Getaway Finale for Pittsburgh-Cleveland, Jamo v Bauer, Lineup & Notes

Today: The getaway game starts at 1:10 and will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. This afternoon the Bucs will look to broom the Indians in Cleveland for the first time (this is Pittsburgh’s sixth series in Cleveland during the interleague era).

Pitchers: RHP Jameson Taillon (7-7, 3.80) finishes the set v RHP Trevor Bauer (8-6, 2.44). Jamo has  a slash of 5-3/3.15 over his last 10 games, giving up three earned runs or less during that span and in 17 of his 20 starts overall while pitching into the sixth inning nine times in his last 12 outings. JT has also been a road warrior lately, going 4-0/2.32 in his last five away starts. He's never faced the Indians. Bauer has been hot since early June, giving up more than two runs just twice in has last nine starts and getting into the seventh inning eight times. He hasn't tossed against Pittsburgh since 2015 when he won 5-2.

Jamo looks to keep the good times rollin' (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Jordan Luplow LF, Starling Marte CF, Gregory Polanco RF, Colin Moran 3B, J-Bell 1B, David Freese DH, S-Rod 2B,Jordy SS & Jacob Stallings C (Taillon P). Sunday lineup on Wednesday; not sure how you justify having Morin & Freese in the same lineup with Moran in the field. Hopefully Corey D's day off is just precautionary; the docs won't commit to more than "day-to-day."

Notes:

• The Pirates last won twelve games in a row in 1965. A victory would also tie them with the Astros for the longest winning streak this season.
• More Marte Partay stuff: Starling has chased home 20 RBI this month, his most over a single month. That’s the most RBI by any player in the NL and tied for the most in the majors during July, along with Xander Bogaerts, Brian Dozier and Jose Ramirez.
• The Three Amigos: Pittsburgh’s outfielders rank first among NL teams in OPS (.846), slugging (.507) and batting average (.284) and are tied for first in home runs (55) with the Dodgers. Pittsburgh has hit 31 homers this month, tied with the Yankees for most in the majors, and their starting outfielders have combined for 20 of them.
• Injury report: Chad Kuhl still isn't throwing; Cervy has been symptom-free for a spell and will be examined with an eye to clearing him for action in Pittsburgh; Jung-Ho Kang is in the cage but not ready for game action yet, and Corey D showed "slight improvement" re: his hammy. Daniel Nava, for those with a good memory, is officially out for the season with a balky back.
• The Ohio trip ends today. Tomorrow the Bucs will open a four-game series with the Mets as part of a nine-game homestand along w/the Cubs (2) and Cards (3). That's followed by a trek west against the Rox, Giants and Twins.
• Scratch RHP Nathan Eovaldi from the Pirates wish list; the Rays traded him to Boston.

7/25 Happenings: Jake, Highpockets Deals; Larcenous Kiki; ASG; HBD Doug, Alex, Ed, John & Marv

• 1863 - John Tener was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, and moved to the City as a babe. A pitcher for the Pittsburgh Burghers in 1890, he later served as Governor of Pennsylvania from 1911 to 1914 and President of the National Baseball League from 1915 to 1918. 
• 1896 - The Pirates traded 1B Jake Beckley to the New York Giants for 1B Harry Davis and cash. Beckley was a local favorite who would eventually enter the Hall of Fame, and the deal didn’t sit very well with the fans. Both teams got a good year, bad year out of the players, who then went on to star for different clubs. Beckley spent seven years with Cincinnati and hit .325 over that span, cementing his HoF path, while Davis spent 16 of his last 17 seasons (he played 22 years) hitting .279 for the Philadelphia Athletics.

