7/16 TRS-PNC Park Era: TRS Opener; Big Date For Brian; RoM Zachster; Robby Rocket; Game Stories; ASGs

• 1970 - The first game at Three Rivers Stadium, located on about the same spot as old Exposition Park, the home of the Pirates from 1891-1909, was played. Cincinnati’s Tony Perez hit the park's first home run as the Bucs lost to the Reds 3-2. Richie Hebner scored the first run in the stadium’s history when Al Oliver doubled him home in the first inning to chase in the yard’s first RBI; Pops hit the first Bucco homer. Dock Ellis started and took the loss. The Pirates rocked their new uniforms of stretch cotton and nylon in front of 48,846 fans. 

• 1971 - Bob Robertson became the first player to blast a shot into the upper left field deck of TRS when he connected off of San Diego’s Steve Arlin in a 2-1 Pirate win. Al Oliver added three hits, Richie Hebner singled home a two-out run and Bob Johnson went the distance while tossing a six-hitter for the win. 
• 1985 - The senior circuit took a 6-1 decision from the AL at the Metrodome in the All Star game. For the second season, C Tony Pena was the only Buc on the team, and he struck out against Dan Petry. Ex-Buc Dave Parker won the first Home Run Derby. In a nod to the past, the honorary captains were players from the 1965 All-Star game, the first held in Minnesota - hometown hero Harmon Killebrew, who homered in the ‘65 Classic, stood for the AL, and Sandy Koufax, 1965’s winning pitcher, repped the NL. 
• 1992 - Doug Drabek scattered four hits and turned a pair of two-out RBI hits - a homer by Andy Van Slyke and a single through the right side by Alex Cole - into a victory as the Bucs defeated the Chicago Cubs 2-1 at TRS. 
• 1999 - The middle hitters of the Pirate order - Brian Giles, Kevin Young and Ed Sprague - each collected a homer and drove in a combined eight runs while scoring seven times in an 11-3 win against the Cleveland Indians at TRS. Francisco Cordova got the win. 

Brian Giles 2001 Upper Deck Vintage Glory Days

• 2002 - Brian Giles and Jack Wilson drove in all seven runs in a 7-3 Bucco win against the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Giles had a homer and sac fly while Wilson banged out three hits, including a triple, as the Pirates Josh Fogg defeated Houston’s Roy Oswalt. 
• 2005 - The Bucs behind Zach Duke shut out the Chicago Cubs and Greg Maddux 3-0 at Wrigley Field. The Zachster gave up eight hits, but the Buc defense turned four DPs in his behalf. Duke even helped himself with a sac fly; the other runs came on a Jason Bay homer and a double by Matt Lawton, both coming with two outs. Duke finished July with a 3-0/0.87 slash and was named the NL Rookie of the Month. 
• 2013 - OF Andrew McCutchen, 3B Pedro Alvarez, and pitchers Jason Grilli, Mark Melancon and Jeff Locke were named to the All-Star game. It was a homecoming of sorts for Alvarez, as the game was played in Citi Field near his Manhattan home of Washington Heights, and he also participated in the home run derby. He didn’t make it past the first round, but his six homers are the most ever hit by a Bucco in that event. The AL took the AS match 3-0. El Toro went 0-for-1 and McCutchen 0-for-2, while Grilli tossed a scoreless inning of relief. Melancon didn’t get in the game, and Locke was injured. It was the first time since 1972 that the Pittsburgh Pirates had five players selected for the game.

The Rain, the Park and Other Things...Cardiac Kids Rally Twice To Broom Brewers 7-6

J-Grove spun a clean first; Gregory reached against Jhoulys Chacin on a two-out error with no damage done. Milwaukee grabbed their first lead of the series when Travis Shaw yanked a change into the RF stands to leadoff the second. The Bucs were quiet again. The Brew Crew went down in order in the third. J-Grove got aboard on another Brewski error that hurt when Corey D dug out an 0-2 slider at his shin and knocked it over the Clemente Wall to put Pittsburgh up 2-1 after three frames. After a K in the fourth, Jesus Aguilar was plunked in the upper arm and then singled to third with two away, but the Brewers died on the corners. There was not a Pirates peep again. J-Grove cruised through the 7-8-9 end of the order in the fifth. Jordy got plunked (both sides are even w/no warnings. Play ball!) with an out and was bunted to second, moving no further. J-Hay pulled up lame running out a ball (hammy "discomfort"); Mad Max is the new 2B.

