Weekly Report: Hot Too Late, Three Amigos Mason+Oneil+Brandon, Brax Done, Ronny Simon IL Batting King, Last Week...Playoffs, Hot Stove Next Up

September song...

Pirates Stuff:

• Pittsburgh was eliminated from the postseason when the Padres defeated the Marlins on Friday night. The Bucs most recent playoff outing was in 2015 and they last won a Buctober game in 2013.
• Mason Montgomery has spun 24 straight scoreless outings (23-2/3 IP), a streak that started on July 26th, to top the previous Buc mark set by Mark Melancon in 2015.

Oneil Cruz - 9/2026 image/Sportsnet.Pgh 

• Oneil Cruz's homer on Wednesday vs. Milwaukee was the Pirates' 172nd homer of the year, setting a new single-season team record (since 1887) by topping the previous franchise mark posted in 1999. His Sunday dinger put him in the 20/20 club for the third consecutive year, joining Andrew McCutchen and Barry Bonds to become the third Pirate to post three straight 20/20 campaigns.
• Gregory Soto (15 saves) and Mason Montgomery (16 saves) are the first pair of Pittsburgh LHPs to each post at least 15 saves in a season (since saves became official in 1969). They became the first set of MLB lefty teammates to each earn at least 15 saves in a season.
• Ben Cherington said that Braxton Ashcraft's missed starts will be filled by bullpenning. That leaves a rotation of Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler plus two by-committee games every five days; the Bucs prefer a parade of bulk inning guys rather than rotation auditions. Brax, btw, had no structural issues after being evaluated, just a tired arm. He pushed to get in another start or two after his IL stint, but with Pittsburgh's playoff hopes gone pfft, he's being shut down.
• Brandon Lowe was selected as the Pirates Roberto Clemente Award nominee. Then on Clemente Day, he became the first Buc since 2019 (Josh Bell/37 HR) to bang 30 homers in a season. If you're wondering about his future, Connor Byrne of MLBTR has this update.

Brandon Lowe - Clemente Award 9/15/2026 photo/Pirates

• SABR has been running a series of various All-Time clubs and just released the Free Agency Era team; Barry Bonds is the only Bucco rep. TSN is also running a series of stars; currently up is the Pioneer all-timers. The Bucs had Hank Greenberg, who mentored Ralph Kiner here in 1947, on the squad.
• Ronny Simon won the International League batting title (.334 BA). 
• Greensboro came in second in the Sally League, losing the championship series 2-games-to-none to the White Sox Hi-A affiliate Winston-Salem. Consolation prize: 1B Jared Jones, C Axiel Plaz and SS Wyatt Sanford were named post-season South Atlantic League All-Stars.
• The eight guys the Pirates are sending to Glendale for Arizona Fall ball are C Easton Carmichael, SS Wyatt Sanford, 3B/OF Jhonny Severino, LHP Cristhian Tortosa and RHPs Brandon Cain, Cameron Keshock, Zander Mueth & Michael Walsh.

Game Stuff:

• Miz did his thing and the Brew Crew took a 5-1 decision from the Bucs on Clemente Day. Brandon Lowe homered to became the first Buc 2B to reach 30 HR, but it was too little & too late to overcome the Brewers four-run sixth inning posted against Gregory Soto and Wilber Dotel. The win clinched the NL Central for Milwaukee, their fourth straight crown.
• Brandow Lowe, Rafe Flores and Oneil Cruz homered while the team posted 12 hits, but Milwaukee still won, 5-4.
• Pittsburgh saved some face with a 7-4 dub in the series finale; Henry Davis roped a two-run homer while disruptors Konnor Griffin and Oneil Cruz chased home a pair of RBI apiece in the Bucs five-run second. 
• Paul Skenes was meh again, but Brandon Lowe homered while Griffin & Cruz combined for seven hits as the Bucs and Yohan Ramirez won the series opener from KC 8-5.

Ronny Simon - 1st homer 9/19/2026 photo/Pirates

• Ronny Simon (his MLB first) and Jake Mangum hit two-run homers to give the Bucs a lead that they lost in the seventh, but no prob - Brandon Lowe banged another two-run blast in the eighth. Mason Montgomery shut the door in the ninth to preserve Luke Weaver's dub as the Pirates popped above .500 again with a 6-5 victory.
• Using yesterday's playbook: The opener committee and a Cruz missile gave the Bucs a 2-1 lead going into the seventh. A two-run homer off of Carmen Mlodzinski took care of that, but it was covered by an answering two-spot blast by Rafe Flores before "it's a bird, it's a plane, no it's..." Mason Montgomery put it away and the Pittsburgh nine had a home sweep of the Royals with a 4-3 dub.
• The Cards are in for three on Tuesday, the Bucs head to Motown for the weekend and then it's hello, tee times.

MLB Stuff:

• RHP Jose Urquidy, who was let go by the Pirates in July and claimed by the White Sox, was DFA'ed after six outings (22-2/3 IP/4.37 ERA). He wasn't unemployed long before Philly signed him.
• RHP Peter Strzelecki, who the Bucs had stashed at Indy for awhile last year, has been with four different orgs since the Pirates released him in July of '25; he just got DFA'ed by the Cards, so he's looking for a fifth team after declaring for free agency.
• The Rockies have reinstated LHP Jose Quintana from the 60-day IL 

Gerrit Cole - 2012 Bowmans First

• Gerrit Cole hasn't let injuries or changes-of-address derail him; Cole Train earned his 162nd career victory Friday night, passing Mike Moore for the most wins ever by a pitcher selected first overall (Pirates/Cole - 2011) in the MLB Draft.
• Teams that have punched their postseason ticket: the Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers (won NL Central), Los Angeles Dodgers (won NL West), New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves.

