner for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1939, but age caught up to him. He had become a role pitcher by the time the Pirates got him in 1942 as a 38-year-old, going 4-4/3.94 in 23 outings (14 starts). Luke was sometimes called "Hot Potato" because he liked to juggle the ball while getting ready to pitch, much like a man handling a hot potato. 
• 1910 - Owen “Chief” Wilson hit for the cycle at the Palace of the Fans in Cincinnati as the Pirates and Howie Camnitz took a 10-2 decision from the Reds. Howie was dented for 12 hits, but the Pirates answered with 14 of their own. Fred Clarke added three knocks while Hans Wagner, Tommy Leach and Bobby Byrnes had a pair. The Reds chipped in, too, committing four errors. 

Chief Wilson 1912 (photo Mears/The Sporting News)

• 1917 - Bohemian-born Bucco scout Hugo Bezdek was named Pirate manager, replacing the short-lived skipper Honus Wagner. He managed the Pirates through 1919, compiling a 166–187 record, while also coaching Penn State football from 1918-29 during the offseason. He was known for his rigorous, gridiron-inspired workouts and per Baseball Reference's Bullpen, he "...had a good rapport with his players, whom he relied upon to make some key decisions given his lack of baseball experience. Two of those players would go on to be among baseball's most famous managers - Casey Stengel and Billy Southworth." 
• 1926 - The Pirates scored eight times in the fourth inning and rolled over the Cards at Forbes Field 12-3. Pie Traynor had a homer and double in the big frame and drove home four runs to help Vic Aldridge cruise to a win.