Jake Beckley via Hall of Fame

• 1917 - 1B George “Highpockets” Kelly was claimed by the Bucs in a waiver deal with the NY Giants. He got in eight games, and after the injured player he replaced (43 year old Honus Wagner) came back, he was returned to the Giants in another waiver deal. Kelly became a Hall-of-Fame player for NY, hitting .297 over 16 seasons. 
• 1921 - CF Marv Rackley was born in Seneca, South Carolina. Marv was bungee Bucco - the Brooklyn Dodgers sent him to Pittsburgh in 1949 for 1B Johnny Hopp. He got into 11 games and hit .314, but it ended up that he was damaged goods with a bum arm. The deal was voided and he went back to da Bums, who sold him to the Reds (with proper notice of the achy wing) in the off season. He played five games for them before being sent down, and he finished his career in the upper minors, retiring after the 1955 campaign. 
• 1925 - In a ho-hum 7-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Forbes Field, Kiki Cuyler became the last Bucco to steal second, third and home in a game. 
• 1962 - RHP Doug Drabek was born in Victoria, Texas. He tossed six seasons (1987-92) in Pittsburgh with a line of 92-62/3.02. Drabek won the Cy Young in 1990 when he went 22-6, but oddly never made an All-Star team as a Pirate. Doug spent six seasons in the show after he left Pittsburgh following the 1992 season but never won more than a dozen games elsewhere. After he retired, he spent time at home and helping coach Little League ball. In 2010, he returned to pro ball as a pitching coach for Arizona, a position he still holds. 

Doug Drabek 1991 Score All Star

• 1967 - 1B/3B Ed Sprague was born in Castro Valley, California. Sprague spent one of his 11 major league campaigns in Pittsburgh, signing in 1999 for $1.3M, and it was a solid season. He became the Bucco starter, hitting .267 with 22 homers and made the only All-Star game of his career.He left for San Diego in 2000, with Aramis Ramirez slotted in at the hot corner for Pittsburgh. 2001 was his last big league year, and he became the head coach for the U. of Pacific Tigers from 2004-15. In 2016, Sprague joined Oakland as a special advisor and is their Coordinator of Instruction. 
• 1972 - The NL nosed the AL 4-3 at Atlanta Stadium in the All-Star game, kicking off an 11-game winning streak for the senior circuit. Manager Danny Murtaugh had a boatload of Bucs on his roster: P Steve Blass, OFs Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Al Oliver plus C Manny Sanguillen. Blass went an inning and gave up a run. Sangy went 1-for-2, Pops 0-for-1 with a walk, and Scoops went 0-for-1. The Great One didn’t get in the last of his 12 All-Star games; he was voted a starter, but was injured. He did have a pretty capable replacement, though - Hank Aaron played in his stead. 
• 1985 - OF Alex Presley was born in Monroe, Louisiana. Picked in the eighth round of the 2006 draft, he hit .261 as a yo-yo part of the Pirate roster between 2010-13, when he was traded to Minnesota as part of the Justin Morneau deal. He’s played for Houston, Milwaukee and Detroit since then.

7/25 Games Through the 50s: Carey: 5 Runs w/o a Hit; Arriba Granny; Big Bopping; Five for Hans; Game Stories

• 1894 - The Chicago Colts pounded out 26 hits, 12 for extra bases, and laid a 24-6 beating on Pittsburgh at the West Side Grounds. Every Colt had at least a hit and a run, and Chicago batted around in four innings. It could have been worse; the game was called after seven innings so the Pirates could catch a train back home. The Pittsburgh Press noted that the game “...resulted in the most disastrous whipping recorded in the annals of the national league of baseball,” adding that “...the Pittsburg fielders were kept busy chasing savage drives...Pittsburg’s weakness in the (pitching) box was apparent,” as it was in the 18-11 loss suffered the day before. Still, the club did finish the year at 65-65, albeit with a 5.62 team ERA. 

Hans 1909 (image from the Denver Republican)

• 1908 - Before a SRO crowd of 30,000 at the Polo Grounds, the Pirates' Lefty Leifield topped the NY Giants and Christy Mathewson, 7-2. Two errors in the seventh opened the door for five Pirate runs. Pittsburgh was led by Honus Wagner, who went 5-for-5 to take over the batting lead from Mike Donlin of the Giants. After each hit, Wagner held up a finger to show the number of safeties he had to RF Donlin, according to the BR Bullpen entry. 
• 1912 - The Pirates blew an early lead against Brooklyn, but rallied to tie the score in the eighth and then rode Howie Camnitz’s arm to a 14-inning, 8-7 win over the Superbas at Forbes Field. Camnitz gave up just two hits in six innings, and got the win when Dots Miller’s sac fly brought home Chief Wilson, who had singled and moved to third on a Honus Wagner double. 
• 1913 - Max Carey scored five runs against the Phils without a hit‚ reaching first via an error and four walks‚ as the Bucs won 12-2 at Forbes Field. He also stole four bases and advanced twice on wild pitches to help Claude Hendrix to the win. The Pittsburgh Press griped that “The battle was a long, drawn out affair that required two hours and 10 minutes.” 
• 1921 - CF Max Carey corralled 11 flies during the Pirates' 6-3 win over New York at Forbes Field, tying a record (it was broken in 1929). He also scored three times, going 3-for-4 with two doubles. Rabbit Maranville, batting behind him, drove home three to support Babe Adams, who went the distance for the win.  

