7/28 Games From 2000 Forward: Historic Rally; GI Jones on the Attack; Six Straight for Suppan; Game Stories

• 2000 - Aramis Ramirez drove in six runs with a pair of homers, Emil Brown went long to plate four more runners and John Vander Wal also went yard in a 16-5 romp over the San Diego Padres at TRS. A-Ram, Jason Kendall, Kevin Young and Vander Wal scored three times each. 

A-Ram 2000 Bowman

• 2001 - Pittsburgh became only the second team in NL history (the Cubs were the first in 1952) to win a game by scoring seven runs with two outs and nobody on base in the ninth inning. Brian Giles capped the scoring with a walk-off grand slam off Astros ace Billy Wagner to win the game 9-8 after Pat Meares had hit a two-run shot earlier in the frame. The game was the opener of the first home day-night doubleheader in franchise history before a crowd of 32,977 at PNC Park. There was no drama in the nightcap as Houston rolled 12-3. 
• 2003 - Jeff Suppan won his sixth consecutive start with a 3-0 decision over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, scattering seven hits. He was backed by Reggie Sanders’ homer and three hits from Randall Simon. Suppan was flipped to the Red Sox three days later as part of a deal for Freddy Sanchez and Mike Gonzalez. 
• 2004 - In one of their more frustrating losses, the Bucs collected 11 hits but were shut out by the Braves 1-0 at PNC Park. Ollie Perez threw a five-hitter with 10 K, but Chipper Jones’ fourth inning homer was enough run support for the Bravos. John Smoltz came out of the bullpen to save the game for Russ Ortiz. 
• 2010 - Bucco first baseman Garrett Jones went 4-for-4 and homered twice as Pirates beat the Rockies 6-2 at Coors Field. Leadoff batter Andrew McCutchen went 3-for-4 with double and a run scored. Sean Gallagher tossed three hitless innings for the win in relief of starter Ross Ohlendorf, who left the game in the first inning after being struck in the temple by a line drive off the bat of Troy Tulowitzki. Ohlie fortunately just suffered a bruise and made his next start, only to be pulled in the first inning after again being smoked by a bullet, this one taken off the leg. When it rains... 

Ouch for Ohlie 2010 Topps

• 2012 - The Pirates won for the ninth time in 11 games, taking a 4-3 decision from the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Alex Presley and Neil Walker had solo shots, and Rod Barajas singled in Andrew McCutchen with the game winner with two out in the eighth. They remained two games back in the NL Central race. 
• 2014 - The Pirates laid some small ball on Madison Bumgarner in the first inning, and it led to a big frame. The Bucs used three hits, two walks, an error and a pair of sac flies to jump ahead of the SF Giants 4-0, and then added on a final run when Josh Harrison homered. The rest of the night at AT&T Park belonged to Vance Worley, who tossed his first MLB shutout and just his second career complete game. He allowed four hits, facing two batters over the minimum, just one of whom advanced past first thanks to three DPs and a caught stealing, to toss the Bucs first complete game shutout since AJ Burnett turned the trick in 2012.

Freeser Carries Battered Bucs To 5-4 Victory; J-Bell Hurt

Ah, the first inning blues again - Ivan Nova served up a one-walk walk, double and Michael Conforto homered off a shin-high curve. That was followed with another knock before a DP ended the foray. The Pirates went 1-2-3 to Jason Vargas. The Mets were quiet in the second; the Bucs climbed back into contention with an Eli rap and Freeser bomb over The Notch. They also lost another player; J-Bell pulled up short running out a grounder and was swapped out, with S-Rod going to first and Fraze subbed into center. Ivan gave up another two-bagger in the third with no ill effects; Pittsburgh made not a peep. NY got a two-out knock for all their fourth inning noise. With one away, Eli and Freeser worked a knock/walk combo. An out later, another free pass jammed the sacks. Jordy lined a curve to left, but Conforto was there for the grab. The Mets got an off-the-mitt single in the fifth, but it still ended up an efficient eight pitch frame for Nova.