Freeser Clutch #1 (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Christian Yelich smoked a double with an out in the sixth and was wild pitched to third. Aguilar walked after a nine pitch contest. Joe got a pop, but Tyler Saladino drilled a single to left to knot the score. The Bucs went quietly; Chacin got the first out and then the All-Star closer, Josh Hader, came on to get the final two. With an out in the seventh, Erik Kratz singled on a come-backer deflected by J-Grove on a ball that should have probably been an out, but the play didn't come back to bite the Bucs. Hader, who hasn't been used in the series until today, struck out the side on 13 pitches. The Brewers started the eighth with a knock and a walk (squeezed). A fly moved the lead runner to third, followed by a K and a walk. At 105 pitches, Clint stuck with J-Grove, but he was a bridge too far - Brett Phillips, just called up today, tripled the sacks clean on the first pitch to make it 5-2. It took Ric Rod one toss to end the frame, but a batter too late.

Jeremy Jeffress took the ball. Corey D doubled with two outs and Starling brought him home with an excuse-me knock into right. Corey Knebel came on to face Gregory. Marte stole second before Polanco walked. Knebel gave Eli a pretty fat 0-2 fastball, but Diaz was on top of it and grounded out. Steven Brault got the ninth inning call. A two-base error put him in a bit of a jam; Eli got him out of it by throwing out Lorenzo Cain trying to steal third. That allowed Steven to escape with a zero, even with a following rap. Red Beard and J-Bell singled to open the frame and Mad Max walked to pack the sacks. Bummer alert: Jordy rolled into an around-the-horn DP, making it 5-4 and putting the game in Freeser's hands. And good hands they were; he fell behind 0-2, dodged some chin music and then drilled a game-tying triple the opp way, taking a big hop off the wall in right center. A grounder took it to overtime.

J-Bell Clutch #2 (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Tanner Anderson of the big leg kick, called up today for the second time, came on in the 10th. The Brew Crew started with a walk and bunt, followed by another walk. Then a single made it 6-5, but Anderson stopped it there. Taylor Williams came on. He got a line out from Starling before Gregory singled. Eli, who's had a rough day, popped out foul to first. Lefty Dan Jennings was waved in to face Colin as it began to rain and thunder. Play on, said the ump, and Red Beard and J-Bell proved to be sturdy mudders; Moran singled Gergory to third and Josh banged a double.The relay beat Moran to the plate (no surprise there) but with the field damp and the rain coming down in sheets, the ball skipped past the catcher and you can RTJR as the Bucs came all the way back to take a 7-6 victory.

Give the team credit; not only did they play to the last out, but they had to overcome some very kid glove managing/planning. Clint and the FO were apparently counting on J-Grove tossing a complete game as it seems the entire bullpen was in vacation mode even with the All-Star break of four days starting tomorrow. Brault, Willy & Anderson were the pen; Ric Rod got one batter and Edgar Santana/Kyle Crick should have been available though they did work 3-of-4 days and we guess that took them down. Of course, it may have been moot if Jordy hit a ball in the air in the ninth. Ah well, a win, no matter how crooked the road taken, is a win. Enjoy the holiday, guys.

Notes:

• Corey D had the first two hits; J-Bell and Colin Moran joined him with a pair of raps later.
• The Pirates are first MLB team since the NY Yankees in 2006 to take a five-game sweep.
• Tanner Anderson won his first MLB game in his second appearance.
• Freeser hit his first triple since 2014 when he was with the Angels.
• There were 17,583 at PNC Park today.
• Austin Meadows was optioned back to Indy and they recalled Tanner Anderson. Clay Holmes, as the 26th man yesterday, was also sent down.
• On his Sunday radio chat, Neal said part of Austin Meadow's playing time problems were that the other three guys are playing better than he is, which hard to argue against. It especially makes sense to showcase Corey D if he's the odd man out down the road. Still, Meadows told Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic that he was confused (behind a paywall) over his whole situation in Pittsburgh; apparently clubhouse communication leaves something to be desired.

Bye-bye for the time being (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

• NH added that he doesn't believe Cervy's concussion problems are career-threatening, but did say questions about his future are legitimate.
• Tough week for the Brewers all around: Jonathan Villar was placed on the 10-day DL with a thumb injury.
• Today's game takes the Bucs into the All-Star break. They return to action Friday night in Cincinnati to begin a three-game series against the Reds.

Brewers Take the Bucs Into the All-Star Break, J-Grove v Chacin & Notes

Today: The game will start at 1:35 and be aired by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. Kids 14-and-under get a Bucco lunch bag.

