9/9 From the 1900’s Through the 1970’s: Satch & Brandt Duels; HBD Tom, Dan, Hugh & Pete

• 1913 - RHP Hugh Mulcahy was born in Brighton, Massachusetts. Hugh pitched for Philadelphia for eight years and lost almost five full seasons to WW2; he only got into two games as a Pirate in 1947, his final campaign. But Hugh did leave with one of the more memorable nicknames in Bucco history - he was known as “LP” from his time with the Phillies. The moniker was taken from the box scores of his games, which 89 times read “LP, Mulcahy” as in losing pitcher. In justice, he could have just as easily been dubbed “Hard Luck” Mulcahy as some of the Philadelphia teams he played for were terrible. He was a workhorse for those clubs and even made the All-Star team once. 

Paul Waner - 2000 Upper Deck Hitters Club

• 1928 - The Pirates rallied with five runs in the eighth to overcome a 7-3 Cardinal lead and take an 8-7 victory home from Sportsman’s Park. Paul Waner went 4-for-5 with two RBI, including the game-winner, and a run while brother Lloyd chipped in with three knocks, including a double, triple, RBI and two runs scored. Joe Dawson worked two perfect innings for the win. 
• 1931 - C Pete Naton was born in Flushing, New York. Pete was part of Holy Cross’ 1952 College Championship club and the Bucs signed him the following year. He got a couple of calls to the show during the 1953 campaign, getting in 12 games and going 2-for-14 with a pair of walks. That would be it for Pete, who spent six years in the minors before retiring. He was a successful businessman after he left the game, an avid amateur golfer (his memorial service was held at his golf club) and a member of Holy Cross’ Athletic Hall of Fame. 
• 1934 - The Pittsburgh Crawfords' Satchel Paige and the Philadelphia Stars' one-year wonder, lefty Slim Jones, traded fastballs through nine superb innings at Yankee Stadium in a 1-1 draw, called after regulation due to darkness. Paige struck out 12, giving up six hits, and Jones fanned nine while allowing just three knocks, pitching perfect ball over the first six frames and carrying a shutout until the eighth before 30,000+ fans. According to “Forgotten In Time,” they faced one another a month later. Before that game, the owner of the New York Black Yankees, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, presented them with travel bags (a fitting gift for the well-traveled Satchel) in honor of their efforts in the "greatest game ever played." Paige bested Jones 3-1 in the rematch. 
• 1937 - Ed Brandt outdueled the Reds Gene Schott 1-0 at Forbes Field, handing the Reds their 30th one-run loss of the year. Arky Vaughan's triple and Bill Brubaker’s single to lead off the ninth provided the dramatic finale to back Brandt’s four-hitter. 

Tom Foley - 1994 Fleer (Reverse)

• 1959 - SS Tom Foley was born in Fort Benning, Georgia. He played for 13 years, spending 1993-94 with the Pirates, getting into 145 games and hitting .246. Foley became the Rays minor league coordinator after retiring, and in 2001 joined the Tampa Bay big league staff, where he now serves as the bench coach. 
• 1970 - RHP Dan Miceli was born in Newark. The reliever spent the first four years (1993-96) of his 14 season career in Pittsburgh, going 8-15-24/5.41 during that span. He was known for a power arm and shaky control throughout his MLB journey. In 2003, he gained entry into a club with just a handful of members - players that appeared for four different teams during the same season.

9/9 From 1980: Bucs Snap Losing Decades String; Ouch; Cutch Cover Boy; Game Stories

• 1987 - The Bucs nipped the Cubs 4-3 when an unlikely suspect, reliever Jeff Robinson, went yard on ace Chicago closer Lee Smith with two out in the ninth at Wrigley Field, smashing the first pitch into the bleachers. Coach Rick Donnelly told Paul Meyer of the Post Gazette that “Jeff Robinson and Lee Smith could stand out there the rest of their lives and not have that happen again.” Robinson agreed - “It was pretty much of a fluke,” he admitted. Jim Leyland told the media that he only let Robinson bat because he thought he had the best shot at retiring the Cubs in the ninth and getting the game to Jim Gott. Well, Robby did get the closer Gott on the mound, a little sooner than expected, and he struck out two for the save. RJ Reynolds provided the offense prior to Robinson, with two hits and two RBI. 