Arm like a shotgun in more ways than one... (image Pittsburgh Pirates)

J-Low worked a pro walk with one gone and Seth Lugo was beckoned from the pen. Gregory legged out a roller with two away and Eli showed a good eye in drawing another free pass. Freeser fell behind 0-2, laid off a couple of chase pitches and then singled up the middle to chase home two Buccos. Nova opened the sixth with a pair of walks. Edgar Santana came in after some more switching, with Red Beard now at third; Santana couldn't get an out a bunt and the Mets had the sacks juiced. He almost got out of it; after a K, a bad throw on a ball to left by J-Low let a run score - the runner had retreated, but the throw was airmailed to the backstop and it was still a close call at home. Tyler Bashlor climbed the slope and walked Jordy with an out. Colin Moran singled him to third and Luplow walked to pack the sacks. J-Hay hit the next pitch to second for an inning-killing 4-6-3 DP. Edgar tossed a quiet 10-pitch seventh, thanks to Luplow tossing out Wilmer Flores at second trying to stretch a single. Freeser walked but that was it in the Bucco half.

Freeser put the team on his back tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Kyle Crick got the eighth inning call and was tapped for a leadoff knock. He bopped a batter with two outs without damage to the hitter or scoreboard. Jacob Rhame took the ball and was nicked for a one-down rap by Jordy. Lefty Jerry Blevins came on to face Red Beard; the count went full before Moran went down looking, frozen by a heater after a diet of hooks. Righty Anthony Swarzak was waved in to toss to J-Low, who swung through a high 3-2 fastball. Felipe Vazquez got the ninth and after two whiffs gave up an infield rap; a fly ball got him back in the dugout. Tim Peterson took the ball; J-Hay opened with a hustle hit to short. Gregory singled him to third and Eli was walked intentionally.The third time with the bases loaded was the charm; Freeser drilled a gapper to right center to RTJR.

Gutsy win with three starters out; Freeser was quite the ace in the hole tonight. Still, scrubs or not, the team needs to clean up the D behind the pitchers. As for Ivan, he walked three and two of the free passes were cashed in, plus giving up another long ball in a pretty flimsy outing. But this was a good win to bank; the Mets have deGrom taking the hill tomorrow and he's a beast.

Notes:

• Freeser had all five RBI and had three hits to go with two walks as he reached base in every appearance tonight. Eli was close behind with two knocks and two walks while Gregory added a pair of hits.
• J-Bell has "left side discomfort." Let's hope it's not an oblique. 

J-Bell is the latest to go down (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

• Tonight's crowd was 26,356 as attendance begins to pick up.
• Ivan continues to have long ball issues; he's given up 20 this year. He's not alone; Nick Kingham and the shelved Chad Kuhl also have big homer miseries.
• Clint said that Austin Meadows is a possibility for call up if Corey D hits the DL; he added there's been no decision made as the team MO is to give a player a couple of days to allow nagging injuries to heal; Dickerson believes he'll be ready for action soon..
• One less Met to worry about: The Phillies acquired Asdrubal Cabrera from NY for AA RHP Franklyn Kilomé, their #10 prospect. Should have made the deal yesterday; it might have saved the Pirates pitchers three hits, including a homer, and four RBI. Cabrera was lukewarmly thought of as a possible Pirates target.

Bucs & Mets, Nova v Vargas, Lineup & Notes - McRae Up, Feliz Down

Today: The game starts at 7:05 and will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. This is Faith Night, with manager Clint Hurdle, Trevor Williams and other Buccos sharing how their faith has impacted both their lives and their baseball careers before the contest.

Pitchers: RHP Ivan Nova (6-6, 4.28) takes on LHP Jason Vargas (2-6, 8.60). Since coming off the DL on June 10, Nova is 4-1/3.40,with seven of the 18 runs he's surrendered coming in one start. His outings haven't all been pretty, but he's been effective. He's faced the Mets once this year, getting no decision after going six innings and giving up three runs. A strained right calf injury has kept Vargas on the DL since June 24th. The vet had a couple of decent outings before the injury but has by-and-large been beat up this year; he hasn't gotten past five innings in a start yet. He hasn't faced the Bucs since 2015 and has a 9.00 ERA in the nine innings he's worked.

Ivan tries to get the Bucs back in gear (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Jordan Luplow LF, Josh Harrison 2B, Gregory Polanco RF, Elias Diaz C, David Freese 3B, Josh Bell 1B, Sean Rodriguez CF, Jordy SS & Nova P. Starling may be available from the bench tonight; Corey D's status is TBD. Looks like the Bucs rae going to ease Amore back into the lineup, which is a good move.

