9/22: A Mixed Bag

• 1903 - Pittsburgh's 16-game winner Ed Doheny‚ suffering from bouts of paranoia‚ was sent home to Massachusetts by the Pirates. After the World Series‚ Doheny went off the deep end, was committed to the Danvers Insane Asylum and at the age of 26‚ his major league career was over. Not only was this a tragic turn of events for Doheny, but it cost the Bucs dearly in their World Series loss to the Boston Americans as they were short of pitching for the series. He, Deacon Phillippe and Sam Leever formed the heart of the Pirate rotation, and with Leever nursing an injury, Phillippe was force to start five of the seven games, eventually wearing down. Poor Doheny, whose mental issues were said to be triggered after he developed a dead arm late in the season, never recovered. He remained a patient at the hospital until his death at the age of 43. 
• 1908 - The Brooklyn Superbas cashed in a run in the ninth, scoring when no one covered first on a two out grounder to the right side, but Pittsburgh and Nick Maddox prevailed 3-2 in 11 innings at Washington Park. Alan Storke tripled home Hans Wagner with the go ahead run and scored himself on a wild throw home. Maddox gave up a homer in Brooklyn’s half, but hung on for the win as the Pirates stayed alive in their late drive for the flag, which fell a game short. 
• 1911 - Cy Young, pitching for the Boston Rustlers, earned his 511th and final career victory by defeating the Pirates 1-0. Cy scattered nine hits and fanned three at Forbes Field to best Babe Adams. 
• 1931 - The Phillies overcame a 2-0 ninth inning deficit to send the game to overtime, but the Pirates tacked on a run in the 13th to claim a 3-2 win at Forbes Field. Heinie Meine went the distance for the victory, tossing a four hitter. It was his 19th win, which led all NL pitchers that season. The Bucs left 20 men on base as Philadelphia pitchers allowed 10 hits and 13 walks. 
• 1938 - Pittsburgh swept a twinbill from the Brooklyn Robins by 6-0 and 11-6 scores at Ebbet’s Field to take a 3-½ game lead in the race for the pennant. Jim Tobin tossed a four hitter in the opener. Arky Vaughan had four hits, with three doubles and three RBI to go with Pep Young’s four runs driven in to power the win in the nitecap. But the 1938 NL crown would go to Chicago, which won their last ten games while the Bucs stumbled to a 3-7 finish. 
• 1958 - The Pirates set a pair of wrong way records during their 3-2 and 1-0 twin bill losses to the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium. Three Phil pitchers fanned a MLB record 21 Bucs in the opener, and Jack Sanford whiffed 10 in the nitecap for a MLB record 31 Ks for the day. 
• 1996 - Pittsburgh beat the Cubs 11-3 for their 11th win in a row, posting the longest winning streak in the majors for the year. Jay Bell was the star with a homer and four RBI. They still finished last with a 73-89 record, but it fueled a vain “wait ‘til next year” off-season among the faithful. 
• 2006 - Chris Young carried a no-hitter into the ninth against the Bucs, but lost his bid to become the first San Diego Padre to toss a no-no when Joe Randa smacked a two run homer on a 3-1 pitch following a one-out walk to Jose Bautista. Young, who was drafted by the Pirates in 2000 before being traded for Matt Herges, claimed an easy 6-2 win at Petco Park.

Bucs Rebound Behind AJ 4-2

A rainbow broke out over PNC Park as the game began; let's hope it's a good omen. If so, it wasn't apparent in the first. After an out, Brandon Phillips bounced one up the middle, and Joey Votto walked. It called for a ground ball, and Ryan Ludwick hit one sharply to short; Clint Barmes missed the shorthop on the backhand and it went into left for an RBI single. Jay Bruce got with the program and rolled one to Neil Walker for the 4-6-3 DP, but a batter late as the Reds broke on top 1-0.

JT opened off Homer Bailey with a Baltimore chop single over the mound. Both Neil Walker and Cutch tried out Jack Hannahan at third; he back handed both their bullets, leading to a force and an around the horn DP to close the frame.

Zack Cozart ripped AJ's first pitch of the second, a heater on the inside half, over the fence in left; this one isn't starting off very well. After a K, Burnett walked Ryan Hanigan; he's not having much luck getting the outside corner called his way so far tonight. No matter; he whiffed Bailey, who was trying to bunt, and Derreck Robinson. Justin Morneau opened the Bucco half with a walk, but Marlon Byrd followed by banging a fastball right down the middle to short for a 6-4-3 DP. Pedro hopped one to Votto; he dropped the ball on the transfer and never could find the handle for an error. A costly one at that; Russ Martin got the same pitch Cozart did earlier in the inning, and did the same thing with it, losing it in the LF stands to tie the game.

In the third, AJ gave up an opposite way bloop single to Votto that JT got a slow break on, sandwiched around a couple of whiffs, and retired Bruce on a liner to second - to Pedro, who was shifted there against the lefty. Pittsburgh went down in order, without a ball exiting the infield.