Pitchers: RHP Joe Musgrove (3-4, 3.77) closes the series against RHP Jhoulys Chacín (8-3, 3.78). Musgrove struck out a career-high nine hitters on Tuesday but only got through five innings. J-Grove looks so far like one of those guys who has to grind out wins by working around runners; he's not a low-hit twirler with a 1.338 WHIP over the past two years. Musgrove will close out the Pirates' first half with his first outing against the Brewers. Chacin has owned the Bucs this season, allowing two earned runs on nine hits in 12-1/3 innings, although he didn't get a decision in either match as Milwaukee split the two games. He's a guy that's hot-and-cold on the hill; Chacin's allowed two or fewer runs 12 times, but four or more in seven starts.

J-Grove looks to sweep the Brew Crew (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Corey Dickerson LF, Starling Marte CF, Gregory Polanco RF, Elias Diaz C, Colin Moran 3B, J-Bell 1B, J-Hay 2B, Jordy SS & Musgrove P. The A-Team goes for the sweep.

Notes:

• Michael Feliz and Tyler Glasnow are down today, but the back end guys are ready for duty. 
• The Pirates have won five in a row and seven-of-eight. We wouldn't pop the champagne quite yet. The team is 47-49 and still nine games behind the Cubs in the division and 5-1/2 games behind the Dodgers & Braves for the second wild card with 66 games to go. As for Milwaukee, they've dropped out of first place, losing five in a row and seven-of-nine.
• A victory today would give the Pirates their first five-game sweep since September 12-15th, 1996 at San Francisco and their first in Pittsburgh since August 18-21st, 1995 vs. Florida. Since giving up 17 runs to the Phillies in the first game of this homestand on July 6th, the Pirates pitching staff has posted a 2.22 ERA and seven saves while going 7-2 over the last nine games. And it's not just the smokin' hot bullpen - the Bucco starting pitchers have crafted a 2.45 ERA while striking out 56 batters and walking just 10 over 51+ IP.

Marte Partay in full swing... (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

• He's hotter than the weather: Starling has an 11-game hitting streak on the line, with multi-hit games in six of the contests and three doubles, four homers, nine runs, nine RBI & six swiped sacks.
• Felipe Vazquez has three saves during this series; the only Pirates pitcher to save four games in a single set is Kent Tekulve in 1978, per StatsBySTATS.
• The Futures Game is today and will be aired at 4 PM by the MLB Network. 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes & RHP Mitch Keller are starting for the US, so you may want to flip the TV between innings to catch the two prospects in action on a pretty big stage.
• The Cards fired Mike Matheny after yesterday's loss to the Reds. He hadn't taken the Redbirds to the playoffs since 2015... Bench coach Mike Shildt took over as interim manager while the Redbirds search for a new boss.

7/15 Games: Paige No-No; Hoyt 1-Hitter; Cobra Attack; Cutch 4-Bagger Foursome; Sweeps & Rallies; Game Stories

• 1893 - Jake Stenzel banged a HR and a triple‚ both with the bases loaded‚ to go with three other hits as Pittsburgh crushed the Washington Senators 19-0 at Exposition Park. The Bucs banged out a double, four triples and four homers in routing Washington. To add insult to injury, Frank Killen tossed a six-hitter, leading the Pittsburgh Press to write that the Sens were “...completely at the mercy of the clever left-hander.” 

Lefty Killen 1896 (team photo snip)

• 1905 - In a showdown twinbill between the first place NY Giants and the second place Bucs at the Polo Grounds, Pittsburgh overcame a 6-0 deficit against Iron Joe McGinnity to take a 7-6 lead in the seventh, but lost on a ninth inning homer 8-7 as Christy Mathewson shut them down over the last 2-2/3 innings. The Pirates took the nitecap, 3-0, behind Deacon Phillippe's four-hitter. Honus Wagner clinched the victory with a two-run homer that hit the el tracks in the eighth inning. The Giants eventually won the pennant with 105 victories (Pittsburgh had 96) and swept the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series.
• 1908 - The Pirates tied the Boston Doves with a run in the ninth thanks to a George Gibson triple and won in the 10th, 3-2, when Fred Clarke was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for a walk-off plunk. Sam Leever went the distance for the victory at Exposition Park. 
• 1932 - The Pirates got plenty of pitching in sweeping a DH from the Boston Braves at Forbes Field by 1-0 and 2-1 scores. Ray Kremer won the opener with a three-hitter as LF Dave Barbee doubled home Arky Vaughan in the fourth. In the nitecap, Heinie Meine tossed a six-hitter and drove in a run, winning in the ninth when Vaughan singled home Adam Comorosky. 
• 1932 - In the second game of a doubleheader, Satchel Paige tossed his second no-hitter of the year and the first ever at Greenlee Field as the Pittsburgh Crawfords defeated the New York Black Yankees, 6-0. Three Hall of Famers took the field with Paige: Oscar Charleston at first base, Judy Johnson at third, and Josh Gibson in left field. Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe lived up to his nickname by pitching in the first game and then going behind the plate for Paige's no-no. 