Notes:

• Pirates have recalled RHP Alex McRae from Indy and optioned RHP Michael Feliz to the Tribe.
• A new face for the foes: FA Austin Jackson, 31, was inked by NY and is expected to join the Mets immediately, though he hasn't played since July 7th as a Giant. The Metropolitans have been short-handed in the pasture as Juan Lagares, Jay Bruce and Yoenis Cespedes are all down. Matt den Dekker was DFA'ed to clear Jackson's spot. You may remember him; the Pirates drafted him in 2009, but he didn't sign.
• The Pirates have homered in 10 of their last 11 games, connecting for a total of 24 big flies during that span.
• Felipe Vazquez has 23 saves; the franchise high-water mark for a lefty closer is 24, set by Mike Gonzalez in 2006.
• The Rangers have been poking around the Pirates AAA roster in a due diligence move, likely related to the Bucs reported interest in Texas closer Keone Kela, who would become Felipe Vazquez's set-up guy if he makes it to the North Shore. Pittsburgh isn't alone in his pursuit - the righty is young (25) and controllable (arb eligible thru 2021), so a package to land him would have to be solid. Reports point toward IF Kevin Newman as the centerpiece of any proposed deal.
• Enny Romero was DFA'ed by the Bucs, claimed by KC, DFA'ed by them, and has elected free agency rather than reporting to AAA.

7/27 Expo/Forbes Field Era: The Tryout That Wasn't; Harris Takes Two; Game Stories; RIP Babe; HBD Biz & Irish

• 1880 - LHP/OF Henry “Irish” McIlveen was born in Belfast, Ireland. His family later settled in the Pittsburgh area and McIlveen attended Penn State. He got his start in the majors with the Pirates in 1906, pitching two games and slashing 0-1/7.71. He was wisely converted to the outfield and caught on with the NY Highlanders, seeing some action in 1908 and getting into four games the following year to end his MLB days. 
• 1897 - C Biz Mackey was born in Eagle Pass, Texas. The 2006 Hall of Famer played for 24 seasons in the Negro Leagues and made a brief stop in the area in 1927, playing for the Homestead Grays when they were an independent team. He put together a .329 lifetime BA and is considered one of the two top catchers in black baseball history, along with Josh Gibson. 

Chief Wilson Helmar Cabinet

• 1908 - Honus Wagner and Chief Wilson led the Bucs to a 4-3 win over the NY Giants and Christy Mathewson at the Polo Grounds. The Flying Dutchman had a pair of doubles good for two runs and an RBI while Wilson had two knocks including a triple, scored once and drove in a pair. Nick Maddox got the win while Irv Young came on the get the last out in the ninth. 
• 1927 - Vic Aldridge tossed a five-hitter and the Bucs scored twice in the eighth to beat Dazzy Vance and the Brooklyn Robins‚ 2-1 at Forbes Field to take over undisputed possession of first place. Kiki Cuyler’s single scored Paul Waner, who had three hits on the day, and George Grantham for the win. 
• 1932 - Bill Harris notched a pair of wins in a twinbill against the Giants at the Polo Grounds‚ tossing three innings in the opening 9-8 win followed by two perfect frames in a 4-2 nitecap victory. In the first game, Lloyd Waner had four knocks while Arky Vaughan and Tony Piet homered. The Pirates scored three in the ninth to take the second match with C Earl Grace knocking home two of his three RBI and Harris singling in another. The Pirates increased their NL lead over the Cubs to five games, but would finish the season four games behind Chicago in the pennant race. 
• 1941 - Homestead Gray 1B Buck Leonard launched a three-run homer at Comiskey Park to lead the East to an 8-3 win over the West in the Negro League All-Star Game. The contest drew a record crowd of 50,256. 

Buck Leonard 1993 Ted Williams

• 1942 - Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bill Benswanger planned a tryout for Negro League players Roy Campanella, Sammy T. Hughes, and David Barnhill as reported by thee NY Daily Worker. The August tryout date was pushed back to September while Benswanger added Josh Gibson, Willie Wells, Sam Bankhead, Leon Day and several others to the list. But the new September showcase never happened for unknown reasons (it was thought that most owners were opposed to the idea and Benswanger didn’t want to go solo, but he never gave a public reason for the inaction) and a black ballplayer wouldn’t join MLB until Jackie Robinson in 1947. 
• 1961 - Giants’ Manager Alvin Dark said before the game that "Juan Marichal will go all the way" and kept his bullpen in the dugout to emphasize the point. And he was right. Marichal threw a complete game, five-hit shutout at Forbes Field, winning 2-0 over Vinegar Bend Mizell. 
• 1968 - Matty Alou was featured as the cover story of The Sporting News in an article titled “Pistol Packing Pirate.” Mateo was indeed packing - he hit .332 for his third straight .330+ campaign as a Pirate and earned a spot on the NL All-Star team for the first time. 