The Reds went down 1-2-3 in the fourth. Bailey struck out the Pirate side, interrupted only by a two-out Byrd single. AJ tucked Cincy away quietly in the fifth, and except for inexplicably walking AJ, Homer had an easy frame. The beat continued for Burnett in the sixth; a couple of strikeouts and a grounder, although a walk and wild pitch did allow Ludwick to get to second with two down. Bailey's control hurt him badly in the Bucco half.

After an out, he walked Cutch, and a pickoff toss went between a diving McCutchen and Votto. The ball got away, and the Pirate CF ended up on third. Morneau walked behind him to put runners on the corners, and The Byrd came through, lifting a fly to center that was just a step from the fence, scoring Cutch and moving Justin to second. That was big when Pedro, now facing Zach Duke, lined a 3-2 slider that stayed over the plate into left to chase Morneau home. JJ Hoover got Russell on a bouncer, but the Pirates were up 4-2.

AJ put Cincinnati down without a peep in the seventh, his last frame. Burnett went seven, giving up two runs on four hits, three walks and a dozen K, tossing 107 pitches. Alfredo Simon took to the hill for Dusty Baker. With two down, JT chopped a single to third that Hannahan could only knock down. Starling Marte came on and stole second ahead of a walk to The Kid, but Cutch popped out to take the game into the eighth and Bryan Morris.

He got a ground out to third, followed by a walk to Phillips. That brought in the well rested Justin Wilson to face Votto. The count ran 3-2 when a grounder to short started a 6-4-3 DP close out the frame. Heckuva a time for Clint to start playing match-up with his pen with Mark the Shark and Tony Watson available, but it worked this inning. And the rest seemed to work for Justin; he was rusty but hit 98 on the radar again.

Sean Marshall threw a clean eighth, and on came Jason Grilli to reclaim his closer role. Ludwick poked a two strike slider, down and away, into left to start the inning and stir up some bad memories. But Grilli got Jay Bruce to bounce one softly to second, and the Bucs turned the 4-6-3 DP. With two outs, a grounder was rolled to short by Cozart, and this time the connection clicked as the Bucs rebounded with a 4-2 win.

AJ was masterful with a nasty hook working today, and a different look bullpen saved the day. Russ Martin's homer was huge. And give The Byrd big props; his deep sac fly not only scored the winning run, but set up the insurance score; not every hit has to fall to be productive.

Jeff Locke takes on Bronson Arroyo tomorrow afternoon in the rubber match.

•  AJ's dozen strikeouts are the most he's had in a game since 2009 (as a Yankee v Texas), and puts him at 203 this season. He became the first Pirate RHP ever to pass the 200 mark, overtaking Marcus Baldwin's mark of 197 set in 1891.
• Jason Grilli's save was his first in exactly two months. The last was on July 21st, and it was against Cincinnati, too.
• Tonight's crowd was 39,425, the 22nd sellout of the season.
• Cutch is calming the beanball seas. He told the media about yesterday's plunking that "He (Sam LeCure) wasn't trying to hit me," though he did mention earlier that he was tired of being beaned by the Reds. And Hurdle said his beef last night was that if the ump thought Cutch was being thrown at, he should have ejected the pitcher instead of issuing a warning that only served to inhibit his pitchers from working inside.
• Everything old is new again. Jason Grilli is back as closer (in pencil), with Mark the Shark returning to his setup role.
• Next Saturday's Pittsburgh - Cincy game at the GABP has been changed to 1:05 from 4:05. It will be the Fox national broadcast.

AJ v Homer

AJ Burnett (8-11, 3.43) and Homer Bailey (11-10, 3.40) do battle tonight. AJ was giving the Reds glares like he was Judge Roy Bean from the dugout last night after Cutch was beaned, and hopefully that will just fuel him for today's game. Homer has won six in a row and he owns the Bucs, especially at PNC. He's 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA, tossing a no-hitter, three complete games and a pair of shutouts here.

The game starts at 7:05 and will be on the MLB Network, Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan. The Pirate bats have stirred the past couple of games, but we'll see how they recover from losing a pair of ninth inning leads in three days. Just to make it interesting, rain is predicted today. With the Steeler game tomorrow night and the potential for a parking nightmare, the guess is that they'd make it up on Thursday, when both teams are off. EDIT - It is supposed to quit by game time, so hopefully it's a moot point.

Pirate lineup: Jose Tabata LF, Neil Walker 2b, Andrew McCutchen CF, Justin Morneau 1b, Marlon Byrd RF, Pedro Alvarez 3b, Russ Martin C, Clint Barmes SS and AJ Burnett P.

JT is starting; good move.

Reds lineup: Derek Robinson CF, Brandon Phillips 2b, Joey Votto 1b, Ryan Ludwick LF, Jay Bruce RF, Zack Cozart SS, Jack Hannahan 3b, Ryan Hanigan C and Homer Bailey P.

