Bob Friend from the Chronology

May 21, 2000 - The Giants score 11 runs in the 6th inning on their way to a 16-10 win over the Brewers. OF Terrell Lowery collects 5 hits for SF‚ including 3 doubles and teammate J.T. Snow hits a grand slam in the sixth. Starter Russ Ortiz is the winner‚ allowing 10 earned runs‚ the most earned runs allowed by a pitcher in a win since Bob Friend‚ in 1954. The last pitcher to notch a win and give up 10 runs-9 earned-was the Giants' Vida Blue against the Padres on April 19‚ 1979. The Giants are the second team to score 11 runs in an inning this year. Earlier this season‚ the White Sox dropped 11 runs against the Seattle Mariners in one inning.

Apr 19, 1979 - Starter Vide Blue allows ten runs against the San Diego Padres but is still the winning pitcher in the 14-10 game. Nine of the runs are earned. It is the most runs allowed in a win since Bob Friend allowed 10 runs‚ all earned‚ in 1954. The next to match it will be another Giants, righthander Russ Ortiz, in 2000.

Sep 24, 1966 - In relief of veteran Bob Shaw‚ Bob Friend makes his final appearance‚ giving up 2 runs in one inning and taking the loss as the Mets lose to the Reds‚ 4-3. Friend ends his ML career at 197-230‚ one of the few pitchers to lose 200 games and not win 200. Chick Fraser ended his career at 175-212.

Jun 15, 1966 - The Yankees sell veteran P Bob Friend to the Mets.

Dec 10, 1965 - The Pirates trade long-time Buc P Bob Friend to the Yankees for P Pete Mikkelsen and cash.

Apr 17, 1964 - Before 48‚736 fans the Pirates defeat the Mets 4-3 in the first game played at Shea Stadium. Bob Friend is the winner over Cuban righty Ed Bauta. Friend was also the winning pitcher in the last game ever played at the Polo Grounds before the Giants moved west.

Apr 13, 1963 - After 11 hitless at bats‚ Cincinnati 2B Pete Rose records his first ML hit‚ a triple off Pittsburgh's Bob Friend. Increased enforcement of the balk rule produces a ML record 7 in the Pirates' 12-4 trouncing at Cincinnati. Friend is called for 4 balks.

Sep 26, 1962 - Pittsburgh's Earl Francis (9-8) gives up 2 hits in 10 innings in beating the Reds‚ 1-0. Jim Maloney matches him for 9 innings. Bob Friend pitches the 11th to earn his 1st save of the year after Mazeroski and Stargell double home the winning run. Bucs vet Bill Virdon steals his 5th base to go along with his 13 caught steals‚ tying him for NL high with Maury Wills.

Oct 12, 1960 - Whitey Ford preserves the Yankees hopes with a 7-hit shutout at Pittsburgh. Bob Friend is bombed again as New York coasts 12-0. Bobby Richardson's 2 run-scoring triples give him a WS record of 12 RBI.

Sep 20, 1960 - First place Pittsburgh sweeps a pair from the Phillies‚ winning 7-1 and 3-2. The Bucs lead by 6 games. Bob Friend wins the opener and sets a new club record for strikeouts‚ beating Hendrix' mark of 176 set in 1912.

Sep 5, 1960 - The first-place Pirates split with the Braves‚ winning 9-7 before losing‚ 7-1. The Bucs rout Spahn in the opener scoring 7 runs in the 4th after the Braves had knocked out starter Bob Friend. Bob Buhl is the winner in the nitecap‚ scattering 7 hits. Chuck Cottier has 3 doubles and 3 RBIs to back Buhl. Haddix is the loser and gives way to Diomedes Olivo‚ who makes his ML debut in relief. At age 41‚ or thereabouts‚ Olivo is the oldest rookie in ML history except for Satchel Paige. The IL MVP pitches 2 runless innings.

Jul 25, 1960 - The Bucs return to first place as Bob Friend defeats the Cardinals 4-2 in St. Louis. Pittsburgh will remain atop the NL for the rest of the season.

Jul 11, 1960 - One-hit shutout pitching by Bob Friend and HRs by Ernie Banks and Del Crandall pace the NL to a 5-4 win over the AL at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium in the first of 2 All-Star Games. Friend has notched 2 of the NL's last 3 All-Star wins.