• 1968 - Babe Adams passed away in Silver Springs, Maryland, at age 80. The righty was on the short list of great Bucco pitchers, slashing 194-139-16/2.74 in 18 Pirates campaigns. Babe was the hero of the 1909 World Series, going 3-0/1.33 against Ty Cobb and the Tigers. He later was a writer, covering local sports and also serving as a foreign correspondent during World War II.

7/27 TRS/PNC Park Era: Canucks Galore; Turn Ahead the Clock; Fort-ress; Cole, McWilliams 3-Hitters; Game Stories; HBD Enrique

• 1973 - IF Enrique Wilson was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The nine-year vet played half-seasons for the Bucs in 2000-01, hitting .223 and playing 2B, SS & 3B. The Bucs got him at the 2000 deadline as part of the Wil Cordero deal with Cleveland and then sent him to the Yankees at the next deadline for Damaso Marte. Two Enrique factoids: he hit .440 lifetime against Pedro Martinez, and in 2001, he was scheduled to be on American Airlines Flight 587 that crashed in Rockaway, killing everyone aboard. But when the Yankees lost the 2001 World Series, cancelling the victory parade, Wilson flew home a few days earlier and missed the doomed flight. He’s had a fear of flying ever since. 

Enrique Wilson 2001 MLB Showdown

• 1979 - The Bucs swept Montreal in a twin bill at Olympic Stadium in front of a crowd of 59,260, the biggest baseball turnout in Canada. They took the opener 5-4, three times losing leads to the pesky Expos before Phil Garner’s eighth-inning single scored Dave Parker with the game winner. Garner had a big game, with three hits and a homer. Kent Tekulve allowed an inherited runner to score in the seventh to tie the game but got the win with Enrique Romo picking up the save. Bob Robertson went long and had four RBI while Phil Garner went 3-for-4 again with four runs scored in the Bucs 9-1 win in the nitecap. Bert Blyleven went the distance, scattering five hits and striking out nine as the Bucs cut the Expos lead to 1/2 game. 
• 1982 - Larry McWilliams tossed a three-hitter and struck out 11 in a complete game shutout win over Philadelphia, 4-0, at TRS. Jason Thompson drove home a pair and Bill Madlock homered to provide the cushion against the Phils. 
• 1991 - Jay Bell had the first two-homer game of his career, going 4-for-5 with four RBI and four runs scored in Pittsburgh’s 11-5 win at Houston’s Astrodome. Bell hit a one-out homer in the first off the Jimmy Jones, then a three-run shot in the sixth inning off Jim Corsi to extend the Bucs’ lead to 11-0. Barry Bonds added three RBI and scored twice as Randy Tomlin picked up the win. 
• 1998 - 2B Tony Womack set a record of 888 consecutive at-bats without grounding into a double play in an 8-7, 13-inning loss to the Rox at Coors Field. The previous record had been held by Brooklyn's Pete Reiser, set in the mid-forties. Tony eventually went 219 straight games and 915 at-bats without hitting into a twin killing. Jose Guillen had four hits & a homer (he also made one of the great throws in Pirates history, gunning a ball from the warning track in right on the fly to 3B Keith Osik to hose Neifi Perez by five feet) while Kevin Young also went long with three RBI in the defeat. 

Kris Benson "Turn the Clock Ahead" (photo Osamu Honda/AP)

• 1999 - In one of baseball’s weirder promotions, the Pirates defeated the Mets‚ 5-1‚ in the first of MLB's "Turn Ahead the Clock Nights," sponsored by Century 21 Real Estate. Each team wore futuristic uniforms (the Bucs had red jerseys with yellow sleeves and a giant Bucco head logo)‚ with the hometown squad becoming the "Mercury" Mets for the night. The pregame welcome was “Greetings, earthlings. Welcome to Shea Station 4C. Blastoff time is 7:40.” The theme was carried on throughout the evening‚ with the scoreboard flashing computerized graphics of the players of the future as each came to the plate. Rickey Henderson‚ for example‚ was given three eyes and pointy ears‚ and played "left quadrant." Al Martin hit the first of his two HRs in the first "sector‚" and rookie Kris Benson went all nine sectors for the win. 
• 2009 - In an otherwise unremarkable 4-2 loss to Tim Lincecum at AT&T Park, Delwyn Young added a little spice to the show. Randy Winn’s bloop into right went off right fielder Garrett Jones’ mitt, then off his knee, and he kicked it into the air with his foot for good measure. Young, playing second, dove after the horsehide hacky-sack and made a lunging barehanded grab. Alas, the ump blew the call and gave Winn a hit, which was pretty much how the Pirates’ luck ran back then. Nevertheless, Tribune Review writer Joe Starkey called the catch the “best play of the decade.” 
• 2013 - Mike McKenry showed why MLB catchers are a different breed of cat. He caught the final three frames of a 7-4 win against Miami at Marlins Park after tearing the lateral meniscus in his left knee during a slide, an injury that required season-ending surgery three days later. It was hard to tell, as the reserve catcher, who soldiered through the game because starting catcher Russell Martin had tweaked his knee the previous night, went 4-for-5. The Fort was the battery mate of Charlie Morton, who took home the win with a save by Mark Melancon.