9/21 Through 1974: '72 Clicher, Boss Baker, 10 For Kiki, Game Days, Connie Goes, HBD Ben, Jason, Rene, Danny, Sudden Sam, Del, Gil & Tom

1860 - OF Tom Brown was born in Liverpool, England. Brown played from 1885-87 for the Alleghenys, hitting .287 and posting a 0-0/4.30 line as an emergency pitcher (three games, eight IP) over that span. He came over to the North Side club when it purchased the entire Columbus team after the 1884 season and became the first English-born player for Pittsburgh. After a 17-year MLB career, Brown turned to the dark side and became an umpire.

1891 - SS Gil Britton was born in Parsons, Kansas. His MLB career was a three-game stand with Pittsburgh in 1913, with an 0-for-12 batting line and three errors. He spent from 1909-17 in the minors, mostly the Texas, Western and Central Kansas leagues. Gil hung ‘em up young at age 25 and returned to his hometown, where he remained until his death at age 91.

1896 - Manager Connie Mack (given name: Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy) 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. Connie’s claim to fame was managing the Philadelphia Athletics for the club's first 50 seasons of play (1901-50, retiring at age 87) and he became a Hall-of-Famer in 1937.

1899 - RHP Del Lundgren was born in Lindsborg, Kansas. He started his brief three-year career (he pitched for Boston in 1926-27) with the Pirates in 1924, pitching eight games with an 0-1/6.48 line. Del tossed pro ball from 1922-30 before retiring with a sore arm. He got a job in a flour mill in Topeka and then retired to live the life of an outdoorsman in Lindsborg.

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 wasn’t an overpowering hurler, averaging only 2.5 K/nine in Pittsburgh.

Max Butcher - 1994 TSN/Conlon Collection

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 in the next day’s game with two homers, making him 14-of-16 during his streak, in a 14-4 Bucco victory in the second game of the series. Johnny Morrison won the first game and Ray Kremer took the honors the next day.

1940 - OF Deb Garms went 5-for-6 in the second game of a twin bill split against the Cincinnati Reds to push his batting average 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 National League batting crown. He played just 103 games (100 games played was the accepted, although unwritten, standard then) with 385 PA and was awarded the title, causing some grumbling by those who believed that a full-time player should be the recognized awardee. His title eventually led to the adoption of minimum plate appearances to qualify for the batting championship.

1942 - LHP Sudden Sam McDowell was born in Pittsburgh. Though he pitched only briefly for the hometown Pirates in 1975 (2-1/2.86 in 14 games), he may be the most dominating hurler the area ever produced. Sam went directly to the majors out of Central Catholic HS, signing with Cleveland. He played from 1961-75 with the Indians, Giants, Yankees and Bucs. McDowell struck out 2,453 batters in that span with a blazing fastball. His career was infamously short circuited by booze, and he was said to be the inspiration for Cheers bartender Sam Malone. He beat his demons after retiring and became a MLB drug and alcohol counselor. His nickname was bestowed on him by Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Bob Dolgan during Sam’s first camp in 1961.

Sudden Sam - 1975 Topps

1947 - The Bucs were a part of Queen City broadcast history when their nightcap game against Cincinnati was broadcast on TV by W8XCT (WLWT), the first time a Reds game was shown on the tube. An estimated home audience of 10,000 viewers watched the Redlegs lose 11-7 at Crosley Field. Elbie Fletcher, Jimmy Bloodworth and Clyd Kluttz each had three RBI; Gene Woodling had the other pair. The opening game of the doubleheader wasn’t shown (we think). The Redlegs won 3-1 as Ewell Blackwell bested Kirby Higbe.

1959 - RHP Danny Cox was born in Northampton, England. The Brit hurler spent 11 years in the league and managed to squeeze in 16 games as a Bucco in 1992, going 3-1-3/3.33 as a starter converted to back-end bullpen work. He was picked up from the Phils off waivers in June and at the end of the year signed with the Blue Jays, spending the final three seasons of his career in Toronto.

1962 - Scout Rene Gayo was born in Miami of immigrant Cuban parents and raised in Chicago. In 1989, Cam Bonifay hired Gayo as a part-time scout for the Pirates, then he went off to work for the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians. In 2004, the Pirates hired Gayo to lead their Latin American scouting system, filling a position inexplicably left vacant for five years under Bonifay and Dave Littlefield. He reeled in players like Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco and Elias Diaz along with moved-on prospects Alen Hanson, Dilson Herrera, Harold Ramirez and Joely Rodriguez. He was dismissed in 2017 after being caught in a messy financial deal while signing pitcher Luis Heredia.

1963 - In the top of the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium, the Bucs left the bases loaded after losing a bang-bang play at first that was close enough to get manager Danny Murtaugh and coach Frank Oceak ejected after questioning ump Doug Harvey’s eyesight. That set the stage for coach Gene Baker to take the reins, becoming MLB’s first black manager. It wasn’t an auspicious start, as Baker entrusted Tommy Sisk with a 3-2 ninth inning lead that evaporated four batters later after Willie Davis belted a three-run, walkoff homer. Still, it was just another day at the office for Gene. He was the first rostered black player for the Cubs in 1953, and in 1961 became the first black manager in pro baseball when the Pirates named him skipper of their Batavia farm club. Baker had four campaigns with the Bucs as a player and was part of the 1960 squad. After coaching and managing in the organization, he became a longtime Pirates scout. 

Gene Baker - photo via SABR

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. He must have enjoyed working under the lights; after his 11-year MLB career ended in 2005, he became a co-owner and CEO of an LED company.

1969 - OF/1B Ben Shelton was born in Chicago. Shelton was drafted by the Pirates in the second round of the 1987 draft out of high school. He got his only shot at the majors in 1993 with the Bucs and hit .250 (6-for-24, including two homers and a double), but that showing wasn’t enough (his minor league BA was .233). His pro career ended in 1995 after playing on the Twins and Red Sox farms.

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 eventually won the pennant by 11 games. The Pirates had seven straight batters reach base in the third, and the big frame provided plenty of cushion for Steve Blass, who tossed a seven-hit, seven-strikeout, complete game victory.