Jay Bell - 1991 Donruss Diamond Kings

• 1991 - Jay Bell went 4-for-4 with a home run in Pittsburgh’s 12-10 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Pirates trailed, 10-8, in the ninth inning before rookie Orlando Merced connected off Chicago’s Dave Smith for a three-run, pinch-hit homer, highlighting Pittsburgh’s game-winning four-run frame. 
• 1992 - With the score tied in the bottom of the sixth with two on, one out and first base open, the Cubs intentionally walked Barry Bonds. It was his 28th IBB of the year, breaking the Bucs' single season record, set in 1968 by Roberto Clemente (Bonds finished up with 32 by year’s end). The stratagem backfired, though, when Jeff King hit the first pitch he saw from Ken Patterson over the left field wall for his second career grand slam. Gary Varsho and Jay Bell also went long as Pittsburgh prevailed 13-8 at TRS, with Danny Cox getting the blown save/win combo. 
• 2013 - The Pirates clinched their first winning season since 1992 with a 1-0 win over Yu Darvish and the Texas Rangers at the Ballpark in Arlington. Rookie Gerrit Cole went seven innings of three-hit ball, walking a pair and striking out nine, with Tony Watson and Mark Melancon pitching two innings of one-hit ball to seal the deal. The game was scoreless until two outs in the seventh when Marlon Byrd and Pedro Alvarez hit back-to-back doubles to produce the game’s only run. The win broke a four game losing streak and moved the Pirates within a game of first place St. Louis. 
• 2013 - Andrew McCutchen was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as part of Lee Jenkins story “The Bucs Start Here.” It didn’t take Dick Tracy to figure that out; Cutch won the MVP that year with a .317/.404/.508 slash. 
• 2016 - The Bucs were in a bad way, having lost four in a row and 12 of 14, and it looked like more of the same at Citizens Park against the Phils. Despite 11 K and stellar pitching by Ivan Nova, some sloppy fielding and an eighth inning wild spree by reliever Felipe Rivero had them in a 3-2 hole going into the ninth. Fran Cervelli led off with a walk against former Pirate Jeanmar Gomez, and Jordy Mercer, after fouling off a bunt, doubled him to third. Sean Rodriguez came off the bench, got a 2-2 fastball on the outer half and lined it over the RF wall to lead Pittsburgh to a 5-3 win. It was the first time in 140! games that the Pirates had rallied from a ninth inning deficit. It was also the first ninth-inning or later pinch hit dinger to give the Bucs a lead after trailing since Rob Mackowiak’s blast did in the Reds in 2003. 

S-Rod - photo Archie Carpenter/United Press International

• 2016 - It was a bad day for Bucco trainers. Gerrit Cole was shut down with elbow inflammation, Josh Harrison’s year was done after a groin injury, catcher Chris Stewart took a trip to see Dr. Andrews with a knee injury that would require off-season surgery and minor league C Elias Diaz, a 2017 roster candidate, was out with cellulitis. In addition, relievers Neftali Feliz (arm) and AJ Schugel were also hors d’ combat and inactive, requiring the Bucs to call up minor league C Jacob Stallings and P Zach Phillips, then deal for pitcher Wade LeBlanc to fill the roster, even with the September call-ups already on hand.

Flaherty Shuts Down Bucs In Finale 2-0

Steven Brault did the National Anthem honors and James Marvel took the hill for his first MLB start. He tossed a spotless frame, using sliders with a show-me fastball. K-Man opened with a double off Jack Flaherty, and he stayed there. The Cards got a walk; the Bucs went down whiff, Melky single, Fraze DP. It was a clean third for Marv and ditto for Flaherty. The Redbirds banged a two-out rap in the fourth while Pittsburgh went down 1-2-3. Matt Carpenter doubled and scored on a Harrison Bader knock in the fifth to draw first blood. Joey O led off with a double and Melky singled; Osuna didn't advance on Cabrera's pop that looked catchable but fell. A force left Bucs on the corners before Jake hit into a DP *sigh*. A walk to Kolten Wong followed by a Goldy double added another run and brought in Yacksel Rios, who put out the fire. K-Man was bopped and moved up on a wild pitch; he also went nowhere.