The Fort 2013 (photo Mark Rebilus/USA Today Sports)

• 2016 - It took 88 outings, but Gerrit Cole tossed his first complete game, spinning a three-hitter against the Seattle Mariners at PNC Park on the way to a 10-1 Bucco romp. The top of the order was smoking as Jordy Mercer & Andrew McCutchen had three hits while Starling Marte & David Freese added a pair. The foursome went 10-for-17 with four doubles, a homer, two walks and HBP, scoring eight times and chasing home six. And the fifth guy in the order, Jung Ho Kang added a base-loaded double and had four RBI on the night. Ross Ohlendorf, btw, reclaimed the franchise’s title for going the longest without a CG at 64 starts.

Pitching, Infield Brutal In 12-6 Spanking By the Mets

David Freese made a nice play to retire the first Met, though it took a review to prove it. With two outs, Michael Conforto doubled on an 0-2 changeup. Nick Kingham then got socked by Wilmer Flores, who yanked another change down the line and into the first row to put the Bucs in a quick hole. NY got a walk and a knock before the third out. Steven Katz whiffed a pair, walked Gregory and then served a long ball on an 0-2 count to Freeser that he dropped 400' over the RC wall to tie. In the second, Devin Mesoraco walked; two outs later, Asdrubal Cabrera doubled off an 0-2 curve to regain the lead. Two more Bucs fanned in a 1-2-3 frame. Kingham walked the leadoff hitter in the third and a double put him in more hot water. A whiff was followed by a semi-intentional walk to load 'em up; a sac fly brought a run home before the page turned. J-Low singled with an out and jogged home after J-Hay drilled a 3-2 curve over the LF fence. A walk and a boot with two gone put Bucs at second and third, where they died.

Fraze had a couple of hits tonight (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Nick came out for the fourth at 71 pitches. Number 72 became a leadoff single and pitch 74 (yes, a change) was sent into the stands by Cabrera; Clint has allowed The King way too much rope and finally waved in Tyler Glasnow. J-Hay booted a ball and the runner moved up on a grounder. Then came grounder, walk, grounder, walk and throwing error by Freeser, allowing one more tally; J-Bell saved another by running down the wayward toss and getting the back runner at home. Matz struck out the side; he has nine punchouts in four IP. Ty only walked one guy in the fifth, so yay. The Bucs went 1-2-3. The sixth was quiet, too; the Mets got a knock erased on a swipe try. Ric Rod came in for the seventh and gave up four singles - one was a bunt and another off J-Bell's glove, a walk, two wild pitches and three more runs. The Bucs got a S-Rod walk and Jordy DP to kill a chance at a big inning as Fraze doubled and J-Low tripled afterward to get a run back with Paul Sewald on the bump.

Michael Feliz came in to work the eighth. A double came around on a pair of flies; a bopped batter was stranded. Jerry Blevin got the call; a one-out walk was erased on another DP. More of the same for Feliz in the ninth, with a leadoff double, wild pitch and another sac fly. He also gave up a single that didn't hurt; Cervy added a dropped foul pop during the frame. Drew Smith was the mop-up man. Jordy doubled with two outs and a Fraze two-bagger brought him home before the final chime struck.

So let's see...14 hits, nine walks, three errors, three wild pitches, two GIDP, and the Mets even stranded 12 runners *ugh-ly* Let's hope the Pirates got it all out of their system (and that no little leaguer who saw the game will think this is how the big boys play the game.)

Notes:

• Fraze (two doubles) and J-Low (single, triple) each had a pair of knocks. Additionally, Luplow made a couple of nice grabs in the outfield.
• It took Pirates pitchers 193 tosses to get through nine innings.
• There were 21,981 in the house tonight.
• Steven Matz's nine strikeouts represent his career single-game high.