Choo is out; he jammed his thumb sliding into first last night.

• Everyone that counts in the NL's wild card/NLC division race but Pittsburgh won yesterday. St. Louis is two up on Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, both of which share the magic #4 to eliminate Washington with eight games to go.
• Ouch! The Pirates have been hit by a pitch a MLB leading 83 times this season, including 12 times by Cincinnati pitchers in 14 meetings.
• Pittsburgh is looking to win 50 home games for the 17th time in club history since 1887 and for the first time since going 53-28 in 1992.
• Karen Price of the Tribune Review wrote that AJ is still undecided on retirement. His decision will have a sizable impact on the Bucs' off-season wish list.
• BTW, Andrew McCutchen had been hit by pitches nine times this year, four by the Reds. They're the first team to plunk Cutch more than twice in a season in his career. Three beanings have been in the first game of a series; during one four-game set at GABP, he was hit in the first and last contest.

9/21: Bucs Clinch '72 Flag, Kiki 10-for-10, Bonds Joins 30/50 Club, More...

• 1896 - Manager Connie Mack announced that he was leaving Pittsburgh to guide the Milwaukee club of the Western League; the Pirates finished in sixth place with a 66-63 slate during his last campaign. Patsy Donovan took over the reins in 1897. 
• 1910 - RHP Max Butcher was born in Holden, West Virginia. He went 67-60/3.34 for the Bucs in seven seasons (1939-45), and had an ERA over 3.43 just once as a Pirate. His best year was 1941, when he went 17-12 with a 3.03 ERA. Though he was a big guy at 6’2" and 220 pounds., he averaged only 2.5 K/nine in Pittsburgh. 
• 1925 - In a 9-7 win over the Phillies at Forbes Field, Kiki Cuyler singled off Roy Crumpler in the second inning to run his consecutive hit streak to 10, a team record that still stands today. Cuyler began his streak against Boston’s Skinny Graham, and the hits fell in conjunction with a nine game winning string for Pittsburgh, which won 95 games, the NL pennant and the 1925 World Series against the Washington Senators. Kiki went 4-for-4 the next game, making him 14-of-16 during his streak. 
• 1940 - OF Deb Garms went 5-for-6 in the second game of a twinbill split against the Cincinnati Reds to push his BA to .379. He doubled, scored three times and drove in a pair in the 8-7 win during the second game after going 0-for-4 in a 8-1 loss in the opener at Forbes Field. Though he wore an 0-for-23 collar over the remainder of the season, his .355 BA won the NL crown. He played just 103 games with 385 PA but was still awarded the title (100 games played was the accepted, although unwritten, standard), eventually leading to minimum qualifying plate appearances for the batting championship. 
• 1947 - The Bucs made a little more broadcast history when their game against Cincinnati was broadcast on TV by W8XCT (WLWT), the first time a Reds game was aired. An estimated home audience of 10,000 viewers watched the Redlegs lose 11-7 at Crosley Field. Elbie Fletcher, Jimmy Bllodworth and Clyd Kluttz each had three RBI; Gene Woodling had the other pair. The opening game of the doubleheader wasn’t shown (we think), and it turned out better for the Reds, who won 3-1 as Ewell Blackwell outpitched Kirby Higbe. 
• 1969 - LHP Jason Christiansen was born in Omaha. The reliever worked six seasons (1995-2000) for the Pirates with a 14-20-10/4.13 line before being traded to the Cards at the 2000 deadline for SS Jack Wilson. 
• 1972 - Fueled by a five run third inning, Pittsburgh clinched the East Division crown with a 6-2 win over the Mets at Shea Stadium; the club won the pennant by 11 games. The Pirates had seven straight batters reach in the third, and the big frame provided plenty of cushion for Steve Blass to toss a seven hit, seven K complete game victory. 
• 1978 - The Bucs nipped the Cubs 3-2 in 14 frames at Wrigley Field. Rennie Stennett walked to lead off the 14th and pinch runner Matt Alexander made it happen. s he stole second, C Doug Radar's throw went into center. Alexander bolted for third and was hit in the back by CF Bobby Murcer’s peg‚ which ricocheted away and allowed Matt “The Scat” to score. Ed Whitson got the win and Jim Bibby the save. Cub manager Herman Franks pulled out all the stops. Chicago tied an NL record by using 27 players (20 position, seven pitching) in the loss. 
•  1990 - Barry Bonds became the first Pirate player (and just the second major leaguer, along with the Reds Eric Davis) in history to hit 30+ homers and steal 50 + bases in the same season when he swiped second against the Cards at TRS in a 1-0 Bucco victory. Zane Smith tossed a five hitter for the win, and Bonds scored the game’s only run in the seventh when he led off with a single and come around on Sid Bream’s double. 
• 1992 - Bob Walk and Steve Cooke (who went seven innings for the win) combined for a four hit, 3-0 blanking of the St. Louis Cardinals at TRS. Don Slaught had three hits including a homer as Pittsburgh won for the seventh time in eight games to stretch their lead over the Montreal Expos to seven games. 
• 1998 - Jason Kendall stole his 26th base of the season to claim a new NL record for catchers in an 8-1 loss to the Giants at 3Com Park, breaking the mark set by John Stearns in 1978.