Marv's first outing was solid - 2019 Bowman First

Wei-Chung Wang got the seventh. A knock and walk started it off, but a bad bunt and Jake back pick relieved the pressure and helped keep it at 2-0. Redbeard opened with a rap, with the inning ending with Clint and Fraze both getting ejected after barking at plate ump Roberto Ortiz, who called two pretty wide deliveries strikes and then rang Fraze up on a borderline call (that one, in justice, he should have at least spoiled; the first two were clear misses). Kyle Crick walked one and K'ed a pair in a quiet eighth. Pablo walked with an out, and yah, he likewise grew roots. Yefrey Ramirez worked the ninth smoothly. After 112 pitches, Flaherty left and Carlos Martinez took over. Eli pinch hit for Starling, who appeared to turn his wrist catching the last out in the eighth. The Bucs made not a peep, and that was all she wrote.

Jack Flaherty has been the NL's top pitcher since August and did nothing to dispel that notion today. James Marvel looks like a Willy/Steven Brault-style pitcher; 92 MPH fastball and dependent on location rather than raw stuff. He did well today; we'll see how the rest of the month pans out.

Notes:

• Melky had two of the Pirates five hits; no other Burgher reached base safely more than once.
• The Bucs placed RHP James Marvel on the roster by moving OF Jason Martin (dislocated left shoulder) to the 60-day IL. RHP Yefry Ramirez was also reinstated from the 10-day IL.
• There were 18,636 announced warming the seats today.
• The Pirates finished 5-14 against the Cards. They won one game at home.
• Pittsburgh is off to San Francisco for a four-game set starting tomorrow, then a three-pack at Wrigley before returning home.
• On his radio show, Neal Huntington said that Marvel will remain in the rotation for the rest of the season. He added that there remains a possibility that J-Bell may return to the OF in 2020, depending on how Gregory Polanco recovers; more surgery may be an option. He noted Ke'Bryan Hayes and Will Craig weren't called up because the FO didn't believe they were MLB ready yet.
• Tampa took Tyler Glasnow off the IL and gave him an opener start today. He struck out five in two innings, hitting 100 MPH three times, and also gave up a two-run homer to Randal Grichuk.

Marvel v Jack Flaherty, Lineup & Notes

Game: The Sunday getaway matinee begins at 1:35 and will be on AT&T SportsNet & 93.7 The Fan. It's Kids Day, and the freebie will be a mini-Mason truck.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds LF, Starling Marte CF, Colin Moran 3B, Jose Osuna 1B, Melky Cabrera RF, Adam Frazier 2B, Jake Stallings, James Marvel P. J-Bell is down for the day, as are all the call-ups.

James Marvel - 2019 Bowman First

Pitchers: RHP James Marvel (0-0/0.00) concludes the set against RHP Jack Flaherty (9-7/3.14). Marvel was 7-0/2.67 at Indy and a combined 16-5/2.94 in AA/AAA this year. The 25-year-old was a late draft pick (36th round) from Duke in 2015 after undergoing TJ surgery; looks like he's back all the way now. Of course, this is a pretty hefty challenge for his debut. In his last 11 games, Flaherty has been an ace, with a line of 5-2/0.90 and an oppo BA of .141. He has faced Pittsburgh once during the campaign, getting a no decision after seven innings of three-hit, one-run ball with eight whiffs. It does look like a mismatch on paper, but remember what happened when Chad Kuhl debuted against Clayton Kershaw in 2016...?

Notes:

• A quick James Marvel cheat sheet - he's not a big strikeout guy (7K/nine) who features decent control (three walks/nine) and a rep as a ground ball guy (48-49%) who keeps the ball in the yard (0.6 HR/nine). He's projected to be a mid-to-back-end rotation guy, so he's a pitcher who is hoped to stabilize, not save, the staff.
• Adam Frazier has reached base safely in 17 straight games going into today (he was hitless in two of the contests, but drew a walk). Being dropped in the order seems to suit him well.
• Stephen Brault will sing the National Anthem this afternoon.
• This is the last game of the 2019 series against the Redbirds. The Bucs still have divisional matches with the Brewers, Cubs and Reds later in the month.