Waite Hoyt 1933 Big League

• 1934 - Waite Hoyt tossed a one-hitter against Boston, surrendering a single to Tommy Thompson in a 5-0 win in the opener of a DH at Braves Field. The offense was a team effort; five Bucs had two hits and all eight position players scored and/or drove home runs. Ed Brandt returned the favor in the nitecap, limiting the Bucs to three hits in a 4-0 Brave victory. 
• 1945 - The Pirates bombed the visiting Brooklyn Dodgers in a Forbes Field doubleheader‚ slamming them 9-1 and 15-3. Frank Gustine drove home three runs in the opener while Bob Elliott hit for the cycle. Pete Coscarart scored five times in the nitecap as part of a 19-hit onslaught. Rip Sewell and Ken Gables went the distance for the wins. 
• 1971 - The Pirates beat the Padres 4-3 at TRS by never saying die. Pittsburgh rallied to tie the game in the bottoms of the ninth‚ 13th‚ and 16th innings before winning it on Roberto Clemente’s HR in the 17th. San Diego’s Danny Coombs was hit with a double whammy, credited with a blown save in the 16th and then the loss in the 17th. It was the first time in franchise history that the Bucs had overcome a pair of extra-inning deficits to rally for a win, a feat that wouldn’t be repeated again by the club until 2015 at PNC Park against the Cardinals. 
• 1982 - Dave Parker came through early and came through late to carry the Pirates and John Candelaria to a 5-1 win over Houston in the Astrodome. His first-inning single chased home two Buccos (one on an error) and his three-run, 430’ blast to center in the ninth off reliever Frank LaCorte iced the game. In between, the Candy Man and Don Sutton were hooked up in a dandy little duel, with Rod Scurry covering the final 2-⅔ frames without allowing a hit for the save. 

Dave Parker 1982 Topps

• 1994 - The Pirates erased an eight run deficit and came back to beat Houston 11-8 at TRS after the Astros had scored seven times in the first inning. Carlos Garcia banged a homer and plated four RBI while John “The Rock” Wehner and P Ravelo Manzanillo both delivered two-run hits. Rich Robertson, Manzanillo (win) and Mike Dyer (save) tossed seven innings of shutout ball in the win. 
• 1995 - Jeff King hit two home runs with five RBI to power the Pirates past the Cardinals, 9-2, at TRS. The Pirates jumped ahead early by a 6-0 count after two, fueled by long balls from from King, Mark Parent and Jay Bell. Denny Neagle went the distance, pitching his third of five complete games during his 1995 All-Star season. 
• 2012 - Andrew McCutchen homered in his fourth straight game and collected three hits, but it was in vain as the Bucs fell to Milwaukee 4-1 at Miller Field.

7/15 Happenings & All-Stars: Cover Boy Manny; ASGs; HBD Donn, Enrique, Anthony, Red & Don

• 1893 - LHP John “Red” Oldham was born in Zion, Maryland. Red tossed for Detroit for five years, dropped out of sight for a couple of seasons, dedicating himself to business and some indie league play, then resurfaced in 1925 at the age of 32 with the Pirates. His first season was solid enough at 3-2-1/3.91, but his big moment came in World Series. Red pitched the final inning of Game 7 before 42,856 fans at Forbes Field. The Pirates had taken a 9-7 lead in the eighth and called on Oldham to put it away against the heart of the Washington Senators lineup that featured three future Hall of Famers. He whiffed Sam Rice looking, got Bucky Harris on a liner and finished the game by catching Goose Goslin looking. He faded in 1926 (2-2-2, 5.62) and was let go in July. 