Pie Traynor 1981 Cramer Baseball Legends

• 1931 - Larry French went the distance at Forbes Field during a 14-inning, 3-2 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the longest NL contest of the season. It wasn’t exactly a gem, as he gave up 15 hits, but enough of an effort to outlast Fred Heimach, who also went gate-to-gate. Pie Traynor had three hits (two 3B & 2B), two runs and an RBI. It was the second game of a twin bill; the Bucs took the opener 5-2. Spades Wood not only tossed a three-hitter, but drove in a pair of runs. Traynor had two hits in that match, including a double, and scored twice. 
• 1944 - Max Butcher tossed a six-hit goose egg at the Polo Grounds as the Bucs blasted the NY Giants‚ 15-0. Pittsburgh banged out 20 hits and posted a nine-run second inning. Bob Elliott had six RBI and a homer while Pete Coscarart and Jim Russell each added four knocks.
• 1951 - The Pirates overcame a 4-0 deficit by scoring four times in the seventh and once again in the eighth to rally past the NY Giants 5-4 at Forbes Field. Joe Garagiola’s homer in the seventh was the big blow, with the game winner being a bases-loaded sac fly delivered by George Strickland an inning later. Ted Wilks got the win after two innings of clean relief work with three whiffs. 
• 1952 - Manager Billy Meyer held a clubhouse meeting after the Bucs had dropped six games in a row (per the Pittsburgh Press Billy told them “...to look respectable”) and apparently the low-keyed boot in the pants worked as Pittsburgh beat the Boston Braves 3-2 at Forbes Field. Clem Koshorek doubled home a pair of runs and the game-winner was Jack Merson’s fourth-inning single, scoring Ralph Kiner. Murry Dickson made it hold up while scattering nine hits. It was his seventh win of the campaign - three were v Boston and three more against the NY Giants. The pep talk aftermath didn’t have very strong legs - the Pirates beat Boston the next day, then lost six of the next seven on their way to a last-place, 42-win season. 

Billy Meyer 1952 Topps

• 1956 - The Bucs blew a four run lead by giving up eight tallies to the Cubs in the last two innings. But Chicago didn’t roster the only comeback kids at Forbes Field. Roberto Clemente ripped an inside the park, ninth-inning grand slam to bring the Bucs back for a 9-8 win. He banged the pitch off Jim Brosnan, and it ricocheted off the base of the left field light standard and ran along the track into center. Clemente ran through 3B coach Bobby Bragan’s stop sign (there were no outs) and as Ernie Bank’s relay headed home "He slid, missed the plate, then reached back to rest his hand on the rubber...as the crowd of 12,431 went goofy with excitement" wrote Jack Herndon of the Post Gazette. It was the first walk-off, inside-the-park grand slam in MLB history. In the same game, Dale Long hit his 20th homer, then a club record for lefties, breaking Arky Vaughan’s 1935 mark.

7/25 Games From the 60s Forward: Bucs Take Over in '60; Jackson 1-Hitter; Robinson Atones; ESPN Delight; Game Stories

• 1960 - The Bucs regained first place when Bob Friend defeated the Cardinals 4-2 at Busch Stadium behind home runs from Bill Virdon, Bob Skinner and Roberto Clemente. Pittsburgh wouldn’t relinquish the top spot for the remainder of the season. 
• 1963 - Tommie Sisk pitched five innings of near perfect relief (he walked two) and rode Roberto Clemente’s three-run homer to a 6-2 win over league leading Los Angeles and ace Sandy Koufax at Dodger Stadium. Smoky Burgess chipped in with a pair of RBI. Koufax had entered the game with just three losses and a 1.75 ERA.

