Bucs end first half of season in rare fashion
The Pirates ended the first half of the season last weekend in rare fashion.
For just the eighth time in major league history, the Pirates twice overcome deficits in extra innings to win back-to-back games, beating the St. Louis Cardinals both times at PNC Park.
Andrew McCutchen’s two-run home run in the 14th inning gave the Pirates a 6-5 win July 11 and rookie Jung Ho Kang’s RBI single capped a three-run 10th and lifted Pittsburgh to another 6-5 victory Sunday night.
The Pirates also pulled off the feat in 1945 against the Boston Braves at Forbes Field and in 2006 against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park.
In 1945, the Pirates won 9-8 on May 23 and 10-9 on May 24.
In 2006, Jose Bautista drew a bases-loaded walk in the 11th inning off Ryan Dempster to give the Pirates a 7-6 victory on Aug. 29 and made a winner of Matt Capps. The next day, Freddy Sanchez’s two-run single in 11th off Dempster gave Pittsburgh a 10-9 victory as Marty McLeary was the winning pitcher.
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McCutchen’s home run in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night — taking the Tampa Bay Rays’ Chris Archer deep at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati — was the first by a Pirates player since Dave Parker connected in 1981 off the Oakland Athletics’ Mike Norris at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.
Just three other Pirates, all Hall of Famers, have homered in a Midsummer Classic since World War II with Ralph Kiner doing so three times – — in 1949 off the Philadelphia Athletics’ Lou Brissie at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, in 1950 off the Detroit Tigers’ Art Houtteman at Comiskey Park in Chicago and in 1951 off the Boston Red Sox’s Mel Parnell at Briggs Stadium in Detroit.
Willie Stargell connected in 1965 off the Minnesota Twins’ Mudcat Grant at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minn., and Roberto Clemente took the Tigers’ Mickey Lolich deep in 1971 at Tiger Stadium.
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McCutchen’s blast drew much more attention than Josh Bell’s homer two days earlier in the All-Star Futures Game.
However, Bell’s home run was a welcome sight for the Pirates.
The Class AA Altoona first baseman’s two-run shot off Seattle Mariners pitching prospect Edwin Diaz came as a surprise because he has homered just four times for the Curve this season in 82 games and 367 plate appearances.
The 22-year-old switch-hitter has had a fine offensive season otherwise, hitting .314 with a .381 on-base percentage and a .431 slugging percentage.