1971 – The NL West-best Giants take the rubber game a three-game National League Championship Series preview against their NL East counterpart, Pittsburgh. After last night’s final-frame meltdown, the Pirates attempt to return the favor, staging a dramatic four-run, 9th-inning uprising. Unfortunately for the Bucs, their comeback merely ties the game; moments later, San Francisco breaks through in the top of the 10th and holds on for an 8 – 7 nail-biter. As would be expected, the two clubs’ elder statesmen, 40-year-old Willie Mays and 36-year-old Roberto Clemente, each have the day game off following last night’s barn burner. Nonetheless, Clemente does come off the bench long enough to deliver the Bucs’ biggest 9th-inning knock – a pinch-hit laser into the left field corner, good for 2 bases, 2 runs and a 7 – 7 tie.

1971 – Is this Roberto Clemente’s long lost 241st home run? Some spotty official scoring and Dave Giusti’s pyromaniacal 9th-inning relief outing conspire to obscure Clemente’s contributions to the Pirates’ performance. Giusti’s silver platter features an RBI single, a walk to load the bases, a game-tying bases-loaded walk to Willie Mays, and a game-winning grand slam served to the Giants’ Willie McCovey, turning Pittsburgh’s come-from-behind 4 – 2 victory into an ignominious 8 – 4 defeat. This debacle, plus an almost equally dispiriting 10-inning, 8 – 7 defeat tomorrow, will turn out to be a preview of theNational League Championship Series, which will have a very different result. Before Giusti’s meltdown, Clemente’s rope to home plate prevents Dick Dietz from even trying to score from second base on a single. Back in the 7th, with the Giants up by one, Clemente leads off with a vicious line drive back through the box that gets to centerfield in an instant and past Mays before he can get a glove on it, affording Roberto a quick tour of the bases before crossing home plate standing. Scored an error, it’s the subject of some choice post-game Mays commentary, as relayed by Giants beat writer Bob Stevens: “It should have been a home run. The error makes no difference to me and I don’t really care if the ruling’s changed. But I was playing Roberto in right centerfield and I had no chance to catch up to it, it was hit so hard. I guess they gave me an error because they thought I touched it. But it was at least a foot away from my glove when it bounced past me.”

1971 – The Pirates sweep a doubleheader from the Dodgers, 3 – 2 and 7 – 1, to extend their winning streak to 11 games. In the second game, Luke Walker has a no-hitter until Joe Ferguson homers in the 9th inning for Los Angeles. Pittsburgh is now in front by 11 1/2 games, their largest lead of the year.

Dock Ellis wins his 13th straight as Pittsburgh whips the Padres, 9 – 2.

Vida Blue boosts his record to 18-3 with a one-hit, 4 – 0, victory over Detroit. Tony Taylor’s single in the 4th is the only hit.

Until today, only three balls have been hit into the 70-foot high RF upper deck at Three Rivers Stadium, and Willie Stargell hit all of them (he’ll hit another on May 31, 1973). Today, Bob Robertson joins Stargell when he connects with a cannon shot off Padres P Steve Arlin in a Bucs victory.

The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the San Diego Padres, 4 – 3, in a marathon thriller. Pittsburgh ties the game in the bottom of the 9th, 13th, and 16th innings before winning it on a Roberto Clemente home run in the 17th.