Tommy Sisk 1964 Topps

• 1965 - The Bucs took the opener of a twin bill at Forbes Field from the Cubs 3-2 when back-up catcher Del Crandall, 35, was called into duty in the sixth. He banged a two-out, 3-1 pitch barely into the left center seats for the win. Bill Mazeroski also homered, and Vern Law won his second game in 24 hours as the seventh Pirate pitcher, working the final 1-⅓ IP. The Cubs took the nightcap easily 5-0 in 1:37; the Pirates had just three hits and a Roberto Clemente line-out triple play to show for their efforts. 
• 1977 - Bill Robinson made amends for a throwing error in the top of eighth inning by banging a three-run homer in the bottom half as the Bucs beat Phil Niekro and the Braves for the eighth time in nine tries 6-3. Robinson had a couple of busy innings at TRS - his leadoff double in the seventh tied the game when he scored after a pair of grounders and his error put the Bravos’ leadoff guy on third in a 3-3 game, although Jerry Reuss picked him up and stranded the runner. Reuss went the distance, firing a five-hitter, for the win. 
• 1982 - John Candelaria faced the minimum 27 batters in a four-hit, 86-pitch shutout win over the Atlanta Braves. Three DP and a caught stealing took the Brave runners off the basepaths in an 8-0 whipping at TRS. The middle of the Pirate lineup - Bill Madlock, Jason Thompson and Dave Parker - drove home a pair of runs each. 

John Candelaria 1982 Fleer

• 1987 - The Pirates ended their west coast trip on a winning note by dropping the San Diego Padres 9-3 at Jack Murphy Stadium. The journey had started perilously with a pair of losses to the LA Dodgers but concluded at 6-4, their first winning left coast visit since 1983. The offensive heroes were Sid Bream with three hits/five RBI, Andy Van Slyke with two knocks/three runs scored from the top of the order and Barry Bonds with two raps including a homer. Brian Fischer took the win with help from Barry Jones and Don Robinson.  
• 1992 - Danny Jackson gave up one hit at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, but it was unfortunately a home run to David Justice as the Braves behind Charlie Leibrandt beat the Bucs 1-0 for their 13th straight win. The Pirates best chance to score was in the first, but both Andy Van Slyke and Lloyd McClendon were caught stealing to run themselves out of the frame and the game. Pittsburgh didn’t make any noise again until the seventh, with Otis Nixon sprinted to the fence and pulled back AVS’s blast from over the wall. The last hurrah was in the ninth, when Barry Bonds bounced out with two down and two aboard. 
• 2003 - Pittsburgh won its fifth game in six tries, 10-5, over the Cards at Busch Stadium. Reggie Sanders had a homer & triple, Brian Giles contributed a long ball & double and Jose Hernandez added a pair of two-baggers against Saint Louis. Brian Meadows got the win in relief of Kip Wells. 

Tike Redman 2004 Topps Total

• 2004 - The Bucs won their eighth game in 10 outings with a 6-5 decision against the Reds at PNC Park. Tike Redman had a homer and three RBI as Sean Burnett, who was yanked with an out in the sixth, got the win behind 3-2/3 scoreless innings from the pen.  
• 2011 - In their first ESPN-televised game in seven years, Pittsburgh defeated the Atlanta Braves 3-1 behind James McDonald, who struck out nine in 5-2/3 frames, and four relievers at Turner Field, keeping the Bucs tied for first place in the NL Central for the last time in 2011. The Pirates only had five hits, but back-to-back walks by Tim Hudson turned into a pair of Bucco runs. Andrew McCutchen led the little offense the Corsairs mustered with a knock, walk, run and RBI.

Tribe Tumbles 9-4 as Bucs Take 11th Straight Behind Three-Homer Attack

Corey D opened with a two-bagger off Shane Bieber, and four pitches later Starling Marte put a ball into the seats to give Joe Musgrove a quick 2-0 pad. A leadoff double, bunt (well played by Musgrove to get the out) and grounder cut the lead in half. J-Bell and J-Hay singled around a force out in the second and were cashed in by Corey D's two-out triple, off the CF's mitt as he banged into the wall at the 408' mark. Starling came back from 0-2 to work the count full, and his infield knock plated Dickerson. Gregory also rallied from 0-2 to 3-2, then crushed a fat fastball into the stands; holy two-out lightning! Dan Otero came in to get the third out. The Tribe opened with a soft infield knock followed by three quiet at bats. Red Beard and Freeser had raps bookending an out in the third but no damage followed. Three Indians, three groundouts for J-Grove. Ollie Perez took over in the fourth and K'ed a pair in a clean frame. Edwin Encarnation led off with a homer to cut into the lead.