Mercer Error Opens the Floodgates; Reds Win In Ten 6-5

After a ground out, Francisco Liriano lost Brandon Phillips on four pitches and a heartbeat later, he swiped second. Joey Votto tapped out, moving Phillips to third. Frankie fed Ryan Ludwick back-to-back changes, and he took the first, then lined the next into center to put Cincinnati up 1-0. Bucs and walks just don't
mix.

The lead didn't last long; JT took a heater, inside corner and at the knees, and knocked it into the LF stands. Neil Walker got a heater for the first pitch; he dropped it over the CF Heinz ketchup sign. Cutch didn't go yard, although his first swing-and-miss was out of his shoes, but did walk, and Justin Morneau followed with a single through the right side. Marlon Byrd was a buzzkill, bouncing a 1-2 fastball to short for a 6-4-3 DP. Pedro grounded out, robbed of an RBI knock on a sweet play by Phillips.

The Bucs answered the bell and were up 2-1. With the lead, The Cisco Kid found his rhythm and spun a 1-2-3 frame. Latos' fastball was still up, but Russ Martin and Jordy Mercer both flew out to right before Frankie bounced out. The third was another clean inning for Liriano. As it was for Latos, who is keeping the ball away now and got two more flies to right, along with a diving grab of a foul in front of the Buc bench by Todd Frazier; the Reds can play some defense.

Frankie needed just six pitches to put away Bruce, Votto and Ludwick in the fourth. The Pirates added on. Morneau's bid for a hit was run down by Bruce, making an over the shoulder grab at the track. The Byrd walked, and Pedro singled him to second. Martin dropped a ball down the left field line for a double, scoring Byrd and chasing Pedro to third. With the pitcher behind him, Mercer fought off some pitches, then hit a soft chopper down the left side. Pedro scored - he was off on contact and it finally worked - and Mercer legged it out for an infield RBI knock. But Martin took a nap at second, and was rudely awakened when Devin Mesoraco picked him off. Frankie K'ed, but the Bucs were up 4-1.

Make that 4-2; leadoff hitter Frazier dropped a ball into the center field shrubs. After a soft liner that hung up for Byrd, Mesoraco doubled off the Clemente Wall. Francisco tightened up and whiffed Latos and then Choo to keep it at 4-2. It stayed that way after five. After a pop up, Walker lined one to Votto, then Frazier made a nice barehanded play on Cutch's tapper to retire the side.

After an out in the sixth, Votto walked. This one was handled much better, though, as The Cisco Kid turned a comebacker into a 1-4-3 DP to end the Reds' at-bat. Cincy returned the favor. With an out, The Byrd and Pedro hit back-to-back singles, but Martin banged one to short, and the 6-4-3 DP sat Pittsburgh down.

Liriano ran into two out control problems in the seventh, walking Zack Cozart on a 3-2 pitch after being ahead and falling behind Mesoraco 3-1. But he got the Punxsutawney-bred catcher to fly out to center.  Logan Ondrusek took the ball from Latos. Mercer greeted him with a single up the middle. Frankie bunted him to second, and JT's bouncer into center gave the Bucs another run. Starling Marte came in to run for Tabata, and Dusty Baker called on Manny Parra to calm the waters. he did. The Bucs ran into another unforced out on the bases when Marte was nailed trying to steal on the first pitch from Parra, and The Kid went down looking on an off speed pitch that ran back over the corner.

Liriano was on the hill again in the eighth, and at just 80 pitches. He punched out a pair in a 1-2-3 inning. Sam LeCure came in for the Reds. He hit Cutch high, behind the shoulder, on a 1-2 pitch, getting glares from the dugout and Clint Hurdle ejected. The Bucs eneded up leaving a pair on after a walk, but had a three run lead and Mark the Shark circling.

And it went south again. There was a runner on first with two outs, and Todd Frazier's one hopper to Mercer was tossed into the seats instead of  icing the game. A run scored on the error with Frazier going to second. Cozart dropped one just over Walker to put runners at first and third, and Billy Hamilton came on to run. He stole second, and Mesoraco, fighting off several deliveries, hit one sharply to the left of Pedro; he deflected it away from Mercer, and the game was tied like that. Tony Watson came in, and Xavier Paul greeted him with a double to put Reds at second and third. He got Choo barely, chasing down a ball that he knocked down and just nosing the sliding Shin-Soo, but the Bucs have a new game on their hands. JJ Hoover made sure it went into extras with a 1-2-3 frame.