1974 - A year after it opened, New York Governor Malcolm Wilson renamed the 25-acre Harlem River State Park in the Bronx to the Roberto Clemente State Park. Vera attended the dedication ceremony, adding another plaque to the family collection of Roberto honors.

9/21 From 1975: Tree & Joey Show, Vanimal, S-(Hot) Rod, AJ's 200, Jason Swipe Mark, Barry 30/50 Club, All Smile-ly, Game Days, HBD Hank, Zach & Antonio

1977 - The Pirates beat the Mets 4-0 at Shea Stadium in a game more appreciated for what didn’t happen rather than the action on the field. Before the game, manager Chuck Tanner received a thinly veiled death threat, another phone caller later asked him “What do Bob Moose and Roberto Clemente have in common? They’re both dead,” and Ed Ott was told to stay off the field in another hotel call. NYC had plainclothes cops watch the pair (Tanner came out twice for pitcher meetings, but after the game stayed on the top step of the dugout and off the field; Ott didn’t play because a lefty, Jerry Koosman, was on the hill although he went through the usual pre-game drills, including BP). Nothing ever came of the calls, possibly triggered by Ott breaking Felix Millan’s collarbone earlier in the year and Tanner’s defense of the play. As for the game, Bruce Kison got the win and Goose Gossage closed it out with the Bucs chipping away with four runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. In a contrast of wheels, Kison drove in Omar Moreno with a knock into the right-center gap; The Antelope scored all the way from first while Bruce satisfied himself with a single. 

1978 - The Bucs nipped the Cubs in 14 frames at Wrigley Field 3-2. Rennie Stennett walked to lead off the 14th and pinch runner Matt Alexander made it happen. As 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 as Chicago tied an NL record by using 27 players (20 position, seven pitching).

1985 - LHP Antonio Bastardo was born in Hato Mayor del Rey, Dominican Republic. The mid-inning arm was obtained from the Phillies in December, 2014 for minor league pitcher Joely Rodriguez to replace Justin Wilson, who had been traded to the Yankees for C Francisco Cervelli. AB went 4-1-1/2.89 in 66 Bucco appearances, a performance he turned into a two-year, $12M free agent deal with the NY Mets. He wasn’t gone long, though - he came back to Pittsburgh when the Pirates returned ex-Met hurler Jon Niese at the 2016 deadline, but it was a short-lived homecoming. He missed two months with a quad strain, then was ineffective when he returned and released in July, 2017, after nine outings and a 15.00 ERA. He was suspended for a second time in 2018 for PED usage after being released by Arizona and that ended his big league career.

1986 - LHP Zach Phillips was born in Sacramento, California. Phillips was dealt to the Bucs from the Orioles for Kyle Lobstein at the 2016 deadline. He got into eight games with no decisions, giving up two runs on eight hits in 6-2/3 IP. The Pirates didn’t tender him and he signed with the Cards. He was released by the Birds, and since then has been pitching in Mexico. He’s a FA now, having just being released in May ‘26 by Campeche. 

Felix Fermin - 1988 Topps

1987 - The Pirates defeated the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium by a 5-2 count behind the strong pitching of Doug Drabek and Jeff Robinson. Felix Fermin had three hits while Barry Bonds, Chico Lind, Andy Van Slyke and Sid Bream added a pair of knocks apiece. It capped a late push toward respectability for the Bucs. The victory finished a stretch of winning 20-of-26 games and after a short bump, the club would close the year by winning 6-of-8. The run at the end didn’t put them in the race, but they went from 18 games under .500 on August 23rd (53-71) to a season-ending 80-82 mark. The campaign was a preview party for the core (Bonds, Van Slyke, Bobby Bonilla, Drabek) who would power Jim Leyland’s 1990-92 pennant-winning clubs.

1988 - John Smiley spun a complete game, two-hit shutout (his first MLB whitewash) with six whiffs and no walks in a 5-0 win over the Cards at Busch Stadium. The man of the hour was Benny DiStefano, whose three-run, pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning broke up a pitching battle between Smiley and former Buccaneer Jose DeLeon. The Pirates only had five hits during the match but copacetically, three of them came consecutively in the final frame. The victory capped a stretch where the Pirates won 11-of-16. Then they pulled a u-turn by going 3-6, ending the season with 85 wins to finish a distant second behind the New York Mets in the NL East Division.

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 during a 1-0 Bucco victory. Bonds kept his wheels churning, scoring the game’s only run in the seventh frame when he led off with a single and came around on Sid Bream’s double. Zane Smith tossed a five-hitter with 10 punch outs for the wire-to-wire win. The Pirates padded their divisional lead to 3-1/2 games after the Mets lost to the Cubs; they went on to win the 1990 NL East by four games.

1992 - Bob Walk and Steve Cooke (he went seven innings for the win after relieving Walk, who suffered a minor strain) 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 the divisional gap between them and the Montreal Expos to seven games. It was the Bucs 13th straight win over the Redbirds (the streak ended the next day when the Cards eked out a 5-4 win) as the Pirates finished 15-3 against their division rivals.

Steve Cooke - 1992 Donruss Rookies

1998 - The Pirates, playing out the string during a September freefall, were drubbed 8-1 by the Giants at 3 Com Stadium. Jason Kendall provided the lone bright spot when he swiped his 26th base in the sixth inning against the Orel Hershiser. That broke the modern stolen base record for National League catchers set by John Stearns in 1978 and began a three-season streak of 20+ swiped sacks. Kendall was quite adept at base path larceny in his early years; he even stole home twice during the ‘98 campaign. Jason thieved 103 bases in his first five campaigns but only 96 more over his last decade, as injury and age (he played until he was 36) caught up to him. 

1999 - C Henry Davis was born in Bedford, New York. The first overall pick of the 2021 draft out of the U of Louisville by the Bucs, the media and fans pushed for his promotion after he overcame some nagging injuries and showed a strong minor league stick (.276 BA, .404 OBP, .523 Slugging %) while moving through the ranks. They got their wish in June, 2023, despite Davis playing fewer than 125 games on the farm. He missed some time with a wrist injury but still got a 200+ at-bat taste of MLB pitching, which proved a test during his first go-around. By 2025, he had become a fine defensive backstop with an AWOL stick, a narrative that's still in play.