9/8 Through the 1900’s: 27-Gamer; Strand-fest; Sweep; HBD Russ, Eli, Val, & Buck

• 1852 - OF Russ McKelvy was born in Swissvale. The local lad was on the Alleghenys first roster in 1877 when they were a member of the minor league International Association (the Alleghenys carried just 12 players and all of them made it to the majors) before moving on to the Indianapolis Blues. That move made McKelvy the first ballplayer from Allegheny College to make it to the show (Glenn Beckert of the Cubs/Padres and Josh Sharpless of the Pirates later joined him). He then spent a year with the short-lived NL Indianapolis Blues, and then Josh’s minor league record goes MIA (it seems he played in the local leagues, possibly as a semi-pro player), but he did get one more shot in the majors. His old club, the Alleghenys, now a big-league team, played him on August 24th, 1882. Russ started in right field and went 0-for-4, taking his final bow in the show. He shuffled off to Omaha after that where he became a successful businessman and civic mover. 

Russ' obit photo - 10/20/1915 Omaha World Herald

• 1875 - LHP Eli Rosebraugh was born in Charleston, Illinois. Out of Oberlin College, he tossed briefly for Pittsburgh in 1898-99, working six games (four starts) with an 0-3, 4.55 line. Eli, also known as Zeke (his middle name was Ezekiel although he later used Ethelbert) or Rosie, then spent the following campaign in Ohio, tossing for Dayton, Mansfield and Youngstown in the Interstate League. His trail grows cold after that until he shot himself at the age of 54 while living in Fresno. 
• 1896 - C Val Picinich was born in New York City. Picinich caught for 18 seasons, never cracking the 100-game mark in any one of them. Though he was mostly a caddy, during his five-year stint with the Senators he was Walter Johnson’s personal battery mate, catching all but two of his starts. Val finished his career with Pirates in 1933 at the age of 37 when the Bucs were looking for some relief for regular catcher Earl Grace who was battling nagging injuries. He hit .250 in 16 games to end his career. Picinich retired to become a chicken farmer after a couple of shots at managing in the minors, then later took on a job with the Bath Iron Works shipyard. 
• 1899 - Pittsburgh's 3B Jimmy Williams‚ who earlier set a MLB rookie record by hitting in 26 consecutive games‚ ran his club record string to 27 games before he was stopped by Deacon Phillippe of Louisville‚ who had also ended his earlier streak, as Louisville won 5-3. Deacon joined the Pirates a year later, much to William’s relief. Kenny Lofton (2003) and Danny O'Connell (1953) also strung together 26 game streaks for the Pirates. His rookie mark lasted until 1987, when it was bested by Benito Santiago. Jimmy also set the franchise high water mark for RBIs by a rookie with 116, later matched by Maurice Van Robays in 1940. 
• 1905 - As written by the Pittsburgh Press “(Cincinnati pitcher) Charlie Chech was touched up for fifteen safeties, including six two-baggers, and allowed eight bases on balls, but still the Pirates could get but three little runs out of all that swatfest” as Pittsburgh lost 8-3 to the Reds at Exposition Park. The Bucs stranded a NL record 18 men in the loss. 

Buck Leonard - Negro League Magnet Cards

• 1907 - 1B Walter “Buck” Leonard was born in Rocky Mount, NC. He played 15 years for the Homestead Grays (1934-48), batting ahead of Josh Gibson, and the pair were often likened to Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. The Grays won nine consecutive Negro National League pennants (1937-1945) with Leonard and Gibson ("the Thunder Twins") in the middle of the order. Leonard finished his Grays’ career with a .320 BA and was selected to the HoF. In 1994, when the All-Star Game was held in Pittsburgh, the then 88-year-old Leonard was named an Honorary Captain. 
• 1908 - Howie Camnitz tossed a five-hitter with seven whiffs and made two first-inning runs chased home by Honus Wagner stand up as the Bucs swept a four-game set from the St. Louis Cards, 2-0, at Exposition Park. The Pirates set a major league record against the Redbirds with only two assists in the field, both by 2B Charlie Starr.