Kyle Farnsworth took over; we have to wonder if Justin Wilson, with Bruce and Votto due up, is injured rather than fatigued.. After a soft fly to right, Kyle fell behind Votto 2-0, and Joey took a pitch the opposite way, up the left field line, and it dropped just over the short fence and into the first row to the right of the 325' marker. Ludwick blooped a single to center. Walker made a diving, bare hand stop of Bruce's ball up the middle and got a force. Farnsworth walked Frazier, and that brought on Bryan Morris. He got Hamilton on a chopper, and it was Aroldis Chapman time. Two fly balls and a K later, the Reds had stolen game one from the Bucs.

It was a team effort. The Reds flashed leather all over the lot; the Bucs had two chances to wrap up the ninth and couldn't make the play. Pittsburgh lost two runners on the bases; the Reds tied the game with Billy Hamilton scoring from second on an infield hit (that was probably an error on Pedro). You have to point to the Cutch beaning turning the game around. There was a long pause before Melancon got in (and Hurdle had him up, so he was coming on no matter what), and if Clint hadn't been ejected, one could reasonably assume that Clint Barmes would have been at short. Clocking Cutch seems to be Dusty Baker's strategy against Pittsburgh - and it works.


It's water over the dam now. We'll see if the Pirates are tough enough to recover from a brutal loss on the heels of Wednesday's San Diego defeat tomorrow. AJ Burnett and Homer Bailey take the bump tomorrow night.

• When Francisco Liriano K'ed Chris Heisey in the eighth, it was not only his 1,000th strikeout, but set the team record for K's at 1,193, breaking last year's mark.
• Today was the fourth time in club history the Pirates have hit back-to-back home runs to lead off a game. The last time was 4/17/11 at Cincinnati (Cutch and JT off Edison Volquez).
• Big game? Governor Corbett was at PNC Park, joining 37,940 fans at tonight's contest.
• The Martes welcomed their first child into the world, son Smerling. Congrats!
• Michael Keaton wears his colors on his sleeve for ESPN.

The Cisco Kid v Mat Latos...Crunch Time Starts

Francisco Liriano (16-7, 2.92) and Mat Latos (14-6, 3.14) open the three gamer that will close out the Bucs' regular season home schedule this weekend at PNC Park against the Reds. Guess the MLB schedulers checked with Nostradamus to have Pittsburgh and Cincinnati meet six times in the last nine days of the season. Nothing like contenders banging heads at the end.

The Cisco Kid has yet to whip the Reds; he's 0-3 so far this season. But in his 10 starts at PNC Park this season, Frankie has gone 8-1 with a 1.37 ERA. He's pitched into the sixth inning in all 10 starts and has held the opposition to a .181 BA and one home run. Latos is 1-1 against the Bucs, but hasn't been anything special, with an ERA approaching 4.50. But he's been dependable for the Reds since August, even with his Bucco outliers, and in his last eight starts, he's 4-3 with a 2.59 ERA..

The game begins at 7:05 and will be aired on the MLB Network, Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan. Could be a few drops and bolts in the air; scattered thunderstorms are supposed to roll through the area by 8 PM and last on and off all night. (EDIT - now the rain is supposed to come in later, so the players shouldn't be dodging raindrops.)

Pirate lineup: Jose Tabata LF, Neil Walker 2b, Andrew McCutchen CF, Justin Morneau 1b, Marlon Byrd RF, Pedro Alvarez 3b, Russ Martin C, Jordy Mercer SS and Francisco Liriano P.

Why mess with a good thing?

Reds lineup: Shin-Soo Choo CF, Brandon Phillips 2b, Joey Votto 1b, Ryan Ludwick LF, Jay Bruce RF, Todd Frazier 3b, Zack Cozart SS, Devin Mesoraco C and Mat Latos P.

• Francisco Liriano is a half-dozen whiffs away from 1,000 for his career. In fact, Pittsburgh pitching overall is five strikeouts shy of tying the club record of 1,192 K’s, set last season.
• St. Louis lost in 15 innings last night and the Reds were off, so the Bucs are a game behind the Cards and a game ahead of Cincinnati. Washington won, but their sands are running out. They're six behind Pittsburgh and five behind the Reds with nine games to go.
• The Bucs and Reds are the only two MLB clubs that have five starters with an ERA under 3.50 (minimum ten starts).
• This could be a playoff preview: The way that Pittsburgh and Cincy's rotations are now set up, today's matchup would be repeated if the two teams met in a play-in wild card game.
• Carmen Gentile has a "Pirates on the Verge" story for USA Today.

9/20: Moose & Maddox No Hitters, Drug Trial, Rallies and Lots More...

Moose & Maddox No Hitters, Drug Trial, Rallies and Lots More...