2013 - AJ Burnett struck out a dozen Cincinnati Reds in seven innings, becoming the first Pirate RHP to whiff over 200 batters in a season (he finished the year with 209 punch outs, handily passing up Kris Benson & Bob Friend), as the Bucs took a 4-2 decision at PNC Park. The big blow was a two-run homer by Russ Martin, and the tying and go-ahead runs were set up by Marlon Byrd, who hit a sac fly to drive in Andrew McCutchen and move Justin Morneau to second, where he scored on a two-out knock by Pedro Alvarez. Jason Grilli closed out the victory; it was his first save since coming off the DL as the Bucs moved ahead of the Redlegs by a game in the battle for the home wild card.

2014 - The Pirates shut out the Brewers 1-0 behind the pitching of Vance Worley and an RBI single by Russell Martin in the seventh that chased home Andrew McCutchen. Vanimal went eight innings of four-hit ball for the win while Tony Watson tossed the ninth for the save as Wily Peralta took the tough-luck loss. The Bucs jumped 4-1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee in the NL wild card race with the win and moved into a tie for home field with the San Francisco Giants.

Vance Worley - 2014 Topps

2016 - Sean Rodríguez was on a roll. He homered for the fourth time in five games and kept his hitting streak alive at 10 games (during that stretch, S-Rod went 15-for-36/six homers/15 RBI until his hot stick was cooled in the next contest) as Pittsburgh took a 4-1 decision from Milwaukee at Miller Park. Rodriguez had two knocks and three RBI; Andrew McCutchen added a long ball. Chad Kuhl pocketed the win while the Pirates fourth pitcher, Tony Watson, picked up his 15th save.

2021 - The Pirates snapped a 13-game losing streak at Great American Ballpark (their last win was on 8/13/2020) by downing the Reds 6-2 the day after squandering a 5-0 lead in the series opener. It took some clutch pitching; Mitch Keller worked out of an early bases-loaded, no-out jam, surrendering just a sac fly. Then Nick Mears did even better. The sacks were juiced with no one away in the seventh and the 3-4-5 hitters coming up before he served a pair of pop ups and a whiff to keep Cincinnati off the board. The Bucs had a balanced attack at the dish; Ke’Bryan Hayes led the way with three hits, Ben Gamel homered, and six different Buccos chased home a run while five Corsairs plated. Keller was credited with the win; it was his first victory in a month.

2025 - The Pirates had cobbled together 10 runs in the past five games, and not too surprisingly, lost four of the matches. But in the last PNC Park game of the season, Fan Appreciation Day, the squad gave its supporters something to savor with an 11-0 win over the Oakland A’s. Jared Triolo and Joey Bart shared batting lines - four hits with a homer, three RBI and a pair of runs. Starter Mike Burrow didn’t last long enough for the decision - he used up 74 pitches to get through four innings (he dodged some raindrops, giving up five hits), and the pitch-count conscious Don Kelly yanked him for Carmen Mlodzinski, who got the win, with Yohan Ramirez and Dauri Moreta finishing up.

9/20 Through the 1960s: Moose & Maddox No-No, Super Steve, Turn Two, Willie's 1st, Rollin' 7, Friend Fan, Swifty, Game Days, Burleigh's Finale, HBD Randy, Dennis, Vic & Red

1907 - In his third big league start, Nick Maddox became the first Pirate pitcher to throw a nine-inning no-hitter (Lefty Leifield in 1906 and Howie Camnitz in ‘07 tossed shortened and thus unofficial no-nos) by defeating the Brooklyn Superbas 2-1 at Exposition Park. At the age of 20 years and 10 months, Maddox was the youngest pitcher and the second rookie to throw a full-game 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.

1916 - IF Red Juelich was born in St. Louis. Red played four years in the Cards’ minor league system and then got his shot with the Pirates in 1939, where he was a bench 3B/SS, hitting .239 in 17 games. Juelich stayed in the Pirates system at AA for the next three campaigns before dropping off the roster after 1942. Red, as you may have guessed, was a ginger.

1922 - LHP Vic Lombardi was born in Reedley, California. He put in three good years with the Dodgers and a workmanlike season with the Bucs in 1948 (10-9/3.70) but went downhill over the next two years to put up a slash line of 15-19/4.56 in Pittsburgh. Branch Rickey offered him a 1951 contract with a 25% cut; Lombardi didn’t take it and that was the end of his MLB career as he took his services to Hollywood of the Pacific Coast League.

1924 - The Pirates edged Brooklyn 5-4 in 11 innings at Ebbets 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 whiffed on a shoestring effort to glove the ball. Pie came in with the game winner, touching home for the third time during the game. Wilbur Cooper went the distance for the win. It wasn't quite enough for the Bucs, though. They cut the front-running Giants' lead to 1-1/2 games, but finished three games off the pace as they followed the win by dropping an extra-inning game to da Bums and then being swept in a high stakes three-game set by New York.

1925 - Owner Barney Dreyfuss and the City announced a deal that would allow the Pirates to build temporary bleachers for the World Series at Forbes Field (The location around FF was considered dedicated parkland and needed a city OK for any changes in use). The ballyard had just added 10,000 seats in right field before the season and were permitted to add 6,000 more seats at the princely price of $1.10 for the Fall Classic, upping the fan capacity to 41,000.  

Bill Swift - 1934 Goudey

1933 - Bill Swift spun a four-hitter at Forbes Field in a 3-0 win over Brooklyn. Though the Bucs didn’t put up a lot of runs, they did bang out 13 hits - a dozen were singles - led by Pie Traynor (4-for-4), Freddie Lindstrom (3-for-3 with a triple) and Earl Grace (3-for-4), though stranding ten. Swift even helped himself at the dish by scoring the final run after a base hit. There was an old-timey, put-it-in-play vibe to the game; it lasted just 1-1/2 hours and each side struck out twice without drawing a walk. Swift was a 30’s multi-role workhorse - he relieved in 171 games and started 165 times over his eight years in Pittsburgh (1932-39), winning 95 games with a 3.58 ERA while posting seven shutouts & 20 saves.