9/8 From 1910 Through the 1950’s: Clarke Resigns; Trip Trips; Game Stories; HBD Frank, Jim & Jimmy

• 1912 - Long-time Pirate coach and minor league manager Frank Oceak was born in Pocahontas, Virginia. He was with the organization from 1942-1972 for all but one season, managing in the minors everywhere from Class D Oil City to AAA Columbus. Oceak also served for 10 seasons as Danny Murtaugh’s coach and finished his career on Bill Virdon’s staff, with the 1960 (he’s the coach wearing #44 who’s running down the third base line with Maz) and 1971 World Series teams parts of his resume. 

Frank Oceak - photo via SABR

• 1915 - Fred Clarke resigned as manager after leading the club to four pennants in 19 years, citing a desire for more family time (and probably nudged along by back-to-back losing seasons). He wanted to step down earlier, after the 1909 World Series campaign, but was talked out of it by owner Barney Dreyfuss. Jimmy Callahan replaced him in 1916. 
• 1916 - RHP Jim Bagby Jr. was born in Cleveland. Jim closed out his 10-year MLB run with Pittsburgh in 1947, going 5-4/4.67. Jim, a two-time All-Star earlier in his career, joined his dad to became the first father and son combo to pitch in the World Series when Jim Jr. appeared for the 1946 Red Sox; Jim Sr. had appeared in the Fall Classic with the 1920 Indians. In another feather in his cap moment, Jr. and Al Smith were the Cleveland pitchers who ended Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. Following his baseball career, Bagby became a professional golf player and in 1992 was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Final Bagby Trivia item via Wikipedia: he maintained a lifelong dislike of sports writers because he was born with a cleft palate and was often made fun of by them for his appearance. 
• 1932 - C Earl Grace had his errorless streak end at 110 games. The errant throw was his only miscue of the season (out of 413 chances), a NL record. He did his penance by smacking a homer but it wouldn’t be nearly enough as the Brooklyn Dodgers embarrassed the Pirates 12-2 at Ebbets Field. But Earl needn’t have felt badly; the game itself was a slop-fest that featured seven boots between the two clubs. 
• 1937 - The Bucs swept Cincinnati at Forbes Field. Pittsburgh had to score three times in the 10th inning to pull out a 7-6 win in the opener on a Tommy Padden walk-off single. The rap was an act of atonement for Padden; he threw away a bunt in the top half to allow the Reds two runs. Woody Jensen had four hits to lead Pittsburgh. The Pirates took the nightcap easily by an 8-2 count. Jensen had two more knocks to support Jack Tobin’s four-hitter. 
• 1940 - The Pirates brought their sticks to Sportsman’s Park, taking a doubleheader from the Cardinals by 16-14 and 5-4 tallies. Pittsburgh banged two homers (Maurice Van Robays & Debs Garms), and triple and seven doubles (two by Frankie Gustine) to overcome Johnny Mize’s three homers to take the opener. The Pirates scored five in the shortened five inning nitecap, tallying three times in the last frame for the win. Bob Elliott and Arky Vaughan went 4-for-6 in tandem, with a double, two triples and all five RBI, driving in Garms, who went 3-for-3 with two doubles, three times before darkness ended the game. 

Jimmy Smith - 1983 Topps

• 1954 - SS Jimmy Smith was born in Santa Monica, California. After six years in the minors with Baltimore and the Mets, he was purchased by the Bucs in 1981. After a year at Portland, the 28-year-old spent the 1982 campaign as the Pirates back-up shortstop to Dale Berra and pinch-runner, batting .238. He played with the White Sox at AAA Denver the following year before hangin’ up the spikes. 
• 1958 - Roberto Clemente tied a modern day record held by many with three triples against Cincinnati at Forbes Field, leading the Pirates to a 4-1 win. He was stranded after the first three-bagger, thrown out at home trying for an inside-the-park HR after the second, and finally scored after the third when Dick Stuart singled him home. Curt Raydon got the win, his last in MLB, and banged out his only major league hit in 49 plate appearances. Arm troubles kept him out of the majors after a solid 8-4/3.62 debut, and after treading water in the minors for three seasons, he hung ‘em up after the 1961 campaign.