• 1907 - In his third big league start, Nick Maddox became the first Pirate pitcher to throw a no-hitter by defeating the Brooklyn Superbas, 2-1, at Exposition Park. At the age of 20 years and ten months, Maddox was the youngest pitcher and the second rookie to throw a no-hitter. Errors by Maddox and Honus Wagner gave Brooklyn their run; Fred Clarke had both Bucco hits, but neither figured in the scoring as the Pittsburgh runs were also unearned. 
• 1924 - The Pirates edged Brooklyn‚ 5-4‚ in 11 innings at Ebbet’s Field to end Dazzy Vance's 15-game winning streak. Pie Traynor singled with two gone in the 11th‚ and Rabbit Maranville lined a ball to center that got past the Robins’ outfielder Eddie Brown, who missed at a shoestring effort to glove the ball. Pie came in with the game winner as he touched home for the third time during the game. Wilbur Cooper went the distance for the win. 
• 1934 - In a 2-1 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbet’s Field, Burleigh Grimes made his last appearance, working a 1-2-3 ninth inning with a whiff. Not only did it mark the end of a 19 year career that led to the Hall of Fame, but also the end of an era. Grimes was the last legal spitballer standing after the pitch had been outlawed in 1921. 17 practitioners, including Grimes, were grandfathered into the ruling and allowed to serve a wet one at will. 
• 1935 - The Pittsburgh Crawfords beat the New York Cubans to win the Negro NL Championship 3-0. Left-handed curveballer Leroy Matlock, who went 18-0 during the regular season, tossed a three hitter. He was backed by Josh Gibson‚ Cool Papa Bell, Judy Johnson and Oscar Charleston, all future Hall of Famers. The Crawfords won in a hard fought seven game series after falling behind three-games-to-one to the Cubans. It was the only undisputed Negro League title won by the Crawfords. 
• 1956 - The seventh place Pirates edged Milwaukee 2-1 in 10 innings at Forbes Field. It was a classic spoiler win, as the Braves eventually lost the pennant on the last day of the season by one game to the Dodgers. Bob Friend held the Braves to four hits for the complete game victory. 
• 1960 - Bob Friend beat the Phillies 7-1 as part of a DH sweep at Connie Mack Stadium and set a new club record for strikeouts in a season with 179 (he ended the campaign with 183). The old mark was held by RHP Claude Hendrix with 176, set in 1912. Friend tossed a complete game and fanned six. 
• 1966 - The Pirates turned four DP against the Giants at Candlestick Park, helping Vern Law to a 6-0 win. The first twin killing set a NL record at 199, and the Bucs ended the year with 215 double plays. Bill Mazeroski and Gene Alley both won Gold Gloves that season, with Maz participating in 161 twin killings and Alley in 128. 
• 1969 - At New York's Shea Stadium, Bob Moose stopped the pennant-bound Mets 4-0 with a no-hitter, just the third in franchise history. He walked three with six whiffs. 
• 1978 - Jason Bay was born in Trail, British Columbia. In his six years as a Pirate, his line was .268/219/715 and he was an All-Star twice. In 2004, he set the Pirate record for rookie home runs with 26 and was selected the NL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News, the second Pirate player to win the award, along with second baseman Johnny Ray in 1982. Bay was the first Canadian player to win the ROY. 
• 1979 - The Bucs lost 2-1 to the Phils at Veteran’s Stadium, but it could have been worse. Philadelphia C Keith Moreland hit a loud foul up the left field line with two aboard that third base ump Eric Gregg lost in the lights. The story goes that the Philly ballgirl went into a dance, thinking it a home run, and seeing that, so did Gregg. Chuck Tanner protested, and the umps got together and made the right call. That set Dallas Green off; he littered the field with equipment after being ejected, and Mike Schmidt added his helmet to the debris. Green also protested the game, but it was all for show; the Phils squeaked it out as the Bucs squandered nine hits, and ended the game when Manny Sanguillen bounced into a DP with one away and runners on the corners. 
• 1984 - With a crowd of 33,651 Cubby fans at Wrigley Field, Chicago passed the 2M mark in attendance for the first time in its history. But Pittsburgh ruined the big day as the Pirates overcame a 6-2 deficit to rally past the Bruins by a 7-6 score. Jim Morrison was the offensive man, hitting a homer, driving in a pair and scoring a pair to lead a balanced Bucco attack. Lee Smith lost to Kent Tekulve with John Candelaria chipping in with the save. 
• 1985 - A federal jury in Pittsburgh convicted Curtis Strong of 11 counts of cocaine distribution after hearing evidence in the “Pittsburgh Coke Trial.” Prominent players who were granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony included Dave Parker‚ Lonnie Smith‚ Keith Hernandez and Tim Raines. Peter Ueberroth, the commissioner, pushed through the beginnings of MLB drug testing because of the trial and its image on baseball. 
• 1992 - 2B Mickey Morandini of the Phillies executed an unassisted triple play, the first NL player to pull one off in 65 years. He snagged a line drive off of the bat of Jeff King, touched second to force Andy Van Slyke, and tagged out Barry Bonds, who was on the move from first base. But the Phillies lost to the Pirates, 3-2, in 13 innings at TRS. 
• 2000 - The Pirates scored three times in the tenth inning thanks to long balls by Emil Brown and Adam Hyzdu, then hung on for dear life in a 7-6 win at Veteran’s Stadium. With two runs in for the Phils, runners on the corners and one away in the the tenth, Mike Williams got 2B Marlon Anderson to bang into a game ending (and saving) 4-6-3 DP.

