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7/24 From 1970: 11 Straight, Max Mad, GI July, Benny Grannie, Clemente Day, Game Days, ASG, Wandy-Rudy, HBD Connor

Friday, July 24, 2026 7:01

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1970 – 43,290 fans showed up for Roberto Clemente Day at Three Rivers Stadium. Pirate ownership showered him with gifts (cash was, at Clemente’s request, donated to various charities), and he put on a show, cracking a pair of hits and making a couple of diving grabs in the field during an 11-0 thumping of the Houston Astros. Danny Murtaugh pulled him in the eighth inning so he could get a final ovation to end his night (he also had cut his knee making a catch); Arriba’s fan salute was led by a handful of rooters who had made the trip from Puerto Rico to honor their native son. Dock Ellis tossed a four-hitter behind a 15-hit attack to make the day a complete success.

1973 – The Nationals romped over the AL 7-1 at Royals Stadium in the All-Star game. Dave Giusti pitched a clean seventh inning and Willie Stargell K’ed against Nolan Ryan in his only at bat. Bobby Bonds was the MVP and 22 future Hall of Fame players took part in the game.

1979 – A baffling fourth inning call resulted in a 34 minute rhubarb during the Pirates-Reds game at TRS. With Buc runners on first and third, a 3-1 pitch to Omar Moreno was called a ball, but Johnny Bench threw to 2B ahead of the runner from 1B, Lee Lacy, who was going on the pitch. Lacy was called out by ump Dick Stello (whose back was to the plate to make the call at second) even though the runner was entitled to the sack after the walk. After questioning the out call, Lacy left the base and was tagged out again by Dave Concepcion, reigniting the argument. The Bucs protested the game, but NL president Chub Feeney upheld the call (it seems the situation was so odd that no rule actually addressed it) and the Pirates 6-5 loss was officially recorded in the books.

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

Benny DiStefano – 1985 Donruss

1993 – RHP Connor Overton was born in Richmond, Virginia. He made his MLB debut in August of 2021 for Toronto after having been drafted out of Old Dominion by Miami in 2014. After four scoreless outings for the Blue Jays, he was DFA’ed, claimed by the Pirates in September and four days later tossed a 1-2-3 frame in his first Bucco appearance. It made the record books; he was the 59th player used during the season by Pittsburgh, a new franchise record. He later moved on to the Reds, then back to Toronto; he’s now pitching in the Atlantic League.

2004 – The whole Pirate gang chipped in during a 14-4 romp over the Reds at PNC Park. The Buccos had 11 batters with at least a hit and banged out six doubles as 10 different players scored and eight Pirates drove in runs. Jason Bay had three hits and three RBI while Jose Castillo scored four times to lead the attack. The Bucs scored seven times in the sixth to take control. Josh Fogg was chased early and five pitchers followed him, with John Grabow earning the win.

2008 – The Bucs won their fourth contest in a row by hammering the San Diego Padres at PNC Park by a 9-1 score. Nate McLouth, Jason Bay and Xavier Nady homered while Yoslan Herrera tossed shutout ball for six innings, giving up six hits, to earn his first MLB victory. For the X-Man, it was his last Bucco blast – he was traded to the Yankees two days later. The streak had begun with a sweep of the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park; during their short winning string, the Bucs bopped as they hit 10 home runs and outscored the ‘Stros & Friars, 34-13.

2009 – Garrett Jones went deep to right against Arizona’s Yusmeiro Petit for his 10th homer of the month in a 10-3 Bucco win at Chase Field. Called up on July 1st, GI was named the NL’s July Rookie of the Month. Jones became the first Bucco to hit seven home runs in his first twelve games since Dino Restelli in 1949 and the first Pirate to hit 10 home runs in a month since Jason Bay in 2006. The Bucs pounded out 16 hits (all eight starters chipped in at least a knock and there were six multi-hit efforts) and Zach Duke went seven innings for the win.

Wandy Rodriguez – 2012 Topps Update

2012 – LHP Wandy Rodriguez was traded by the Houston Astros with cash to the Pirates for prospects RHP Colton Cain, LHP Rudy Owens and OF Robbie Grossman as the Bucs looked to shore up their stretch run rotation. Wandy ended up injury prone, and made just 31 starts with 11 wins as a Pirate until he was released in late May of 2014. Grossman played for eight teams in 12 years through 2024, Owens got one MLB start and pitched in the minor, Dominican, Italian & Indie leagues through 2017 while Cain never made it.

2013 – Francisco Liriano and Stephen Strasburg were hooked up in a 1-0 battle at Nationals Park, with the Pirates up going into the ninth inning. Both starters then turned the game over to the bullpens, and that’s when the fun started. The Bucs put up a three spot on Drew Storen, with Mike McKenry’s two-run knock being the big blow, then Washington came back to score a pair off Justin Wilson until Jason Grilli came in to quell the fire and close out the 4-2 Pirate win. The only score in the first eight frames came on a second-inning homer by Pedro Alvarez.

2015 – During his last outing against Pittsburgh, Washington ace Max Scherzer had no-hit the Bucs, losing his perfect game with two outs and two strikes in the ninth. Today was a different kettle of fish; the Buccos got homers from Pedro Alvarez (453’ and one bounce into the river), Gregory Polanco (after falling behind 0-2, fouling off six straight fastballs and taking 12 pitches) and Neil Walker swatted another, marking the first time Mad Max gave up three homers in a game since 2011. The muscle flexing launched the Pirates to a 7-5 win, closed out by scoreless frames by Jared Hughes, Tony Watson and Mark Melancon in front of a full house of 38,371 at PNC Park. Scherzer had held Pittsburgh hitless for 14 straight innings until El Toro’s long ball in the second. That made it the longest hitless streak by a starting pitcher against one big-league team since the Corsairs’ Francisco Cordova threw 15 consecutive hitless innings vs. Houston in 1997.

2018 – The Pirates won their 11th straight game (and 13th-of-14) by a 9-4 count over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field with Big Joe Musgrove claiming the victory. The Bucs offense was powered by the top of the lineup – Corey Dickerson, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco – who went 5-for-13 with a walk, two homers, a double, triple, seven RBI and five runs scored; Josh Bell added a long ball. The victory streak was the Pirates longest since 1996; alas, their run at 12 straight, not done since 1965, fell short as Trevor Bauer shut them out the next night, snapping a seven-game stretch of scoring six or more runs and a nine-game run of homering at least once.

Source: https://oldbucs.blogspot.com/2026/07/724-from-1970-11-straight-max-mad-gi.html

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