1934 - In a 2-1 loss to the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets 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 starting in 1921. 17 practitioners, including Grimes, were grandfathered into the ruling and allowed to serve a wet one at will.

1941 - RHP Dennis Ribant was born in Detroit. The Pirates got Ribant in 1967 from the Mets in exchange for vet Don Cardwell, and Dennis got his last real rotation shot with the Pirates, getting the ball 38 times, 22 as a starter. His line was 9-8/4.08, and he was sent to Motown by the Bucs after the year, with the Tigers giving up Dave Wickersham. Ribant was flipped to reliever, had a couple of so-so seasons with four different clubs and his six-year career ended after 1969.

1942 - In the only Negro League World Series game they would take from the powerhouse Kansas City Royals, the Homestead Grays added four new players to their roster for the game at Ruppert Stadium in Kansas City: pitcher Leon Day, RF Ed Stone, SS Bus Clarkson and 2B Lennie Pearson. They replaced four players the Gray lost for the series: SS Sam Bankhead (injury), OF Dave Whatley, IF Matt Carlisle (both entered the service) and pitcher Wilmer Fields (he returned to college), with pitcher Roy Partlow and corner IF Jud Wilson were playing hurt. The surprise additions carried the day 4-1 to keep the series alive after the Grays had lost the three previous contests with Day the winning pitcher and player/manager Vic Harris the hitting hero. The Monarchs were not very good losers, protested the game and their beef was upheld to erase the first (and as it ended up, only) Homestead victory. Game 4 was replayed a few days later and resulted in a 9-5 series-sweeping win by KC. The Grays came back to take the next two titles. 

Bob Friend - 1956 Topps

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.

1958 - The Pirates won their seventh straight game with a 4-3 victory over the Phils at Connie Mack Stadium with the teams staging a wild and wooly ninth. The Bucs went ahead 4-2 on a one-out DP; the Phils 1B Ed Bouchee tagged first after fielding Bill Virdon’s grounder with Buccos on the corners; Ducky Schofield was heads up enough to get into a rundown after the force was removed to allow Dick Groat to score an insurance run that proved crucial. In the bottom of the ninth, ElRoy Face gave up a run and had the bases loaded with an out. He got a short pop for the second out and Danny Murtaugh waved Bob Smith in to match up against Bouchee, who had whacked three doubles during the day. Smith caught him looking to close the book. The Bucs clinched second with the win, the highest finish for the club since 1944. And good thing, too - they went on to lose the final five games of the campaign though they did finish 84-70.

1960 - Bob Friend beat the Phillies 7-1 as the opener of a doubleheader sweep at Connie Mack Stadium, and set a new club record for strikeouts in a season with 179 during the match (he ended the campaign with 183; Bob Veale's 276 in 1965 blew that mark away). The old high was held by RHP Claude Hendrix with 176, set in 1912. Friend tossed a complete game and fanned six. The nightcap was a 3-2 squeaker, with Hal Smith’s eighth-inning solo shot earning the dub for Clem Labine, who tossed three scoreless innings in relief of Harvey Haddix. Bob Skinner drove home the other tallies with a pair of two-out singles.

1960 - RHP Randy Kramer was born in Palo Alto, California. Kramer was drafted by the Rangers in 1982, joining the Bucs in the 1986 off season for P Keff Zaske. He worked four seasons in the majors for the Pirates, Cubs, and Mariners. The righty spent most of his time as a Bucco long man/spot starter from 1988-90, slashing 6-12-2/4.22 in 52 outings. He retired after the 1994 campaign, then coached in the indie leagues, high school & college and scouted for the Blue Jays.

Randy Kramer - 1989 Score Rising 100

1962 - Rookie Willie Stargell collected his first hit, a triple that scored Bob Skinner. Young Willie had youthful happy feet and was thrown out at home trying for an inside-the-park HR. The Bucs had to rally in the ninth to take a 4-3 win at Forbes Field against the Cincinnati Reds. Pittsburgh scored three times to come back, thanks to a two-out boot that allowed one run to score, followed by a two-run, game-winning double by the Tiger, Don Hoak.

1966 - The Pirates turned four double plays 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 plays that turned two and Alley taking part in 128 of the two-fers.

1968 - Steve Blass spun a two-hitter against Chicago at Forbes Field and Jose Pagan banged a two-run homer to carry the Pirates to a 5-0 win at Forbes Field. Blass went all the way for his 17th win, striking out eight and allowing just two Cubbies to reach second as he topped Fergie Jenkins. Pagan’s blast was the key to a four-run second inning while Maury Wills, who stole his 50th sack of the campaign, Roberto Clemente and Gene Alley each had two hits. 

1969 - At New York's Shea Stadium, Bob Moose stopped the pennant-bound Mets 4-0 by tossing a no-hitter, the third in club history, walking three with six whiffs. The only ball hit hard enough to cause concern was a belt hit by Wayne Garrett in the sixth inning, but the wind held it up and Roberto Clemente took care of the rest, leaping against the wall to reel in the horsehide. Two of the Pirates’ four runs scored on wild pitches by Gary Gentry as the Bucs only collected six hits themselves; their big frame (a three-run fourth) consisted of two walks, a single, a bopped batter, stolen base, the wayward tosses and a productive bouncer.