Feast or Famine Buccos Chow Down on Padres 10-1

Call on Gerrit Cole to be the stopper? Why not? He went six innings, giving up a run on four hits, three walks and 12 whiffs after tossing 99 pitches to continue a string of good Pirate pitching and break a string of brutal losses.

King Cole again stumbled coming out of the chutes, when he allowed three of his seven runners to reach and surrendered a two-out bloop to plate a run. Other than that, two walks in the third (followed by two strikeouts) and two singles in the fifth - a grounder through the left side and an infield single - was all the Padres were getting off Pittsburgh's merry old soul.

Tony Watson, Jason Grilli and Stolmy Pimentel closed the gate in the last three frames. Tony and Grilled Cheese were perfect, while Stolmy survived a walk, an infield single and a wild pitch to tack on a final zippo.

The Pirates broke open a 1-1 game with five runs in the fourth, highlighted by homers from Neil Walker (two runs), a solo shot by Pedro and a two run double by JT. The Bucs added on. The Kid went 4-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored, while Jose Tabata collected a pair of knocks, scored three times and brought in two runners. Pedro had two hits with two runs and two ribbies, and Tony Sanchez added two knocks, two runs scored and a web gem catch.

The Bucs are a notoriously streaky team at the dish, so we can hope this is the start of a hot spell (although it could just as easily be an outlier). As Clint Hurdle told @DavidManel : "It'd be good time for anybody who wants to get hot, to get hot." Another thing to watch is how often the Reds walk/plunk Cutch - he was given a pair of free passes today, and you can bet Dusty Baker isn't about to let Andrew McCutchen beat him in the upcoming cage matches.

The biggest series of the year, version 6.0, starts tomorrow with Francisco Liriano taking on Mat Latos.

• The 12 punch outs by Gerrit Cole today are the most by a Pittsburgh rookie since Jose DeLeon struck out 13 Reds in 1983. It's also a personal best.
• Pedro's 34th homer matched the team record for HRs by a third baseman (with Aramis Ramirez), and tied Paul Goldschmidt for NL lead.
• Today's get-away day attendance: 26,242.

King Cole Out To Salvage Game #4 v Ian Kennedy

Well, Gerrit Cole (8-7, 3.33) gets to be the stopper again, going against Ian Kennedy (6-9, 4.85). Cole has been the man in September, and the Bucs will call on him again to right the ship before Cincinnati comes steaming into town tomorrow. Kennedy is pretty much a league punching bag except when Pittsburgh takes the field. In his last outing against the Bucs, he shut them out over seven innings on August 21st as the Friars won 2-1.

The game starts at 12:35 and will be on Root Sports and 93.7 The Fan.

Pirate lineup: Jose Tabata LF, Neil Walker 2b, Andrew McCutchen CF, Justin Morneau 1b, Marlon Byrd RF, Pedro Alvarez 3b, Tony Sanchez C, Jordy Mercer SS and Gerrit Cole P.

Russ Martin is getting back-to-back planned days off. He's in the middle of a 4-for-42 slump and Clint Hurdle wanted him fresh, physically and mentally, for the Red series. JT is back in leadoff, as about-to-be papa Starling Marte is with his wife, who is in labor.

Padre lineup: Will Venable RF, Chris Denorfia LF, Jedd Gyorko 2b, Chase Headley 3b, Tommy Medica 1b, Ronny Cedeno SS, Nick Hundley C, Reymond Fuentes CF and Ian Kennedy P.

• If you're wondering, Justin Wilson has been shut down this week; it's his first full season not only in MLB, but working out of the bullpen. He's supposed to back in the mix for the Cincinnati series after being off since September 13th, when he worked an inning against the Cubs.
• Looking ahead to the Red series? The matchups are Francisco Liriano vs Mat Latos, AJ Burnett vs Homer Bailey and Jeff Locke vs Bronson Arroyo.
• Going into this afternoon's game, the Bucs are two games behind St. Louis and 1/2 game ahead of the Reds. They're six ahead of the Nats for the last wildcard spot with 10 games to go. It's looking a lot like the Buc and Reds mashups will be for home field in the Wild Card.
• As Buster Olney of ESPN points out (like we don't know) only the Mets have scored fewer September runs than the Pirates.
• Will Graves of the Associated Press tweeted: "Records since July 1 of NL contenders: LAD 49-22, ATL 42-28, STL 40-30, CIN 40-30, PIT 36-35."
• Indianapolis Indians' VP & General Manager Cal Burleson was named the 2013 International League Executive of the Year for the second time; he also won the award in 2000.

