Author: david bancroft

GM# 79 JULY 1, 1971 AT NEW YORK METS BUCS STAY MIRED IN SLUMP; LOSE TO METS, 6-3 The Pirates are mired in a slump and not even ace, Dock Ellis can pull them out of it. The team has dropped six straight games and Ellis was the losing pitcher in their most recent contest,…

JUNE RECAP Though the Pirates got through June with a winning record, going 17 for 30; they have dropped their last five and have lost seven of their last ten. Their lead in the N.L. East has dropped from a high of 9.5 games to 6 games. Pittsburgh’s hitting has cooled significantly, but it is…

GM# 78 JUNE 30, 1971 AT NEW YORK METS PIRATES FALL TO METS, 2-1, IN ELEVEN INNINGS Ed Kranepool and Mike Jorgenson hit back-to-back doubles, in the bottom of the eleventh inning, to give the New York Mets a 2-1, victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have now dropped five straight. Nelson Briles took the…

GM# 77 JUNE 29, 1971 AT ST. LOUIS CARDINALS CARDS GET TO VEALE IN RELIEF AS THEY BEAT BUCS, 8-5 Bob Veale’s struggles out of the bullpen continue, as St. Louis tagged him for two runs on three straight hits, in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Cardinals would go on to an eight…

GM# 76 JUNE 28, 1971 AT ST. LOUIS CARDINALS HAGUE, MCNERTY EACH HOMER TWICE; CARDS WIN 6-4 IN 10 INNINGS Joe Hague and Jerry McNerty each clubbed a pair of solo home runs, Hague’s second was a walkoff two run shot in the bottom of the tenth, off Dave Giusti. Pittsburgh trailed 4-3, heading into…

GM#’S 74, 75. JUNE 27, 1971 AT PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES PHILLIES SWEEP TWINBILL; WIN SERIES, THREE GAMES TO ONE The Pittsburgh Pirates still have an eight game cushion over the second place, New York Mets, but some cracks are beginning to show in the Bucs armor. Philadelphia took three out of four against Pittsburgh, most recently,…

GM# 73 JUNE 26, 1971 AT PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES BUCS EDGE PHILLIES 3-2 ON ROBERTSON’S 2 RUN CLOUT Chris Short and the Phillies led Dock Ellis and the Pirates, 2-1, when Bob Robertson’s two run homer in the top of the seventh, put Pittsburgh ahead to stay. Ellis struggled in this one, only going five innings,…

GM# 72 JUNE 25, 1972 AT PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES PHILLIES NIP BUCCOS, 2-1 IN SERIES OPENER Steve Blass started against Jim Bunning. The starters each gave up a run, Pittsburgh’s coming on Bob Robertson’s sixteenth home run. The Phillies scored in the bottom of the sixth, when the Pirates traded a run for a double play.…

GM# 71 JUNE 23, 1971 VS NEW YORK METS PIRATES TAKE SERIES FROM METS WITH 7-1 IN IN FINALE Pittsburgh banged out seven extra base hits, including Jose Pagan’s first home run of the season, as the Pirates got a solid six innings from Luke Walker, to beat New York, 7-1. Walker gave up a…

GM# 70 JUNE 22, 1971 VS NEW YORK METS BUCS BULLPEN STUMBLES IN 4-3 LOSS TO METS The Pirates got a solid five innings out of Jim Nelson, who made his second start of the season. Nelson left the game with a 3-2 lead, but Bob Johnson stumbled, allowing two Mets runs, en route to…