Mets Come to Town; Kingham v Matz, Lineup & Notes - Cervy Back

Today: It's a 7:05 start and the game will be aired by AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan.

Pitchers: RHP Nick Kingham (5-4, 4.11) opens the set against LHP Steven Matz (4-8, 3.65). Nick has been rounding into shape with steadier work, going 3-0/2.89 over his last three starts. He’s allowed more than three earned runs twice in 10 games. The King has been a homer so far, slashing 3-1/2.90 ERA in five starts at PNC Park. This is his first trip to the hill against the Mets. Matz is 0-3 in his last three games, giving up eight runs in 11-1/3 IP in his last pair of outings. He beat the Bucs 4-3 a month ago, giving up three runs in seven innings on six hits with seven punchouts.

The King looks to get the homestand off to a good start (photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Lineup: Jordan Luplow LF, Josh Harrison 2B, Gregory Polanco RF, David Freese 3B, J-Bell 1B, Fran Cervelli C, S-Rod CF, Jordy SS & Kingham P. S-Rod in center...and there's another lefty tomorrow. We're hoping that means the Bucs expect Corey D and Starling back in a couple of days. Not only does their absence affect the starting lineup, but it doesn't leave much of a bench (their availability off the bench tonight is TBD; we'd assume if they were good to go, they'd be playing).

Notes:

• Cervy has been activated and Jake Stallings returned to Indy. In other injury news, Starling's x-rays  were negative; he has a contusion rather than a fracture. No new info was given re: Corey D's hammy.
• The home run Felipe Vazquez allowed to Yonder Alonso on Wednesday was just the second that he's given up to lefty batter in his four-year career. Jay Bruce went deep against him in June of 2016, per John Toperzer.
• The Mets start the series with back-to-back lefties in Matz and Jason Vargas. Could be some interesting lineups the next two days.
• The Pirates took 2-of-3 from the Metropolitans in late June at Citi Field, all three games being tightly played.
• The Mets will be without Yoenis Cespedes, who will have season-ending heel surgery.
• Fangraph's Craig Edwards posts "The Pirates Are In This Thing" and explains the how and why.
• Yardbarker's Demetrius Bell looks at three teams that are hot and three that are not. The Bucs are one of the sizzlers and the Mets are one of the icebergs.
• The Brewers picked up ol' Bucco Joakim Soria from the White Sox for for minor leaguers LHP Kodi Medeiros and RHP Wilber Perez. Soria was the CWS closer but likely to become the Brew Crew's set-up guy.
• Scratch JA Happ off the wish list; he was traded to the Evil Empire.

7/26 Through the 40s: Game Stories; HBD Jimmy, Eddie, Tom & Jose

• 1889 - The Alleghenys defeated the Cleveland Spiders 8-4 at Recreation Park despite giving up a three-run infield homer to ex-Allegheny Jay Faatz, whose hot shot to 3B Jim White bounced off his foot and went into the “free seats” - temporary stands - and couldn’t be dug out in time to stop Faatz from circling the bases. Fred Carroll, Ned Hanlon and Doggie Miller each had three knocks to spearhead a 16-hit Buc attack to carry Harry Staley to the win. Miller homered over the left field wall, and the Pittsburgh Press wrote “The crowd went wild as little George trotted over the circuit and lifted his cap at the plate. An enthusiast threw a silver dollar at him, which (Miller) accepted with a smile.” 

Doggie Miller 1888 Allen & Ginter

• 1917 - 2B Jimmy Bloodworth was born in Tallahassee, Florida. Jimmy played for 11 seasons and was a member of the 1950 NL champ “Whiz Kids” Phillies team. Like many of his era, he spent time in the Army from 1944-46. Bloodworth put in one season with the Pirates in 1947, batting .250, just about his career average, appearing in 88 games. 1951 was Bloodworth’s last season in the major leagues. He played in the minors for the next three years, managed in the bushes for two more years and then served as a deputy sheriff in Florida. 
• 1920 - IF Eddie Bockman was born in Santa Ana, California. He had a brief four-year MLB stay, spending his last two campaigns in 1948-49 with the Pirates, playing second and third while batting .230 in 149 games. He later scouted for the Philadelphia Phillies, where he signed Bob Boone, Larry Bowa, Joe Charboneau, Buck Martinez, Ricky Jordan, Randy Lerch, Dick Ruthven, John Vukovich and Bob Walk. In 1992, he became a scout for the expansion Florida Marlins. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 91. 
• 1921 - OF Tom Saffell was born in Etowah, Tennessee. He played for the Bucs from 1949-51, then after three seasons in the minors, returned in 1955. The speedy OF’er hit .239 for the Bucs. He was a minor celeb, though, as he was the pitcher for the 1960 syndicated TV show “Home Run Derby” that was hosted by Mark Scott. That program was said to inspire the ASG’s home run derby, and is also part of ESPN’s Classic series. 
• 1927 - The Pirates pushed across two runs in the bottom of the eighth to edge the Brooklyn Dodgers 6-5 at Forbes Field to remain tied with the Cubs for the NL lead. They were almost derailed by a former mate, Max Carey, who had three hits, three runs, and three stolen bases. But the Waner brothers came through in the clutch. Lloyd had three hits and scored twice, both times driven home by Paul. Little Poison took over the league lead in hits while Lee Meadows went the distance for the win. 