Donn Clendenon 1978 TCMA The 1960s

• 1935 - 1B Donn Clendenon was born in Neosho, Missouri. An all around athlete at Morehouse College, he turned down offers from the Cleveland Browns and Harlem Globetrotters to sign with the Bucs. He spent eight years (1961-68) as a Pirate with a line of .280/106/488. Clendenon hit .302 as a rookie in 1962 (he didn’t play enough in ‘61 to qualify) and was a distant runner up to Chicago’s Ken Hubbs in the RoY voting. He spent a couple of off-seasons (1962-64) as an Allegheny County detective and eventually earned a law degree from Duquesne in 1978 that carried him into his post-baseball career. Family Act: Clendenon's stepfather was Nish Williams, a noted Negro League player and manager. Donn was a three-sport star as a youth, and is said to have selected baseball as his focus because of Nish. 
• 1942 - CF Don Bosch was born in San Francisco. He started his four-year run in the show with two hitless at bats for the Pirates in 1966 after signing with the club in 1960. He went to the Mets in the ‘66 off season with Don Cardwell as part of the Dennis Ribant/Gary Kolb deal. At the time, he was a highly touted prospect and AAA All-Star, but fizzled in the majors, batting just .164 during his career. His last MLB season was 1969 with the Expos, and he retired from pro ball after the 1970 campaign at age 27. 
• 1947 - Enrique Romo was born in Santa Rosalia, Mexico. The righty pitched for the Pirates for four seasons (1979-82), going 25-16-26/3.56 after coming over from Seattle. Romo appeared in 84 games for the World Series champs in ‘79 and was an integral part of the Buc bullpen his first two years, but went noticeably downhill in his last two campaigns, which marked the end of his six-year MLB career. 

• 1972 - Manny Sanguillen was featured as the cover story of The Sporting News in an article titled “Durable Mitt Star.” For seven of his first eight years with Pittsburgh, he caught at least 113 games (with 151 games behind the dish in 1974). The only year he didn’t was in 1973, when he was given an extensive audition as a right fielder after Roberto Clemente’s death. 
• 1975 - The NL whipped the AL 6-3 in the All Star game at County Stadium. Jerry Reuss pitched the first three frames, putting up zeroes on three hits with two strikeouts. Al Oliver doubled and scored in his lone at bat while Manny Sanguillen was planted on the bench. The contest was Hank Aaron's 21st and final All-Star Game, a fitting venue for his farewell in the former home of the Milwaukee Braves. 
• 1984 - RHP Anthony Clagett was born in Hemet, California. 2009 was his big year season, starting it with the Yankees and ending it with the Pirates after he was DFA’ed in late September, getting into one game and giving up a run on two hits in his inning. During the off season, Claggett was cut by Pittsburgh when Octavio Dotel was signed. He played indy ball, in Australia and Japan from 2012-14. Since then, Claggett has been a coach at the collegiate level for College of the Desert, Riverside and San Jose State. He’s now the pitching coach at New Mexico State. 
• 1986 - The junior circuit squeezed out a 3-2 win over the NL in the Midsummer Classic held at the Astrodome. C Tony Pena came on as a ninth inning pinch runner and was singled to third by ex-Buc Dave Parker as the tying run with an out, but the next hitter banged into a game-ending DP. P Rick Rhoden was also selected, but didn’t get to climb the bump. This was the last All-Star Game to be played indoors until 2011 when Chase Field was the host. 

Honus 1909 T-206

• 2000 - A 1909 Honus Wagner T-206 baseball card was auctioned on eBay for a record $1.265M on this day; the same card was resold for $2.8M in 2007. Another version, the “Jumbo” (a miscut that was 1/16” longer than the usual size) topped the chart in 2016, going for $3.12M. 
• 2003 - The AL scored three times in the eighth inning at US Cellular Field to claim a 7-6 All Star win over the NL in the 70th Anniversary matchup. Reliever Mike Williams was the Pirates only selection for the second straight year, and he didn’t get into either game. The match was the first to award home-field advantage in the World Series to the winning league, a rule that stemmed from a 7–7 tie the previous year that led fans to question whether the game meant anything. The rule stayed in effect through 2016. 
• 2008 - The AL continued its domination over the NL with a 4-3 All Star squeaker at Yankee Stadium that took 15 innings to complete. It was a final tribute to the storied “House That Ruth Built” that would close its gates after the season. OF Nate McLouth was the Pirate rep, and he went 1-for-4 during the contest. It was the longest MLB All-Star Game in time (4 hours and 50 minutes) and the 15 innings played tied the mark for the most frames with the 1967 contest. 

Tony Watson 2014 Topps All Star

• 2014 - The AL whipped the NL 5-3 in the ASG at Target Field in Minnesota. It was Derek Jeter’s 14th and final appearance. All the Bucco All-Stars played: Andrew McCutchen went 1-for-3 as the starting center fielder, Josh Harrison was a sub in left and went 0-for-2, while LHP Tony Watson came in to face one batter, Jose Abreu, and got him to fly out to Josh. Manager Clint Hurdle was there too, as a coach for the NL skipper, the Card’s Mike Matheny.