9/19: Rip Sewell, Ralph Kiner, Danny O'Connell, Maz & Elroy, Bob Veale, Roberto, Bonds & Drabek, Jason Bay, Rallies...

Rip Sewell, Ralph Kiner, Danny O'Connell, Maz & Elroy, Bob Veale, Roberto, Bonds & Drabek, Jason Bay, Rallies...

• 1908 - Ralph Davis of the Pittsburg Press wrote “In the presence of a grand out-pouring of more than 25,000 fans and in one of the most stubbornly fought battles ever waged at the Polo Grounds, the Pirates defeated the New York Giants by the score of 6-2 after ten innings of strenuous work.” The better part of that battle was fought by Lefty Liefield, who went the distance to outlast Red Ames and Doc Crandall. Ed "Batty" Abbaticchio knocked home a pair of runs in the 10th, and an error followed by Chief Wilson’s hit brought in the final two tallies. 
• 1943 - Rip Sewell whipped the Reds, 10–3 for his 21st win, which would top MLB that season. Rip also stole a base to finish the year with seven swipes. The Pirates swept the DH 2-1 as three Pirate pitchers combined to outlast Johnny Vander Meer. 
• 1949 - In a 6-4 loss to the NY Giants at Forbes Field‚ Ralph Kiner hit his 50th home run (he finished the season with 54) off Kirby Higbe. With that blast, the 26-year old outfielder became the first NL’er to hit 50 bombs in two different seasons. It would take Willie Mays until 1965 to match Kiner’s record. 
• 1953 - Danny O'Connell hit safely in his 26th game‚ a 4-1 loss to the NY Giants at the Polo Grounds. The streak ended the next day and was the second longest in Pirate history. 
• 1959 - Bill Mazeroski, who homered earlier, drilled a two run triple in the 12th as the Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds‚ 4-3, at Forbes Field. Elroy Face gave up a run in the top of the 12th but got the win thanks to Maz. Face’s record was 18-1‚ and he won eight straight games in extra innings. He ended the year with the top winning percentage (.947) of any pitcher with 15 decisions, capping a season for the ages for the relief ace. 
• 1965 - Bob Veale allowed one hit, a two-out sixth inning single by Tony Taylor, and struck out 12 to earn a 1-0‚ ten-inning win over the Phillies at Forbes Field. Roberto Clemente's two-out single off Philadelphia reliever Jack Baldschun to score Bob Bailey was the game winner; Veale had been thrown out at home the batter before, trying to score on Manny Mota’s single. 
• 1966 - The Bucs took an 11 inning victory from the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park by a 6-1 score, sparked when Roberto Clemente ignored manager Harry “The Hat” Walker’s instructions. Clemente, leading off and in an 0-for-13 funk, was told to bunt for a hit; instead he swung away and homered. Bob Bailey added a grand slam to close out the frame, giving Pete Mikkelson the win in relief of Bob Veale. 
• 1974 - Pittsburgh put up a five spot in the seventh inning to take an 8-6 win from the St. Louis Cards at TRS. The big blow in the frame was Richie Hebner’s three run homer, giving Ramon Hernandez the win with a Dave Guisti save. The win moved the Bucs within ½ game of first, and they won the pennant over the Cards by sweeping the Cubs in the last series of the season. 
• 1978 - In one of Pittsburgh’s lighter moments, 38 year old Willie Stargell attempted to steal 2B against Chicago (he did have 3 steals that year) quite unsuccessfully. As Cubs' SS Ivan DeJesus waited at the bag with the ball, Stargell slid in 10 feet short of the base, looked up and called for time-out. The Bucs won despite Pops’ baserunning antics, 12-11. Dave Parker’s homer, his second of the day, in 11th off Bruce Sutter gave the Bucs their seventh straight win and 30th in their last 38 games. 
• 1987 - Ralph Kiner’s number 4 was retired. The Mets won the game at TRS 5-4 in front of 20,933 fans. 
• 1990 - Doug Drabek won his 20th game and Bobby Bonds hit his 30th and 31st HRs as Pittsburgh beat Chicago 8-7 at Wrigley Field. Bonds and his dad became the first father-son members of the 30/30/ club. Two days later, Bonds swiped his 50th base of the season to became the second MLB player to join the 30/50 club. 
• 1997 - The Pirates held a Roberto Clemente commemoration night, unveiling a video of his career highlights followed by his widow Vera tossing out the first pitch at TRS before playing the Cards. They lost 6-5 in front of 16,235. 
• 2000 - The Pirates rode a nine run sixth inning to a 12-8 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium. The Bucs sent 13 batters to the plate, with the big hits being a two run knock by Emil Brown and a bases loaded double by John Wehner. The Phils made a game of it in the ninth, scoring three runs off Scott Sauerbeck before Mike Williams came on to get the final out. 
• 2003 - Jay Bay drove in eight runs in a 10-9 loss to the Cubs, hitting a pair of homers and a double in the first game of a DH split at PNC Park.