J-Grove cruised behind lots of support tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Neil Ramirez came on in the fifth and the Bucs got it back quickly when Eli singled and J-Bell lost a baseball. The Cleves went down in order. The Pirates opened the sixth with a knock and walk, but a  DP and whiff took the air out of that balloon. Issuing an opening free pass didn't hurt J-Grove. Brad Hand came on in the seventh; he was tapped for a leadoff knock but another DP deflated the frame. It was a no-sweat frame for Musgrove. Adam Cimber toed the slab in the eighth and tossed an easy inning. Steven Brault got the call; J-Grove gave up two runs on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Brandon Guyer bopped a solo shot, followed by a two-out walk and knock, but Steven shut the door after running up a full count. Cody Allen opened the ninth and J-Low singled. Then Cody caught a break; the next three Bucs squared up but they all lined out to center. Edgar Santana answered the phone call. He was dented for a two-out knock followed by a hung slider that was banged for a run-scoring double. He then fanned his way out of the mild jam - RTJR.

Hopefully Corey is OK, and if the pen had to have a bad day, this was a good one to pick. Can't explain the evolution of the Bucs into the '27 Yankees; just sit back and soak it in.

Hopefully Corey's hammy was just tweaked (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Notes:

• The Pirates sent 10 hitters to the plate tonight; all of them had at least one hit. Corey D, Starling, Eli and J-Bell had two hits each. The club collected 14 raps.
• Ruh-roh: Corey Dickerson was yanked after he felt left hammy "discomfort" while running out a ball in the fourth inning. Jordan Luplow took over in left.
• Starling has a 17-game hit streak after tonight; his seventh July homer was the most he's ever hit in one month. It's the ninth straight game that the Bucs have hit a bomb.
• The Pirates have scored six or more runs in seven straight games for the first time since 1946, when they were led by rookie and future Hall-of-Famer Ralph Kiner, per ESPN Stats.
• Rotoworld passed on a report from the Dallas Morning News by beatman Evan Grant that the Bucs may be interested in the Ranger RHP Keone Kela as a set-up man.

Bucs-Indians, J-Grove v Bieber, Lineup & Notes

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

Pitchers: RHP Joe Musgrove (3-4, 4.08) meets RHP Shane Bieber (5-1, 3.53). Joe's last three outings have been solid (ignore the five-run line of the last one; Clint tried to get an inning too long out of him to save an overworked pen). He's 0-1 in one career start v the Tribe as a member of the Astros, losing an 8-6 decision in 2017. This will be Bieber's eighth MLB start. After a hot June start, his July record is a little less shiny - he's 2-1/5.21 with 22 hits surrendered in 19 IP, but still showing swing-n-miss stuff with a K per inning, coupled with good control. The 23-year-old rookie has never faced the Pirates.

J-Grove tries to keep the Buccos streakin' (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Corey Dickerson LF, Starling Marte CF, Gregory Polanco RF, Elias Diaz C, Colin Moran DH, Josh Bell 1B, Josh Harrison 2B, Jordy SS (J-Grove P). Worked last night...

Notes:

• Jordy is hitting .288 (15-for-52) this month. His 31 extra base hits are the fourth among NL shortstops. He has 24 doubles, matching his total from 2017 and three shy of tying his career-high of 27 in 2014.
• In case you were wondering about how long the road of recovery from TJ surgery was for Casey Sadler, he made last appearance (of seven total) with the Pirates on 4/12/15 at Milwaukee, when he started and earned his first career win.
• It always starts with pitching. During the Pirates 10-game streak, the starters have gone 8-0/2.25 & the bullpen 2-0-5/1.29.
• The Pirates last 11 game winning streak was in 1996. More streakin' stuff: The Bucss have won each of their last seven games against American League opponents. The club’s longest winning streak in interleague play is eight games, which happened in 2013. Four straight road wins ties the season high and eight consecutive games with a homer is the season high.
• Corey Dickerson won the Pirates "Heart & Hustle" award. Adam Frazier took the honor last year.

7/24 Through the 50’s: Run Per Inning; Triplin' Chief; Roberto Earns Honors; Game Tales; HBD Preston & Germany

• 1893 - IF and exec Joe “Germany” Schultz Sr. was born in Pittsburgh. He spent one year (1916) of his 11-year MLB career at home, hitting .260. After retiring and managing in the Cards minor league system, Schultz became the farm system director of the Pirates in 1939. Sadly, in 1941, while on his way to one of the Pittsburgh farm clubs, he suddenly passed away at the young age of 47. His legacy carried on, as his son Joe Jr. was a reserve catcher for Pittsburgh during Germany’s director stint, from 1939-41. 