The Waner Bros 1994 Conlon/Sporting News

• 1928 - NY Giant future Hall of Famer Carl “King” Hubbell made his MLB debut against the Pirates at the Polo Grounds. He pitched a scoreless first inning‚ but the Bucs scored five times in the second to knock him out of the game, winning 7-5 behind Burleigh Grimes. Paul Waner had three hits and two RBI to lead a balanced Bucco attack. 
• 1942 - Utilityman Jose Martinez was born in Cardenas, Cuba. Jose was signed by the Bucs in 1960 and spent 1969-70 with the Pirates, his only stop in the show as a player, hitting .245 in 96 games. He put in 14 years on the farm before his MLB career took off as a bench boss and administrator. Jose served as a minor league manager and major league coach for the Kansas City Royals from 1980-88 and then coached with the Chicago Cubs from 1988-94. He joined the Atlanta Braves front office as a special assistant in 1995 and worked for them until his death in 2014.

7/26 From the 50s Forward: Jerry Meals Game; Starling's 1st-Pitch HR; Kendall Deal; Nady Trade; Game Stories; HBD Joaquin

• 1952 - The Pirates used the power of persistence to overcome Boston at Braves Field 6-4. Falling behind 3-0 after an inning, the Bucs, led by rookie Dick Groat’s 5-for-5 (he snapped out of an 0-for-19 funk), chipped away at the Brave lead. Pittsburgh, behind two RBI from Groat and a two-run homer by Gus Bell, climbed back into a tie in the seventh. They went ahead in the ninth on George Metkovich’s two-run, two-out double, set up by Clem Koshorek, who had the ball waiting on him as he went from first-to-third on a single but kicked it out of 3B Sibby Sisti’s mitt. Howie Pollet not only recovered from a rocky first inning (and it wasn’t much easier afterward; Boston had runners aboard in eight of the nine frames) for the win, but added three knocks to the attack. 

Howie Pollet 1952 Topps

• 1977 - The Bucs dodged a bullet when John Candelaria took a liner just below his pitching elbow but only suffered a bruise in a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros at TRS. He was replaced by Goose Gossage, who was pitching for the first time in eight days after a rib pull, and The Goose got the final five outs, one a spectacular leaping catch by Dave Parker at the wall. It was Candy Man’s best season, ending at 20-5/2.34. He led the league in ERA and enjoyed his only 20-win season (and only All-Star selection). Candy’s stellar season wasn’t enough for the Bucs, tho - they won 96 games, but finished five behind the division-winning Phillies. 
• 1977 - RHP Joaquin Benoit was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The last stop in his 16-year career was with the Pirates in 2017 after the FO pulled off a deadline deal with the Phils, getting Benoit for a minor leaguer. He was a season-ending warm body and went 0-2/7.56 in eight games as a 39-year-old. He signed with the Nats for 2018, but has spent the season on the DL. 
• 1997 - C Jason Kendall signed a four-year contract extension through his arbitration years that carried him to 2001, valued at $7.2M. It was well worth the price; the young backstop hit .317 over the life of the deal and earned two All-Star bids. 
• 2008 - OF Xavier Nady and RHP Damaso Marte were traded to the New York Yankees for RHPs Jeff Karstens, Daniel McCutchen & Ross Ohlendorf along with OF Jose Tabata. During their Bucco careers, Karstens tossed for five years (23-35/4.31), McCutchen made 109 appearances in four seasons (8-11/4.77) and Ohlie tossed for four years (13-27, 4.61). Tabata was the key prospect; the Pirates locked him up to a long term deal guaranteed for five years/$14.5M. Although he hit .275 for Pittsburgh over six years, injuries and lack of power were his undoing and he was shipped to the Dodgers. 