9/8 From 1960: TRS Sked; Smith Traded; Cutch Cover; Game Stories; HBD Cole Train & Mike

• 1960 - A special meeting of the County Commissioners set the estimated date for a new North Side stadium for 1964 after talks with the railroad to relocate its yards, with an estimated price tag of $18M. That was just a little off; it took until 1970 for TRS to open, and the bill was $55M. 

Mike Dyer - 1994 Topps

• 1966 - RHP Mike Dyer was born in Upland, California. He spent the middle of his four-year MLB tenure with the Pirates in 1994-95, getting a lot of work in the second campaign (55 appearances, 74+ IP) but put up a disappointing line of 5-6-4/4.60 as too few K’s and too many BBs took their toll. Mike got one more chance with Montreal in 1996, put up another so-so slash and that ended his big league run, with his last year (2000) spent in the indie leagues. 
• 1967 - The Pirates and Cardinals were in frustration mode, combining for 23 hits and 13 walks while stranding 25 runners and going 2-for-24 with RISP. But they put together a pretty good ballgame at Forbes Field, with the Bucs taking a 4-3, 10-inning decision from the Redbirds. Trailing 3-1 going into the seventh, Manny Jimenez doubled Billy Maz home to cut the lead to one and then Gene Alley tied it in the eighth, doubling home Roberto Clemente. Pittsburgh left the bases loaded in the ninth and the Cards stranded a pair in the 10th. Alley was the hero again. Leading off with a triple. Two intentional walks loaded the bases before Maury Wills singled to right with an out to give Bruce Dal Canton the win. 
• 1968 - Bob Veale outdueled Tom Terrific at Forbes Field, scattering six hits in a 3-0 Bucco victory. His main support came from an unlikely source - 33-year-old Jose Pagan, batting just .212, banged a solo homer and singled home Donn Clendenon, whose triple had plated Willie Stargell, to account for all the Pittsburgh scoring. 
• 1969 - The Bucs fell behind 2-0 in the first against Montreal at Jarry Park, and it stayed that way for most of the chilly night. The Pirates warmed up just in time, plating an unearned run in the eighth and scoring five times in the ninth to rally past the Expos 6-4. A single, intentional walk and two errors tied the game for Pittsburgh and loaded the bases for rookie utilityman Jose Martinez, who entered the game as a pinch runner and stayed to play short. He banged his first (and only) big league homer into the left field seats to give Chuck Hartenstein the win, with Bruce Dal Canton picking up the save. Gene Alley stretched his hitting streak to 21 games; it would reach 22 before the Cards ended his run. 
• 1974 - Dave Parker broke up a tight game with an eighth-inning grand slam off Tom Walker (yep, Neil’s dad) as the Bucs beat the Montreal Expos 8-2 at TRS. It was the Cobra’s only at-bat; he came in as a pinch hitter for Frank Taveras. Jim Rooker tossed a six-hitter for the win. It marked the Pirates sixth straight victory and 25th win in the past 31 games. 

Gerrit Cole - 2013 Panini Hometown Hero

• 1990 - RHP Gerrit Cole was born in Newport Beach, California. The UCLA grad was selected by the Pirates with the first overall selection in the 2011 MLB Draft and signed to an $8M bonus minutes before the deadline. He made his debut in the show on June 11th, 2013, going 6-⅓ IP to beat the Giants 8-2 and now is tossing for the Houston Astros, traded in early 2018 for RHP Joe Musgrove, 3B Colin Moran, RHP Michael Feliz and OF Jason Martin. In five years, his Pirates slash was 57-42/3.50. 
• 1993 - OF Lonnie Smith (.286, six HR) was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for PTBNL, OF/1B Stanton Cameron and LHP Terry Farrar. Lonnie, who the Bucs had signed in January as a $1M free agent, did next to nothing for the O’s and was out of baseball after the 1994 season while the Bird’s duo were both playing indie ball by 1996. 
• 2000 - Pittsburgh swept the Reds 7-3 and 3-1 to run their season-best winning streak to eight games at TRS (it ended the next day, beginning a nine-game losing streak). Todd Ritchie won the opener and Marc Wilkins, one of seven Pirate pitchers, took the nitecap victory. Alex Hernandez had three hits on the day, including a homer and triple. 
• 2014 - Andrew McCutchen was the cover boy on Sports Illustrated for the second time in his career. He was featured in Albert Chen’s article “Andrew McCutchen Goes Deep.” It was almost a year to the day after his first SI cover shot on September 9th, 2013. 