Apr 17, 1960 - Pittsburgh's Joe Gibbon makes his ML debut in the 2nd game of a twinbill with the Reds. With the Pirates down 5-0 in the 8th‚ the rookie comes in to mop up. Gibbon throws 2 scoreless innings and the Bucs score 6 in the 9th for a 6-5 win. Hal Smith's 3-run pinch homer and Bob Skinner's 2-out‚ two-run homer off reliever Ted Wieand makes Gibbon the winner. The Bucs win the opener‚ 5-0‚ behind Bob Friend's 4-hitter.

Sep 24, 1959 - Pittsburgh's Bob Friend gives up 12 hits‚ but shuts out St. Louis‚ 6-0.

Sep 10, 1958 - Dick Stuart clouts a 10th inning homer to give Bob Friend his 20th win of the year as the Pirates beat the Giants‚ 6-4.

Jul 23, 1958 - Dodger Norm Larker hits a ball just inside the 1B line‚ which the Pirates believe to be foul. When umpire Vic Delmore signals it fair‚ P Bob Porterfield picks up the ball from where it had rolled into the bullpen. Though not playing‚ Porterfield is ejected for intentional interference with a ball in play. Larker is safe on 2B. The Dodgers still lose 11-3 in the doubleheader opener and are now in last place. Bob Friend wins his 12th in the nitecap‚ 6-3.

May 11, 1958 - In the Phils 10-4 loss in the lidlifter with Pittsburgh‚ Phils OF Richie Ashburn pulls a muscle. He sits out the 2nd game‚ ending his consecutive game streak at 473. Bob Friend wins the opener‚ overcoming back-to-back first inning HRs by Repulski and Hamner. In game 2‚ AL castoff Bob Porterfield wins a brilliant pitching duel with Curt Simmons‚ winning 1-0 in 11 innings.

Sep 29, 1957 - With 1895 manager Jack Doyle among the 11‚606 looking on‚ the Giants lose their last game at the Polo Grounds 9-1. Pirate P Bob Friend defeats Johnny Antonelli. Bucs rookie Johnny Powers hits a HR in the top of the 9th‚ the last homer and RBI at the Polo Grounds.

Sep 20, 1956 - Bob Friend holds the Braves to 4 hits and the Pirates edge the Braves‚ 2-1‚ in 10 innings.

Aug 24, 1956 - Murry Dickson wins his 11th as the Cards defeat the Pirates‚ 6-2. Fred Waters‚ batting 7th ahead of Mazeroski and Foiles‚ is the loser. Foiles does hit a HR. Maz will bat 9th on September 3 with Bob Friend in the 7th spot.

Aug 5, 1956 - In the Braves 5-0 and 5-1 sweep of the Pirates‚ Hank Aaron hits safely in both games to run his consecutive hit streak to 22 games. He hits for the cycle in the pair of games. Conley wins the opener and Burdette wins the nitecap in 6 innings as rain halts the match. Bob Friend (11-11) loses his 8th in a row.

Jul 25, 1956 - At Pittsburgh‚ the Cubs score 7 runs off Bob Friend and Roy Face in the 8th inning to take a 7-4 lead. But after Turk Lown loads the bases‚ Roberto Clemente belts Jim Brosnan's first pitch off the LF light tower and‚ with the ball still in play‚ circles the bases for an inside-the-park game-ending homer to win‚ 8-7. It is the 2nd ultimate grand slam for Pittsburgh this year. Dale Long also homers‚ his 20th‚ the most ever by a Buc left hander.

Jun 27, 1956 - Unbeaten Brooks Lawrence wins his 10th‚ beating Pittsburgh 10-2 when the visiting Reds score 9 runs in the 8th inning. Gus Bell‚ Stan Palys‚ and Frank Robinson each drive in two runs against Bob Friend in the 8th. Infielder Johnny O'Brien makes his first pitching appearance‚ hurling a scoreless 9th and striking out Frank Robinson and Roy McMillan. The win moves the Reds to a half-game in back of the Braves.

May 28, 1956 - Dale Long of the Pirates connects against the Dodgers Carl Erskine at Forbes Field for his 8th HR in 8 games‚ a record that will stand until the Yankees Don Mattingly equals it in 1987. Pittsburgh wins‚ 3-2‚ behind Bob Friend's 2-hitter.