Jeff Karstens 2012 Topps Heritage

• 2011 - The black day of the Jerry Meals game in Atlanta, heralding the end of the Bucco's improbable pennant run. The ump blew a call at home in the 19th inning, giving the Braves a 4-3 win and starting a downward spiral of epic proportions for Pittsburgh. At 6 hours and 39 minutes, it was the longest game in club history. The Pirates filed a protest (at 2:30 in the morning) but the judgment call was upheld, even though the League Office admitted it was wrong. To add a little salt to the wound, Meals was born in Butler. 
• 2012 - In a rookie-to-rookie match, Starling Marte homered to left center against Houston’s Dallas Keuchel on the first MLB pitch he saw (Keuchel has since rebounded nicely). Pittsburgh won 5-3 at Minute Maid Park as Garrett Jones & Clint Barmes also went long while AJ Burnett took home the victory. Marte became the third Bucco to send his first major league pitch over the wall, joining Walter Mueller (1922) and Don Leppert (1961).

Streak Snapped by Bauer 4-0

The first was quiet against Trevor Bauer with some bad news: he bopped Starling in the hand and he left the game after being erased on a stolen base try. Jamo got into a knock and walk jam but worked out of it thanks to a dandy force play on both ends by Jordy & S-Rod that was unsuccessfully challenged by the Indians. The Bucs went quietly in the second and ditto for the Tribe. The Pirates got a boot in the third but it didn't help. The Indians banged out back-to-back one-out raps and a force left Tribesmen on the corners; a steal put them both in scoring position. Edwin Encarnacion's single brought the pair home. Fraze opened the fourth with a double, but a couple of K's and a fly kept him there. Cleveland got a one-out triple; a fortuitous liner to Red Beard and a K kept the runner at bay. Bauer is dealing; he struck out the 6-7-8 hitters in the fifth. It was 1-2-3 for JT. Pittsburgh went in order again in the sixth. The Indians dropped a two-out knock in their half causing no damage.

Jamo was tough but Bauer was better (image Pittsburgh Pirates)

The Pirates drew a couple of free passes around a lineout in the seventh; at 94 pitches, Bauer may be tiring a bit. But he had enough to fan Freeser and get S-Rod on a grounder. A whiff, single and DP carried Jamo through the frame efficiently. Bauer came out in the eighth and gave up a leadoff knock to Jordy, bringing on Adam Cimber. Jake Stallings greeted him with a single, but J-Low bounced into a 4-6-3 DP. Brad Hand came in to face Fraze and K'ed him on four pitches as Frazier chased everything *sigh*. Kyle Crick came on and gave up a walk with one away; he stole second. With two gone, Felipe Vazquez was waved onto face lefty Yonder Alonso; he fed him five straight fastballs, the last down the middle at the knees on a 2-2 count, and Alonso put the game away with a long fly to right center. Hand whiffed the last two Buccos to cruise out.

It was a perfect storm - Bauer, whose ERA was fifth best in the majors, was dealing with great off-speed movement and going against a getaway day lineup with injured Corey D & Starling out and Eli & J-Bell on the bench (and oddly, never called on to hit). Fun while it lasted; let's hope that a) the injuries to Corey & Starling aren't serious and b) the Bucs can stay hot at home with the Cubs and Cards following the Mets.

Fraze is back with the big team(photo Pittsburgh Pirates)

Notes:

• Six Pirates reached base on three hits, two walks and an error. 13 Bucs fanned.
• Starling Marte's hand suffers from the ol' "discomfort" issue and will be examined when the Bucs return to Pittsburgh tomorrow. He's day-to-day as of now. On a less crucial note, it doesn't affect his batting streak as a HBP isn't considered an at-bat.
• Kyle Crick and Felipe Vazquez both had 15+ IP scoreless streaks coming into today; both strings ended when Alonso homered in the eighth.
• Adam Frazier has arrived. He was hitting .239 when he was sent down in early June and batted just .223 at Indy, so quite the surprise move even with Corey D's sore hammy; we guess they're going to bury Austin Meadows until he passes Super Two status. He was optioned on the 15th, so his 10 days in limbo were up. Casey Sadler was optioned back to Indy; we don't understand why he wasn't used last night. It would have been nice to give him an outing.
• The Pirates on the only team in contention that has sub-replacement level players at both short and third per Fangraph's Jay Jaffe.