Clay & Five Homers Carry Bucs To Twin Bill Sweep 6-2

The Brewers got a double off Clay Holmes but created no scoreboard damage while the Bucs went quietly against Brent Suter. The second was clean; Holmes has a much better idea of the strike zone so far. J-Bell walked with an out for all the Pirates hubbub. In the third, Milwaukee opened with a knock off J-Hay's glove. Clay came back with an around-the-horn DP and whiff. Mad Max turned mighty by opening the scoring with a long ball in an otherwise meek frame. The Brew Crew got a knock in the fourth and nada else; ditto for the Pirates. The Brewski Bunch worked a fifth-inning leadoff walk but could only move the runner to second. The Corsairs went in order. Milwaukee drew a walk with one away in the sixth on a barely held check swing, followed an out later by a rap. Clay got away with a two-strike down Broadway heater (it was a 96 MPH sinker) that Tyler Saladino couldn't catch to stop the music.

Clay had quite the bounce-back game today (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Jeremy Jeffress took the ball. Starling smacked a ground rule double the oppo way with an out. Lorenzo Cain ran down Gregory's shot to center, although it moved Marte up 90'. He touched home when Freeser bounced a ball up the middle. Tyler Glasnow stepped on the rubber in the seventh, after Clay had given up four hits, two walks and fanned six after 82 pitches. Ty walked the first batter and then gave up a single, but the Brewers helped by getting the lead runner thrown out at third by J-Low on a head-scratching TOOTBLAN (they challenged; no luck). Hernan Perez then stole second before the next pair went down swinging. Dan Jennings scaled the slope and Jordan Luplow sent his third pitch into the shrubbery. Red Beard walked with two away but didn't cause any trouble.

The Brewers opened the eighth with an infield single that ticked off J-Hay's glove. That was followed by a whiff and a pair of full-count walks, bringing on Michael Feliz for Ty. Michael, who like Glasnow been up-and-down, was the right man for this spot, getting a short fly and a whiff to put up another zero. Aaron Wilkerson spun for Milwaukee and Starling planted an 0-2 curve into the stands; Gregory did the same with a 1-2 slider; both were pretty much meatballs. J-Low joined the fun with two gone, banging an 0-1 fastball into the seats, again delivered down the middle. His first went 417'; this one traveled 441', and those kind of launches are why the Pirates are giving him a look. But nothing is ever easy; Feliz opened the ninth giving up a knock and a walk. After a K, a pop dropped in short center to load the sacks. After another K, a flare into center chased home two Brewers and brought Felipe Vazquez on; he got a three-pitch whiff to close the book. RTJR!

Jordan Luplow had a big day, too (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Notes:

• Starling, Freeser and J-Low had two hits in the nightcap.
• Marte, El Coffee and Luplow each had two homers in today's double dipper. Maxie added another, and though they were all solo shots, seven long flies are tough to overcome. Starling & Gregory became the third duo in MLB history to hit back-to-back homers in both games of a doubleheader. The others: Pittsburgh's Frank Thomas & Dick Groat on 7/7/1957, and Oakland's Sal Bando & Reggie Jackson on 7/7/1968 per Stats on STATS.
• Pirates pitchers struck out 21 Brewers today: eight in the lidlifter and 13 more in game two.
• The twin bill drew 24,474. 

Nightcap, Holmes v Suter & Notes

Today: The game starts 1/2 hour after the lidlifter ends. It will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Pitchers: RHP Clay Holmes (0-1, 7.11) goes in game two against LHP Brent Suter (8-5, 4.53). This will be Holmes second MLB start; he was bent, folded and mutilated by the Dodgers, and we'll see if that was butterflies or not today. He was effective in a couple of earlier relief outings and command will be his key. Holmes hasn't worked against Milwaukee. In Suter's last two outings, he's given up nine runs in 11 IP on 15 hits, but he hasn't worked since July 2nd, when he went on the DL with forearm tightness. He's worked two scoreless innings of relief against Pittsburgh this year and been good against them in his career. Suter has tossed eight times (three starts) against the Bucs since 2016 and gone 1-0/1.80 against them.

Clay on the hill (photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates)

Lineup: Josh Harrison 2B, Starling Marte CF, Gregory Polanco RF, David Freese 3B, J-Bell 1B, Jordan Luplow LF, Jake Stallings C, Max Moroff SS & Holmes P. Second game of a twin bill, lefty on the hill...pretty much as expected.

Notes:

• Clay Holmes is the 26th man today, so no other roster move is needed; he'll be on the roster for just today.
• Starling's hitting streak is at 10 games.