9/20 From 1970: How Low..., 200 For Mitch, Frankie #1000, Jack Walkoff, Gott To Be Good, Mc-K, Comin' Back, Game Days, HBD Steve & Jay

1973 - With Richie Zisk on first in the top of the 13th inning at Shea Stadium, Dave Augustine banged a two-out drive to the left field wall. As Cleon Jones turned to watch, the ball grazed the top of the wall, just barely staying in the yard, and it bounced straight into his glove. His relay nailed the speed-challenged Zisk at the plate by 15’. Following the "Ball on the Wall" play, the Mets scored in their half to win, 4-3, and moved within half a game of the first place Bucs. As beat writer Charlie Feeney of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette noted “The Pirates, stunned, bewildered, are a sinking...club” as the Bucs were in the midst of losing 4-of-5 and finishing 6-11 down the stretch. NY eventually won the division, the NL title, and took Oakland to a seventh game in the World Series before calling it a season. The Pirates never recovered and finished 2-1/2 games behind.

1974 - The Pirates scored three times in the ninth at TRS to drop the NY Mets 4-3. After keeping the Bucs on ice in the eighth, Ray Sadecki walked Art Howe and Tug McGraw took over. A wild pitch, whiff and back-to-back singles by Paul Popovich & Rennie Stennett cut the lead to one, with Bucs lurking on the corners. A short passed ball allowed Rennie to get to second, and the Met infield stayed back, willing to concede the tying run. Manny Sanguillen hit a sharp grounder and SS Ted Martinez tried to catch a hustling Stennett steaming toward third but was late; without the passed ball, The Roadrunner’s worm-burner would have been a likely game-ending DP. Al Oliver was intentionally walked to load the bases. Willie Stargell hit a hopper to John Milner at first; he stepped on the bag, removing the force at home, and fired to the plate, but Rennie beat the tag. So the Bucs put up a game-winning three-spot on two hits, two walks, and two gift plays in the field. It was a big win for Ramon Hernandez and the Pirates, who won the division that year by a slim 1-1/2 game margin over the St. Louis Cards before the Los Angeles Dodgers ended their year in the NLCS.

1978 - Jason Bay was born in Trail, British Columbia. In his six years as a Pirate, his line was .268 BA/219 HR/715 RBI and he was an All-Star twice. In 2004, he set the Pirate record for rookie home runs with 26 and was The Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year, the second Pirate player to win the award after 2B Johnny Ray in 1982 and the first Canadian player to win the honor. He was traded to Boston at the 2008 deadline and played well there through 2009 before signing a monster contract with the Mets. That didn’t work out so well; Jay was hit with a string of rib & concussion-related injuries to go with a chronically grumpy knee. He hit .234 with 26 homers in three years and he retired before the 2014 campaign after a comeback with the Seattle Mariners flopped. 

Jason Bay - 2007 Upper Deck Masterpieces Captured On Canvas

1979 - The Bucs lost to the Phils 2-1 at Veterans 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 ball girl went into a dance, thinking it a home run, and after seeing her celebration, Gregg accepted her call. 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 twin killing with one away and runners on the corners. The loss cut the Buccos lead over the Expos to 1/2 game. Pittsburgh would eventually hold off Montreal by a two-game margin to capture the pennant.

1983 - Larry McWilliams tossed a two-hitter with a career-high 11 whiffs to tame the NY Mets 2-0 at Shea Stadium. Jason Thompson atoned for a game-blowing error the night before with four hits, Dave Parker added three more, including a 450’ homer, and Mike Easler doubled & tripled to drive in a pair of scores. The win kept the Pirates two games behind the Phillies, although a late slide dropped them to six games off the pace when the final gun sounded.

1984 - With a crowd of 33,651 Cub 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 four-run deficit to rally past the Bruins by a 7-6 score. Jim Morrison was the offensive spark plug, 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 dodged a bullet by being granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for their 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 stain on MLB.

Jim Gott - 1988 Pirates Promo

1988 - It took Jim Gott one pitch to set the Pirates save record in a 5-1 win over the Cards at Busch Stadium. He came on with Redbirds at second & third with two outs, and Pedro Guerrero bounced Gott’s first offering to short. It was his 32nd save, besting Kent Tekulve’s previous team mark (Mark Melancon holds the current record with 51 saves). “I felt cheated,” he said of the easy save chance, though it had been a tight battle until the Bucs scored four times in the eighth to break up a 1-1 duel between Dave LaPoint and Scott Terry. RJ Reynolds and Andy Van Slyke had two-run singles in the decisive frame to key a cobbled-together small ball rally, with three singles, two Card errors, two bunts and an intentional walk. St. Louis had plenty of chances - they had nine hits, drew five walks and swiped five bases, but they stranded a dozen runners.

1988 - IF Steve Lombardozzi Jr. was born in Fulton, Maryland. Then a six-year vet, with a couple of seasons of regular time with the Nats, Lombardozzi was purchased by the Pirates in 2015. The jack-of-all-trades played mostly at AAA Indy, but did see some big league time with the Bucs, going 0-for-10. He got a sip of coffee at Miami in 2017, spent more time in AAA, then played indie ball from 2019-22. Junior is the son of former MLB 2B Steve Lombardozzi.

1992 - It was a struggle, but the Bucs finally dispatched Philadelphia by a 3-2 tally after 13 innings at TRS. The Phils scored twice on solo homers while the Bucs cashed in on a pair of sac flies. Jeff King brought home the winner when his two-out single off Keith Shepherd plated Cecil Espy to give Roger Mason, the Pirates sixth pitcher, the win. The Phillies blew a couple of opportunities, going 0-for-8 w/RISP. The Bucs trumped them despite 2B Mickey Morandini’s unassisted triple play, the first in MLB since 1968 (SS Ron Hansen of Washington v Cleveland) and the first in the NL since 1927 (Cubs SS Jim Cooney v the Bucs. Before that, SS Glenn Wright of the Pirates pulled one off in 1925 v SL). He snagged a line drive off the bat of King, touched second to force Andy Van Slyke, and tagged out Barry Bonds, who was on the move from first base.

2000 - The Pirates scored three times in the 10th inning thanks to long balls by Emil Brown and Adam Hyzdu, then hung on for dear life to escape with a 7-6 win at Veterans Stadium. With two runs in for the Phils, runners on the corners and one away in the 10th, Mike Williams got 2B Marlon Anderson to bang into a game-ending 4-6-3 DP to finally put it to bed.   