Jimmy Williams 1900 team photo snip

• 1899 - The Pirates swept a pair from Philadelphia‚ winning both games on ninth inning blasts by rookies. After the Phils scored five in the ninth in the opener‚ Jimmy Williams hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the frame to win‚ 9-8. In the nitecap‚ Ginger Beaumont tripled with the bases loaded to cap a 5-4 victory. 
• 1901 - The Pirates scored in every inning while defeating the Reds 11-2 at Exposition Park. Jesse Tannehill tossed a seven hitter for the win. Ginger Beaumont had four hits and Claude Ritchey tripled twice as the Bucs banged out 14 hits, four for triples. The Pittsburgh Press opined that “The Reds as they are now made up should not be able to win from the Pirates in a hundred years.” 
• 1911 - The Pirates pounded the Brooklyn Superbras 8-2 at Forbes Field behind the hot-hitting “Chief” Owen Wilson who went 4-for-4 with three triples. Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh Press wrote that “...Wilson came through the contest without a blot on his batting escutcheon. The Chief also played a grand fielding game and was in the battle up to his neck in all departments.” Babe Adams went the distance for the win, helping himself with three hits including a triple of his own. 
• 1927 - OF/1B Preston Ward was born in Columbia, Missouri. Ward came to Pittsburgh as part of the Kiner deal, and was a back-up/platoon guy from 1953-56, hitting .240 in 305 games. He spent nine years in MLB, mostly serving as a reserve for five teams. 

Preston Ward 1954 Bowman

• 1931 - The Brooklyn Dodgers banged out 21 hits during the game (Babe Herman hit for the cycle) and scored three times in the ninth, but reliever Larry French put down the rally as the Bucs hung on for an 8-7 win at Forbes Field. The Pirates had 13 knocks, seven for extra bases, and jumped out to an early 8-1 lead behind Pie Traynor’s three RBI, Eddie Phillips’ homer and Lloyd “Little Poison” Waner’s three hits/three runs scored. 
• 1956 - Honored at a Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce luncheon before the game, Roberto Clemente proved his plaudits were well deserved by leading the Bucs to a 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field. Roberto drove in four RBI on three shots to left center: a sacrifice fly, a triple off the wall, and a homer into Schenley Plaza. Ron Kline got the win with help from Howie Pollet.

7/24 From 1960-79: Roberto's Day; Brother Act in HoF; Game Stories; HBD Barry & Joe

• 1964 - Barry Bonds was born in Riverside, California. The slugger, a first round pick in the 1985 draft, spent seven summers in Pittsburgh, putting up a line of .275/176/556 with two All-Star appearances before really busting out with San Francisco, where he became the all-time HR leader. Bonds ended up with seven NL-MVPs, 14 All-Star selections, and is the major’s HR leader with 762 bombs (73 in 2001) and is second only to Babe Ruth in career WAR. Of course, his standing has been forever debated by his association with BALCO and PEDs by both the fans and the Hall of Fame committee. 

Barry Bonds 1986 Fleer

• 1967 - With his induction into the Hall of Fame, Lloyd “Little Poison” Waner joined Paul as the first pair of brothers to be enshrined at Cooperstown. Little Poison played for 18 seasons, collecting 2,459 hits (.319 lifetime BA). Per the Hall of Fame: “Lloyd played 1,993 major league games, 1,803 of them with the Pirates. He was known for his good eye at the plate. Only three times in the majors did he strike out more than 15 times in a season. Waner had four 200-hit seasons and led the NL in hits in 1931 but was an all-star just once, in 1938. He had very good speed and was an excellent defensive center fielder.” 
• 1965 - C Joe Oliver was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Joe spent 13 years in the majors, mainly as a reserve catcher, with a 1999 stop in Pittsburgh where he hit .201 at age 34. He took a long blow from the show after retiring, but the bug bit again and he’s been a lower-level Red Sox manager since 2014.  
• 1969 - The Pirates beat the Padres in walkoff fashion at Forbes Field with a 4-3, 10-inning win. Carl Taylor’s double in the extra frame brought home Matty Alou with the game-winning run. Willie Stargell and Richie Hebner added solo shots as Dock Ellis went the distance for the win. 
• 1970 - 43,290 fans showed up for Roberto Clemente day at TRS. Pirate ownership buried him with gifts (cash was, at Clemente’s request, donated to charities), and he put on a show of his own, cracking a pair of hits and making a couple of diving grabs in the field during an 11-0 thumping of the Houston Astros. Danny Murtaugh pulled him in the eighth inning so he could get a final ovation on the night (he also had cut his knee making a catch); several fans had made the trip from Puerto Rico to help honor their native son. Dock Ellis tossed a four-hitter behind a 15-hit attack. 