Apr 17, 1956 - Despite 2 HRs by Dale Long‚ Pittsburgh loses to New York 4-3 when Willie Mays scores from 2B in the 8th inning on Daryl Spencer's groundout to 2B. Bob Friend loses to Johnny Antonelli‚ who also clubs a HR.

Jul 17, 1955 - Vern Law pitches 18 innings‚ giving up just 9 hits and fanning 12‚ but gets no decision as his Pirates beat Milwaukee 4-3. The win goes to reliever Bob Friend. This is the longest pitching effort since Les Mueller 10 years earlier‚ and no one will match him the rest of this century.

May 2, 1954 - At Chicago, the Cubs and Pirates split. Chicago's Paul Minner outguns Vern Law in the opener, 5–3, and the Pirates outhit Chicago to win the nitecap, 18–10 in 8 innings. Frank Thomas has 7 straight hits on the afternoon for Pittsburgh. Hank Sauer hits three homers for Chicago, two in the nitecap, when he goes 4-for-4: Sauer will belt 13 homers this season against the Pirates—a ML record for HRs against one team(set by Jimmie Foxx and later tied by Joe Adcock, in 1956). Bob Skinner has 3 hits to drive in 5 runs for the Bucs in game 2, as his team scores 15 runs in the first 4 innings. Winning pitcher Bob Friend also drives in three runs to win his first of the year, even though he gives up 10 runs in the victory. Not until Vida Blue, in 1979, will anyone allow 10 runs in a win. With homers in both games today, the Cubs set an NL mark of 13 straight games in which they've homered since the start of the season.

Sep 7, 1953 - At New York‚ the Pirates sweep a doubleheader for the first time this year‚ beating the Giants‚ 9-7 and 5-3. Eddie Pellagrini has 4 hits‚ including a HR‚ to back Bob Friend in the opener. Paul LaPalme is the winner in the nitecap as the Bucs beat Jim Hearn for the 1st time after 12 straight defeats to him. His last lost to Pittsburgh was exactly 6 years ago today.

Jun 15, 1953 - The Braves drop to second place behind the idle Dodgers when reliever Lew Burdette plunks Danny O'Connell to force in the winning run. The Pirates win 4-3 in the 10th inning‚ as Cal Abrams tallies the winner. Bob Friend goes all the way for his first win in his last 8 decisions‚ beating Earl Wilson.

May 20, 1953 - Paced by Red Schoendienst's 6 RBIs‚ on a HR‚ 2 doubles‚ and a single‚ the Cards sink the Pirates 11-6. Solly Hemus scores 5 runs for the Birds‚ as Joe Presko beats Bob Friend.

Sep 12, 1952 - Braves pitcher Ernie Johnson is given 16 runs by his Boston teammates‚ as he coasts to a 16-0 nitecap win against the Pirates. The Bucs win the opener‚ 8-1‚ behind Bob Friend and Ralph Kiner. Kiner blasts his 35th and 36th homers‚ each with a man on‚ to stay one back of Sauer of the Cubs.

Apr 18, 1952 - In their home Opener before 29‚874‚ Pittsburgh's Bob Friend shuts out the Reds‚ 5-0‚ on 5 hits. It is the 2nd win in a row for the Pirates‚ and they won't have a win streak longer than two games all season‚ a 20th century ML record low.

Aug 26, 1951 - The Pirates club the Dodgers‚ 12-11 to win the opener of two with the league leaders. Brooklyn chases Howie Pollet and takes a 9-2 lead but the Bucs roar back with 8 runs in the 7th inning. Light-hitting Pete Castiglione does the early damage with a 2-run homer and solo shot before the 8-run 7th. Clyde King‚ unscored on in his last 8 games‚ is the loser. The Dodgers load the bases in the 9th‚ and Murry Dickson walks PH Cal Abrams to force in a run and make the score 12-11. But Furillo and Reese fail to deliver. Brooklyn wins the second game‚ 4-3‚ when Jackie Robinson homers in the 10th‚ off Ted Wilks. Andy Pafko homers in the 8th‚ off Bob Friend‚ and Preacher Roe (17-2) goes all the way.