Bucs Hang On To Top Brewers In Opener 2-1

The Brew Crew got a double but no runs off Ivan Nova in the day's opening frame. The Bucs banged Chase Anderson for back-to-back bombs by Starling and Gregory (Marte's confirmed by review; it made it into the second row) to take a quick 2-0 lead. A second inning Brewski single was turned into an out when Tyler Saladino tried to hustle an extra base off Corey D to key a 1-2-3 frame. J-Bell singled; he was erased on a strike 'em out, throw 'em out DP; why Clint ran Josh, who isn't exactly Usain Bolt, on a 1-2 count is beyond us. Jordy dropped a knock before Ivan ended the dance. It was three up, three down for Milwaukee in the third. After Lorenzo Cain robbed Starling of extra bases, Gregory drew a walk. He went to third on an Eli rap, hitting the brakes although Joey Cora gave him a wave that was way aggressive, even with two outs. But El Coffee should have taken the shot; Red Beard whiffed on four pitches. The Brewers got a knock in fourth. J-Bell walked, at least turning the order over.

Ivan pitched well though he didn't get the win (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Saladino won a nine-pitch battle to open the fifth with a single; Milwaukee added another hit with an out. A not-so-hot bunt played nicely by Eli forced the runner at third, but no diff as Christian Yelich brought the run home on a grounder through the right side. There was a play at home, but the relay hung up in Jordy's glove. An infield hit loaded 'em up and that brought on Ric Rod to face Travis Shaw, who is 12-of-16 against Nova (although 0-for-10 with the bases loaded this year; talk about damned if you do...). It was a good call as Ric Rod whiffed him. No noise from Pittsburgh. RR cruised through the sixth. Eli started the Bucs up with a rap and an out later, the Brew Crew called on Taylor Williams who shut the gate. Edgar Santana got the seventh. Keon Broxton drew a full-count walk after the ump was generous to him on the prior pitch. Jesus Aguilar came up to pinch hit, but it ended well, with a strike 'em out, throw 'em out DP.

Corbin Burnes toed the slab. Austin Meadows pinch hit and walked with one gone for all the Pirates action. Kyle Crick climbed the hill in the eighth and was greeted by a Yelich single. Cain hit into a force and stole second, where he stayed. Eli singled with an out but the Bucs refused to add any insurance. Felipe Vazquez came on without a net for the ninth. With two outs, Erik Kratz rolled over on a pitch away but managed to place it into left. Two pitches later, another grounder ended it. RTJR!

Gregory's 1st inning homer was the game winner (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

It was a pitching battle, but the Bucs still managed to use four relievers; the second game should be interesting if Clay has another short start. But hey, a win is a win and the Pirates are playing ball again; they've already clinched the series, so another win or two would be the cherry on top heading into All-Star break.

Notes:

• Eli had three hits; Gregory and J-Bell each had a knock and walk
• J-Bell reached base in nine straight PAs (five hits, four walks) before grounding out in the sixth. Refocusing on the strike zone has paid dividends.
• The Bucs have won six-of-seven.
• In definite bad news, the Pirates have placed Francisco Cervelli on the 7-Day DL with post concussive symptoms and brought back Jacob Stallings from AAA Indy. The Bucs may be trying to take advantage of the AS break or we it may be that we're looking at John Jaso 2.0; it's Amore's fourth concussion DL trip since late June, 2017.

Game One, Nova v Anderson & Notes

Today: This is the opener of a true double header, with the first pitch at 12:35. The contest will be carried by AT&T SportsNet and 93.7 The Fan. It's J-Bell bobblehead day.

Pitchers: RHP Ivan Nova (5-6, 4.50) has the lidlifter against RHP Chase Anderson (6-6, 3.81). Nova as gone 3-1/3.72 ERA in six starts since being reinstated from the DL with just one real clunker in the mix. But he has given up seven homers in the last two games, sooo... He hasn't faced the Brew Crew this year, but in five career starts is 2-2/3.19. Chase has been en fuego lately, with four runs surrendered in his last four starts covering 22 IP with 23 K. He has one outing this year against the Pirates, getting chased in the sixth after giving up five runs and two homers.

Ivan kicks off the twin bill (image AT&T SportsNet)

Lineup: Corey Dickerson LF, Starling Marte CF, Gregory Polanco RF, Elias Diaz C, Colin Moran 3B, J-Bell 1B, J-Hay 2B, Jordy SS & Nova P. Usual suspects with Eli catching the first game and Austin Meadows again on splinter patrol.

Notes:

• So far, so good: Corey Dickerson has gone 5-for-16 with two walks and three runs scored in four games from the leadoff spot.
• Starling is keepin' on; he has a nine-game hitting streak going into today's double dipper. He's gone 15-for-35 (.429) with two doubles, two homers and seven RBI while raising his season average from .265 to .284 during that stretch.
• Trevor Williams is off until after the ASG break, so he could be available from the pen this weekend.
• 1B/OF Eric Thames (hammy) and RHP Junior Guerra (right forearm) have been placed on the 10-day disabled list by the Brewers. Both were hurt in yesterday's action.