• 2015 - In the first game of a doubleheader against the Reds, Aramis Ramirez made his first career start at first base. Before that, A-Ram had played 18 seasons and 2,096 games at third base and nowhere else other than DH or pinch hitter. He lasted six innings, going 3-for-3 in chances fielded and appeared at first base four more times during the campaign.

Cardinals Clobber Pirates 10-1

Steven Brault survived a walk and wild pitch in the opening frame. B-Rey singled with an out and was tossed out, after review, at second; Starling followed with a triple and J-Bell walked, but Waino got away with a zero on the board thanks to happy feet. For a little variety, Steven plunked a batter before uncorking another wild pitch in the second, but still no blood drawn. The Pirates went down 1-2-3. Wainwright doubled to start the third, and two singles, a balk, and a Marcell Ozuna homer later, it was 4-0. J-Bell misflipped a ball afterward, but a DP put an end to the frame. K-Man singled, stole second running on a full count, and came home on Starling's rap. The bottom of the Cards order went down in order in the fourth. Fraze singled for all the Bucco action. Three grounders put away St Louis in the fifth. Steven led off with a knock for the Bucs; a DP and whiff shut that down in a hurry.

Starling kept on keepin' on tonight - photo Dave Arrigo/Pirates

The Bucs went clang in the sixth. A walk, passed ball, Joey O dropped fly, single, steal, and single brought in two runs and Clay Holmes. He allowed a swipe but fanned the next pair to leave it at 6-1. Pittsburgh had no response. A walk sandwiched around a pair of two-baggers added two more tallies to the Redbird ledger in the seventh. The Pirates went down without a peep. Geoff Hartlieb toed the slab in the eighth. Two walks, a wild pitch, and a single packed the sacks, but Geoff escaped without a score. Junior Fernandez took the ball and put the Buccos away without raising a sweat. Parker Markel worked the ninth. He was roughed up for two more runs, and it was 10-1 Cards with three outs to go. Daniel Ponce de Leon climbed the hill and struck out the side to add a little salt to the wound.

Let's see -  181 pitches, 10 runs, 11 hits, five walks, two plunked batters, three wild pitches, a balk, a passed ball, two errors...ah, yes, September baseball in Pittsburgh.

Notes:

• Starling had two hits; the Pirates had six overall and no other Bucco reached base safely more than once.
• The announced gate was 23,996 at the ol' park.
• Going into tonight, the Pirates DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) was -45. Only the Mets are worse with the leather in the NL.

Steven v Waino, Lineup, Notes

Game: The first pitch is at 7:05. It's Spiderman Super Hero Bobblehead Night, in case your spidey sense is trying to lure you to the North Shore.

Lineup: Kevin Newman SS, Bryan Reynolds LF, Starling Marte CF, Josh Bell 1B, Colin Moran 3B, Jose Osuna RF, Adam Frazier 2B, Elias Diaz C, Steven Brault P. No September children starting today.

Brault v the Birds - photo Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers: LHP Steven Brault (4-3/3.88) meets RHP Adam Wainwright (10-9/4.30) in the middle game. In 13 starts since rejoining the rotation, Steven is just 3-2 but with a 2.71 ERA. Unfortunately, he's been a BP guy against the Redbirds - he's 0-1/9.90 in three 2019 outings (two starts), and the Cards have homered three times in 10 frames against him. Waino has seen the Bucs four times this year, and tossed two gems to go with two clunkers, slashing 2-0/4.09 against the Pirates.