Clemente Day (photo Ed Morgan/Pgh Press)

• 1973 - The NL romped over the AL 7-1 at Royals Stadium in the All Star game. Dave Giusti pitched a clean seventh inning and Willie Stargell K’ed against Nolan Ryan in his only at bat. Barry Bonds was the MVP and 22 future Hall of Fame players took part in the game. 
• 1979 - A baffling fourth inning call resulted in a 34 minute rhubarb during the Pirates-Reds game at TRS. With Buc runners on 1st and 3rd‚ a 3-1 pitch to Omar Moreno was called a ball‚ but Johnny Bench threw to 2B ahead of the runner from 1B‚ Lee Lacy‚ who was going on the pitch. Lacy was called out by ump Dick Stello (whose back was to the plate to make the call at second) even though the runner was entitled to the sack after the walk. After questioning the out call, Lacy left the base and was tagged out again by Dave Concepcion‚ reigniting the argument. The Bucs protested the game, but NL president Chub Feeney upheld the call and the Pirates 6-5 loss was in the books.

7/24 From the 80’s: Big Batting; GI Jones RoM; Wandy Trade; Frankie-Strasberg; Petey River Landing

• 1984 - In a see-saw game at Montreal’s Stade Olympique (Olympic Stadium), the Expos rallied behind a two-out, ninth-inning double by Tim Raines off Kent Tekulve to tie the game 4-4 and send it into overtime. The Bucs apparently weren’t in the mood for any prolonged bonus baseball as six of the first seven batters in the 10th had hits with the coup d’ grace provided by Benny DiStefano’s two-out granny. The eight-run outburst carried the Pirates to an 12-5 win for Rod Scurry. Johnny Ray went 5-for-6, Dale Berra batted 4-for-5 with a walk and Tony Pena, who had three knocks and a walk, homered for Pittsburgh. 

Benny DiStefano 2005 Topps

• 2004 - The whole Pirate attack chipped in during a 14-4 romp over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park. The Buccos had 11 batters with at least a hit and banged out six doubles as 10 different players scored and eight Pirates drove in runs. Jason Bay had three hits and three RBI while Jose Castillo scored four times to lead the attack. The Bucs scored seven times in the sixth to take control. Josh Fogg was chased early and five pitchers followed him, with John Grabow notching the win. 
• 2008 - The Bucs won their fourth in a row by hammering the Padres at PNC Park by a 9-1 score. Nate McLouth, Jason Bay and Xavier Nady homered while Yoslan Herrera tossed six scoreless frames to claim the win, his first in the majors. For the X-Man, it was his last Bucco blast - he was traded to the Yankees two days later. Yoslan Herrera tossed shutout ball for six innings, giving up six hits, to earn his first MLB victory. The streak had begun with a sweep of the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park; during their short winning string, the Pirates hit 10 homers and outscored Houston and San Diego by a 34-13 count. 
• 2009 - Garrett Jones went deep to right against Arizona’s Yusmeiro Petit for his 10th homer of the month in a 10-3 Bucco win at Chase Field. Called up July 1st, Jones hit ten home runs in his debut month and was named the NL's July Rookie of the Month. GI became the first Bucco to hit seven home runs in his first twelve games since Dino Restelli in 1949 and the first Pirate to hit 10 home runs in a month since Jason Bay in 2006. He had lots of help this day as the Bucs pounded out 16 hits (all eight starters chipped in at least a knock) and Zach Duke covered the first seven innings for the win. 
• 2012 - Wandy Rodriguez was traded by the Houston Astros with cash to the Pirates for minor league prospects RHP Colton Cain, LHP Rudy Owens and OF Robbie Grossman as the Bucs looked to shore up their stretch run rotation. Wandy ended up injury prone, and made just 31 starts with 11 wins as a Pirate until he was released in late May of 2014. Grossman has been playing as a reserve since 2013, Owens got one MLB start and has played in the Dominican & Indie leagues since 2015 while Cain never made it out of the minors. 