7/14 Games: Roberto's Granny; Rally Drops Matty; Borbon Bite; Grinder's Delight; Game Stories

• 1910 - The Bucs were down 3-0 going into the ninth against Christy Mathewson and the NY Giants at Forbes Field, but scored four times to take home the win. A walk, error and two singles set the table. Matty then loaded the bases with back-to-back walks‚ and after throwing two balls to Tommy Leach was relieved by Red Ames. Ames lost Leach, forcing home the winning run and giving Deacon Phillippe the victory. 

Tommy Leach 1910 Tip Top

• 1940 - The Pirates won their sixth game of seven by whipping Brooklyn 6-2 at Forbes Field. Rip Sewell got the win and also cracked a homer. They dropped the nitecap of the twin bill 2-0 as the Dodgers’ Freddie Fitzsimmons got the better of Ken Heintzelman. 
• 1946 - Hall of Famer Warren Spahn beat the Bucs at Forbes Field by a 4-1 tally for his first MLB win; he would earn 363 of them in his 21-year career, with 49 coming against Pittsburgh. His only blemish was a solo shot by Frankie Gustine. Spahn could have reached 400 wins, but gave up three years (1943-45) to WW2. 
• 1955 - The Pirates suffered the worst defeat in their history to date when Cincinnati mashed them 19-1 at Forbes Field. Reds Johnny Temple, Wally Post and Smoky Burgess had 13 hits among the three of them. Five Pirate pitchers gave up 21 hits (3 HR), 12 walks and a hit batter while the fielders chipped in with three errors. The whupping stayed in the record books until 2010 when the Brewers laid a 20-0 beat down on the Bucs. 
• 1961 - A two-out grand slam in the bottom of the eighth by Roberto Clemente, a rising liner that carried the center field wall at the 410’ mark, erased a 4-1 deficit and led the Bucs to a 6-4 win over the SF Giants at Candlestick Park. Clem Labine got the win and ElRoy Face the save. 

Monster Mash '74 (NBC Sports)

• 1974 - The nitecap of a twinbill against the rival Reds erupted into a donnybrook. The action started after a fourth inning beanball of Bruce Kison by Jack Billingham, causing both teams to rush the field. When Sparky Anderson stepped on Ed Kirkpatrick's foot‚ the Buc catcher shoved the Reds skipper and was rewarded with a sock from Andy Kosko. The best remembered bit of mayhem was when Cincy’s Pedro Borbon bit Daryl Patterson after a little hair-tugging. Patterson got a tetanus shot after the chomp (Borbon told the media afterward for Patterson not to worry about tetanus, but rabies; Patterson countered by saying Borbon "fights like a woman.") The Pirates won the spirited contest 2-1 after dropping the opener 3-2. The victory began an eight-game Bucco winning streak and the Pirates stormed through the second half of the season to take the NL East title, but lost the NLCS to the LA Dodgers three games to one. 
• 1997 - The Bucs came from behind three times, falling behind 1-0, 2-1, and 4-3, to finally beat the Mets 5-4 at TRS to take their 10th win in 12 games. Steve Cooke left after seven with a 3-2 lead, but New York scored twice off Clint Sadowsky in the eighth to leapfrog ahead. The Pirates tallied twice in the eighth for the victory on four straight hits: doubles by Al Martin, Kevin Young and Jason Kendall sandwiched around a knock by Dale Sveum. Rich Loiselle picked up his 12th save (he finished the year with 29), tying the club rookie record set by Francisco Cordova one year earlier. Ricardo Rincon got the win. 
• 2006 - Seven of the Bucs’ 15 hits went for extra bases (six doubles and a Jose Bautista homer), all hit by different players, as the club spread the offense around in a 7-4 win against the Washington Nationals at PNC Park. Joey Bats, Jason Bay and Jack Wilson each collected three knocks. 

Josh Bell 2017 Topps Bunt

• 2017 - The Bucs spotted the Cards a 2-0 first-inning lead at PNC Park but ground their way to a 5-2 win that was nowhere as easy as the score would indicate. Gerrit Cole recovered nicely after the rough opening. Tony Watson, Juan Nicasio and Felipe Rivero held the fort and allowed the Pirates to tie the game at two going into the ninth. With Adam Frazier on second and an out, Andrew McCutchen was given an intentional pass so that Seung Hwan Oh could face rookie Josh Bell. He got ahead 1-2, then J-Bell went the opposite way for a walk off blast and a 5-2 win. Bell’s homer would be the first walkoff hit of three in a six-day span for the Bucs.