Jack Wilson - 2002 Upper Deck Sweet Beginnings

2002 -  Jack Wilson had his first career walkoff hit, a one-out single in the ninth, to plate Armand Rios, whose double brought home the tying run earlier in the frame, as the Pirates topped the Cubs by a score of 5-4 at PNC Park. Scott Sauerbeck got the win after Brian Boehringer had lost the lead in the eighth inning by giving up a pair of runs. BB was saved from worse when Rios threw out Alex Gonzalez at home to end the inning and keep the deficit at one run. 

2007 - For the second straight night, Nyjer Morgan led off the game against San Diego with a triple, the first time in five years that feat had been pulled off in the NL. Though he scored both times (he had four hits and plated four times in those two games), the Pirates couldn’t hold either lead and lost the two games by 5-3 and 6-3 tallies to the Padres at Petco Park. 

2013 - The Bucs started off on fire when Jose Tabata and Neil Walker led off the game with homers for the fourth time in club history, and the Pirates were cruising along when Francisco Liriano K'ed Chris Heisey in the eighth for his 1,000th career strikeout, also setting the franchise record for K's in a season at 1,193, breaking last year's mark. But the 5-2 lead wasn’t enough to hold off the Cincinnati Reds, who scored three unearned runs in the ninth thanks to a two-out error by Jordy Mercer. Cincy won in the 10th on a wrong-way home run by Joey Votto that just dropped over the fence and a few feet inside the LF pole to stun the Bucs at PNC Park 6-5, tying the teams for second place in the NL Central and the home wildcard spot with eight games left in the season.

Frankie Liriano - 2013 Topps Chrome

2022 - In an embarrassing 100-loss season, today may have been the nadir. The Pirates, fresh from being swept by the Mets in a four-game set at Citi Field, looked like they had flipped their New York luck, leading the Yankees 8-4 with three outs to go. It wasn’t to be as Aaron Judge ominously opened the frame with his 60th homer, equaling the Bambino and one shy of tying Roger Maris’ AL record. Closer Wil Crowe then gave up two more hits around a walk to set up Giancarlo Stanton, who unloaded a walkoff grand slam; the Pirates couldn’t even get an out in the ninth while suffering a 9-8 loss at Yankee Stadium. Buc bangers Bryan Reynolds, with four hits including a homer, Rodolfo Castro, who stroked a three-run long ball, and Jason Delay, who doubled in a pair of runs, couldn’t provide enough firepower to counter the Big Apple boppers.

2023 - Mitch Keller became the sixth modern era Pirates pitcher to post 200 strikeouts in a season (Ed “Cannonball” Morris fanned 298 batters in 1885 and 326 in 1886 for the American Association Alleghenys. Bob Veale’s 276 whiffs in 1965 is the modern record). The Buc 200-K club members are Veale (1964-'66, '69), Ollie Pérez (2004), Keller (2023), Paul Skenes (2025), AJ Burnett (2013), Francisco Liriano (2015) and Gerrit Cole (2015). Kells fanned six to earn his 13th win, but nearly blew an 8-1 cushion, giving up seven runs in 5-2/3 IP before the Bucs assault put it away, 13-7, at Wrigley Field, only their second win in 12 tries against the Cubbies. The Corsairs put together a seven-run fourth inning, built on six straight singles and a Josh Palacios three-run blast; Jared Triolo and Connor Joe also went deep later in the contest to pad the lead after Chicago rallied to make it an uncomfortably close game. The slugfest was not on most bingo cards; the match-up was anticipated to be a duel between two young aces, All-Star pitchers Keller and Chicago’s Justin Steele.

2025 - The Bucs were crawling along, having lost 12-of-13, but tonight they showed the PNC faithful that at least the pitching leaves some hope for next year as Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft and Dennis Santana combined for a one-hit, 13-K whitewash of the A’s, winning 2-0 as the Pirates recorded their league-leading 18th shutout. The Buccos again had trouble getting the bat on the ball with just five hits, but solo shots by Nick Yorke and Bryan Reynolds were enough.

9/19 Through the 1970s: Bad Backs Back, Big Bob 1-Hitter, Maz Muscle, Danny's 26-Gamer, 50 For Ralph, Rip's 21st, Strandfest, Game Days, HBD Stuffy, Glinn & Yank

1859 - IF William “Yank” Robinson was born in Philadelphia. Yank had his heyday from 1885-89 with the American Association’s St Louis Browns. He could play just about anywhere and was patient at the plate: from 1887-90, Robinson drew 472 free rides (427 walks w/45 HBPs) and 400 hits for an OBP of .412. Yank got into a beef with the Browns’ owner in 1889 triggered by a pair of tight pants and jumped to the Pittsburgh Burghers the following season, keeping up his old tricks. During the season, Robinson had just 70 hits for a .229 BA, but his 101 bases on balls jacked up his OBP to .434, fourth highest in the Players' League in his only Pittsburgh term. He also played the field bare handed and could throw ambidextrously; that combo made him an erratic fielder who could either turn a difficult play or boot a routine two-hopper. It’s thought that his nickname dates back from childhood as he was born just prior to the Civil War.

1860 - OF Ed Glenn (Glinn) was born in Richmond, Virginia. Ed played every other year in the majors, making stops in 1884-86-88, with the Alleghenys being his team in the middle. He hit .191 (his rep was as a gloveman), spent a year in the minors and split time in the NL in 1888. He lost his chance to repeat his two-year cycle when he injured himself badly crashing into another player while chasing down a fly while on the farm at Sioux City. He finished out the season, then sat out 1891 before passing away from consumption (tuberculosis) at 31.

1882 - Rookie Guy Hecker of the American Association Louisville Eclipse (aka Colonels) tossed a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, winning 3-1 at Eclipse Park, falling just a week short from tossing the first AA no-no. He would join the Pirates in 1890, albeit for his final MLB season.