Notes:

• James Marvel will go tomorrow,in Mitch Keller's place. Keller was pushed back to Tuesday after bruising his wrist in his last outing, pretty good news after an ugly-looking incident.
• Wei-Chung Wang gotta be lovin' his move to Pittsburgh - two outings, 1-2/3 IP, two wins. He had one MLB victory in 42 previous outings.
• Tough to tell by the record, but the Pirates have won six-of-eight and 10-of-14.
• Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com has 15 names he thinks will be dangled during the off season. He includes some biggies, including Felipe and Starling.
• To step out of the spikes and slip on the pads, gotta wonder about the AB act - he ends up in New England, who gets him at no trade cost and for just $9M guaranteed while he goes to a team that's on the short list of SB contenders...we're not conspiracy theorists very often, but this one doesn't quite pass the sniff test. Guess time will tell.

9/7 Through the 1930’s: Hot Hans, Game Stories; HBD John, Fred, Ed & Charlie

• 1874 - RHP Ed Poole was born in Canton, Ohio. Ed was with the Bucs off-and-on from 1900-02, going 6-4/3.22 on the hill and batting .221 with a couple of homers (he saw a little action at 2B, 3B and the OF). He was sold to the Reds and lasted two more years with Cincy and Brooklyn. He became somewhat famous as the defendant in the The People of New York v. Poole when he was arrested for pitching for Brooklyn on a Sunday, in violation of the state’s Blue Laws. 

Charlie Case 1905 - photo Chicago Daily News/Chicago History Museum

• 1879 - RHP Charlie Case was born in Smiths Landing, Ohio. Charlie had a four-year MLB career with the final three seasons (1904-06) spent in Pittsburgh, posting a line of 22-17-1/2.81, compiled mostly as a starter. Charlie worked in the minors afterward through the 1914 season and tossed a no-hitter in 1909 for the Nashville Volunteers of the Southern Association. 
• 1883 - 1B John Flynn was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Flynn had a three-year MLB run, with 1910-11 spent with the Pirates. He hit .263 in that span as a bench player. John toiled in the minors during the next 15 years as a player and manager. 
• 1891 - C Fred Blackwell was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Fred got into 35 games from 1917-19, all with the Pirates, and hit .205. His career was interrupted as he was in the service in 1918-19; 1921 was his last year of organized ball with Kansas City of the American Association. 
• 1905 - In his home debut, rookie Lefty Leifield gave up three runs in the first, then settled into a groove until tiring and surrendering three more runs in the ninth frame as the Bucs rolled to an 11-7 win over the Reds at Exposition Park. Fred Clarke banged out four hits while Honus Wagner and Heinie Peitz added three apiece, with Hans swatting a double and triple. 
• 1908 - Led by Honus Wagner’s 6-for-7 day at the plate, including five straight hits with a double, triple and sacrifice, the Pirates swept St. Louis 9-7 and 7-1 on Labor Day at Exposition Park to move to 1/2 game behind the league leading NY Giants. Sam Leever won the opener while Vic Willis scattered eight singles to take the second match. 

Honus 1908 - Real Photo Postcard

• 1925 - Pittsburgh won for the 17th time in 20 games when they defeated the Chicago Cubs 8-5 at Forbes Field in the opener of a twin bill. Kiki Cuyler went 4-for-5 with a double and triple while every Pirate in the lineup had a hit. Red Oldham gave up 15 hits, but went the distance for the win. The Cubs banged out 16 more hits in the second game to gain a 9-8 split. 
• 1931 - The Pirates swept a Labor Day twinbill at Forbes Field from the Reds, 6-1 and 4-3. Woody Jensen homered and was one of five Corsairs with two hits to back Larry French’s mound work in the lidlifter. The news wasn’t all good, though, as the Bucs lost SS Tommy Thevenow, who fractured his ankle in two places sliding in the sixth frame, to end his season. Pittsburgh scored three times in the eighth inning of the nightcap to sew up the double dipper when George Grantham & Tony Piet singled around Pie Traynor & Paul Waner doubles to make Erv Brame a winner.