Wandy Rodriguez 2012 Topps Update

• 2013 - Francisco Liriano and Stephen Strasberg hooked up in a 1-0 battle, with the Pirates up, going into the ninth. Both starters turned the game over to the bullpens, and that’s when the fun started. The Bucs put up a three spot on Drew Storen, with Mike McKenry’s two run knock being the big blow, and Washington came back at Nationals Park to score a pair off Justin Wilson until Jason Grilli came to the rescue in a 4-2 Pirate win. The only score in the first eight frames came on a second inning homer by Pedro Alvarez. 
• 2015 - Last time out, Washington ace Max Scherzer no-hit the Bucs, losing his perfect game with two outs and two strikes in the ninth. Today was a different kettle of fish; the Buccos got homers from Pedro Alvarez (453’ and one bounce into the river), Gregory Polanco (after falling behind 0-2, fouling off six straight fastballs and taking 12 pitches) and Neil Walker (the first time Mad Max gave up three homers in a game since 2011) on their way to a 7-5 win, closed out by scoreless frames by Jared Hughes, Tony Watson and Mark Melancon in front of a full house of 38,371 at PNC Park. Scherzer had held Pittsburgh hitless for 14 straight innings until El Toro’s long ball in the second. That made it the longest hitless streak by a starting pitcher against one big-league team since Pittsburgh's Francisco Cordova threw 15 consecutive hitless innings vs. Houston in 1997.

Bucs Beat the Rain & Tribe 7-0

The game was delayed to 7:55, then 8:05 - that one worked, yay. The Bucs went 1-2-3 against Corey Kluber - Dickerson singled, Starling lined out to center and Gregory hit into a DP of the ol' step on the bag and get the tag at second variety. Willy worked a clean frame. Colin singled with an out in the second. After a J-Bell force that should have been a DP, Freeser reached on a misplayed pop and J-Hay made the two bobbles hurt when he sent an 0-2 hanger 432' into the seats. Jordy doubled, Corey D walked and Starling knocked Mercer home before the dance ended, thanks to nice grab by Melky Cabrera to deny Gregory. The Tribe got a two out rap by Melky for their efforts. Kluber tossed a quiet third. With two Cleve outs, the rains came and the umps sent everyone dashing for cover. The storm passed through quickly enough and 1/2 hour later, Willy got the third out in a drizzle.

Wet Willy tossed a four-hitter over six for his first whitewash (photo Joe Guzy/Pirates)

J-Hay and Jordy singled with one gone in the fourth. A force left Bucs on the corners and Starling knocked another run home. Gregory ripped a trip-trip-triple and it was 7-0 when the smoke cleared. The Indians went down in order. Zach McAllister claimed the slippery hill in the fifth. He worked a whiff, J-Bell single and Freeser 6-4-3 DP for a calm inning. Cleveland opened with a walk and then bled a one-out swinging bunt rap. No damage resulted, and better yet, it's an official game now. Pittsburgh went quietly in the sixth with a couple of hard-hit balls finding leather. Willy gave up a knock, walk and knock with one gone to fill the sacks. He labored, but a whiff - his first - and a bouncer got him in the dugout. And everyone else, too - the tarps came out again. The blue crew waited for an hour or so, then pulled the plug at 11. RTJR!

Dang, sure is fun to watch the boys mash. Dunno how long this is going to continue, but enjoy it while it's happening.

Notes:

• 16 games straight with a hit for Starling. He had two knocks tonight, as did Jordy and J-Hay.
• This was Willy's first MLB shutout.
• The last time the Pirates won 10 consecutive games was in 2004.
• An hour before the game, the Pirates announced that they called up RHP Casey Sadler, optioned Max Moroff to Indy (S-Rod bumped him) and DFA’d Josh Smoker to clear space for Sadler on the 40-man. Sadler, 28, slashed 5-5/3.46 at Indy as a long man & spot starter.
• Corey D's homer run ended tonight at four games. The last Pirate to homer in five consecutive games was Jose Castillo in 2006.
• MLB.com named the Bucco relief corps as the "Bullpen of the Week." Well, duh, bullpen of the month is a better description; the back end guys have been untouchable in July.
• Per John Dreker of Pirates Prospects, Nick Burdi, the Rule 5 guy rehabbing from TJ surgery, is moving up to Altoona after a short stop at Bradenton.