1890 - 1B Jack “Stuffy” McInnis was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Stuffy, a solid contact hitter and glove man, spent the tail end of his 17-year career as a Pirate in 1925-26. McInnis still had his stick working, hitting .337 over that span and .286 in four games of the 1925 World Series against the Washington Senators before retiring after the 1927 campaign. He picked up his nickname as a youngster playing sandlot ball in Boston, where his feats on the field brought shouts from the stands of "that's the stuff, kid."

Stuffy McInnis - 1925 TSN/Conlan Collection/Getty

1901 - The Pirates game with the Phils at Exposition Park was postponed by order of NL President NE Young (it was a league-wide day of mourning) to honor the burial day of assassinated President William McKinley. Pittsburgh was a hotbed of McKinley enthusiasts; a South Hills Park and street were renamed for him. The clubs played two the next day to make up the date, with a Pirates sweep putting them 9-1/2 games up in the standings. The team finished the year 90-49, winning the pennant by 7-1/2 games to earn the franchise's first title.

1908 - Ralph Davis of the Pittsburgh 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.

1925 - The Pirates edged the Braves 2-1 at Forbes Field as Kiki Cuyler had four hits and Pie Traynor added three more. The two teams combined for 23 hits and drew seven walks but managed to strand 23 runners, hit into two DPs and have three runners thrown out trying to steal, keeping all the bases but home busy during the match. The Bucs took nine innings to finally get it together - Pittsburgh left the bases loaded with one away in the eighth and needed a two-out, bases-packed single by Glenn Wright in the ninth to walkoff the win for Vic Aldridge.

1943 - Rip Sewell whipped the Reds 10–3 for his 21st win, which topped the MLB chart that season. Rip also stole a base to finish the year with seven swipes (he only stole three more sacks in the following six campaigns). Elbie Fletcher had three hits and two RBI; Bob Elliott added two hits and three RBI. For 37-year-old Rip, it would earn him and his trusty eephus pitch his first All Star appearance. The Pirates swept the twin bill 2-1 as three Pirate pitchers (Xavier Rescigno, Hank Gornicki & Max Butcher, who got the W) outlasted Johnny Vander Meer. Pittsburgh was its own worst enemy in the nightcap, hitting into a DP, going 0-for-2 in stolen bases and getting a runner tossed out at home before scoring twice in the ninth on singles by Vince DiMaggio and Elliott.

Rip Sewell - 1943 Play Ball

1949 - In a 6-4 loss to the NY Giants at Forbes Field, Ralph Kiner hit his 50th home run (he finished the year with 54). With that blast, the 26-year-old outfielder became the first NL’er to hit 50+ bombs in two different seasons. It would take until 1965 for Willie Mays to match Kiner’s mark.

1953 - Danny O'Connell hit safely in his 26th consecutive game, a 4-1 loss to the NY Giants at the Polo Grounds. The streak ended later in the day as the Bucs won the back end of the twin bill by a 6-5 tally while Danny went 0-for-5. The streak was the second longest in Pirate history, trailing only Jimmy Williams’ 27-game streak of 1899 (Williams had a 26-game streak earlier in 1899 and Kenny Lofton also put together a 26-game hit parade in 2003).

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. Face’s record was 18-1, including eight straight games won in extra innings. He ended the year with the top winning percentage (.947) of any pitcher with 15 decisions or more, and his dazzling performance launched a string of three straight All Star appearances.

1965 - Bob Veale allowed one hit, a two-out, sixth-inning single by Tony Taylor, and struck out 12 to earn a 10-inning 1-0 win over the Phillies at Forbes Field. Roberto Clemente's two-out single off Philadelphia reliever Jack Baldschun that scored Bob Bailey was the game winner; Veale had been thrown out at home the batter before, trying to score on Manny Mota’s hit.

Roberto Clemente - 1985 TCMA (1966 MVP)

1966 - The Bucs took an 11-inning victory from the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park by a 6-1 score. Roberto Clemente, leading off and in an 0-for-13 funk, triggered the win when he ignored manager Harry “The Hat” Walker’s small-ball sign to bunt for a hit and instead  swung away, drilling a two-run homer. Bob Bailey added the sugar on top when he smacked a grand slam to close out the frame, giving Pete Mikkelsen the win in relief of Bob Veale. 

 
1970 - Roberto Clemente, out of action for 14 games with a bad back, returned to score one run and chase home another with a key double in Pittsburgh's 2-1 victory over New York, keeping a 1-1/2 game lead over Chicago. The Bucco D turned four DPs to help Luke Walker to the win, with the final four frames closed down by the bullpen. With Roberto back, the club would go 12-5 to win the division by five games, but were stopped by the Big Red Machine in the NLCS.

1974 - Pittsburgh put up a five-spot in the seventh inning to take an 8-6 win from the first-place St. Louis Cards at TRS. The big blows in the frame were Richie Hebner’s two-out, three-run homer and Willie Stargell’s two-run two-bagger, giving Ramon Hernandez the win with Dave Giusti, making his first appearance in two weeks due to a balky back, credited with the save of the contest started by Bruce Kison. The win moved the Bucs within 1/2 game of first place, 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 swipe 2B against Chicago (he did have three steals that year) quite unsuccessfully. As Cubs' SS Ivan DeJesus waited at the bag with the ball, Stargell slid in five feet short of the base, stood up and called for time-out. The Bucs won despite Pops’ baserunning antics and blowing a 10-2 lead, finally taking the victory by a 12-11 tally. Dave Parker’s homer in the 11th inning off Bruce Sutter, his second long ball of the day, gave the Bucs their seventh straight win and 30th in their last 38 games. Parker and Bill Robinson, who also homered twice, combined for eight hits, seven RBI and five runs scored. John Candelaria started, giving up two runs in six frames but evened that out with a hit, walk, and two runs scored himself. Odell Jones, the sixth Pirates hurler, got the win.