THE PIRATES...finished the season with a 75-87 record and a fourth-place finish in the National League Central division...Scored a season-high 14 runs on 7/9 in Chicago... Won a season-high six straight games from 7/16-21...Were a season-high one game over .500 on two occasions; at 49-48 on 7/21 and at 3-2 on 4/9. SEVEN STARTERS: The Pirates used just seven starting pitchers this season, tying the club record for fewest starting pitchers used in one season (also done in 1902, 1972 and 1997)...Pittsburgh was one of only three teams in MLB to do so in 2017 (also Cleveland and San Francisco). FIRING BLANKS: Only the Indians (19) and Dodgers (16) produced more shutouts than the Pirates (12) this season - St. Louis, BUCS WHEN... San Diego and Milwaukee also had 12...The Bucs had a total of five shutouts last year after recording 13 in 2015. Last five games ................ 3-2 BLACK & BLUE BUCCOS: The Pirates were hit by a pitch more times than any team this season (88) and lead all Major League teams with 424 plunkings since the start of the 2013 season (the Cubs are a distant second with 373). Last ten games ................. 7-3 THE K CLUB: The Pirates had five pitchers record at least 115 strikeouts for the first time since 1984 and for the fourth time in Leading after 6 ................ 57-9 team history (also 1969 and 1970)...Gerrit Cole (196), Chad Kuhl (142), Ivan Nova (131), Jameson Taillon (125) and Trevor Williams (117) did it this season while Jose DeLeon (153), Larry McWilliams (149), Rick Rhoden (136), John Candelaria Tied after 6 ................... 11-14 (133) and John Tudor (117) did it in 1984. Trailing after 6 ................ 7-64 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: For just the third time in their 131-year history, the Pirates ended a season with fewer than 100 errors (not counting the strike seasons of 1981 and 1994)...In addition to making 99 errors this season, the Bucs made a league- Leading after 7 ................. 61-5 low 73 miscues in 2009 and 83 in 2007. Tied after 7 .................... 6-7 ON THE HOME FRONT: The Pirates went 44-37 at home this season, posting a 43-37 record at PNC Park in addition to winning Trailing after 7 ................ 8-75 their “home game” against the Cardinals at Bowman Field in Williamsport on 8/20...After the All-Star break, the Pirates produced a 23-15 on their home turf, posting a 7-3-2 record in the 12 series played...Since the start of the 2012 campaign, Pittsburgh’s Leading after 8 ................ 63-5 281 home victories rank sixth among all Major League teams behind the Dodgers (302), Cardinals (292), Nationals (291), Orioles Tied after 8 .................... 6-6 (286) and Yankees (284). Trailing after 8 ................ 6-76 ROAD BUMPS: The Bucs went 31-50 on the road in 2017, winning their final two road games after dropping seven straight and 13-of-14 between 8/28 and 9/29...It marked Pittsburgh’s worst record on the road since 2010 (17-64). Scoring first ................. 46-24 GUIDING THE SHIP: In his seven years as Pittsburgh’s manager, Clint Hurdle has posted a 584-549-1 record...In the 131-year Opp. score first ............... 29-63 history of the club, only four others managers have won as many games with the Pirates; Fred Clarke (1472), Danny Murtaugh (1115), Jim Leyland (851) and Chuck Tanner (711)...Overall, Hurdle has won 1118 games in his 15 seasons as a big league Scoring 3 or More Runs ......... 70-33 manager (534 with the Rockies and 584 with the Pirates)...The Pirates and Hurdle agreed upon a four-year contract extension (thru the 2021 season) on 9/5. Scoring Less Than 3 Runs ........ 5-54 RECORDS FALL IN THE FINALE: The Pirates broke a pair of club records in their 11-8 win over the Nationals in Washington in Scoring 4 or More Runs ......... 65-18 the final game of the regular season on 10/1...The time of game (4:22) marked the longest 9-inning game in team history and the nine pitchers used is also a record for most pitchers used in a 9-inning game...The previous high of eight pitchers used was Scoring less than 4 Runs. 10-69 accomplished six times, most recently on 9/25/16 vs. Washington. Outhitting Opp. .............. 50-14 THE WEEK IN REVIEW: Right-handed pitcher Dovydas Neverauskas became the first Lithuanian-born and raised player to make it to the big leagues when he pitched against the Cubs on 4/24...Infielder Gift Ngoepe became the first player from the continent Being out-hit ................. 22-67 of Africa to play in the Major Leagues when he made his big league debut on 4/26...Outfielder Danny Ortiz made his Major League Hits are equal .................. 3-6 debut on 4/29 after playing in 891 career games in the minors and the Pirates promoted catcher John Bormann from Single-A Bradenton to the big leagues on 4/30...Bormann made his Major League debut on 4/30 after driving from Port Charlotte, FL. Comeback wins ................. 40 NOVA SUPER IN APRIL: Ivan Nova was named National League Pitcher-of-the-Month for the month of April after going 3-2 with Wins in final AB ................. 15 two complete games and a 1.50 ERA (36.0/6er) in five starts...He struck out 22 batters and walked just one and capped off the month with a three-hit shutout at Miami on 4/29. Walkoff Wins ................... 10 IVAN AND THE BABE: Ivan Nova made a team record-tying 17 consecutive starts in which he issued one walk or fewer, dating Losses in final AB ................ 18 back to his first start with the Pirates on 8/6/16...It matched the longest such streak by a Pittsburgh pitcher since Babe Adams Walkoff Losses ................... 7 went 17 straight starts with one or fewer walks from July 1, 1922 thru May 7, 1923. TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM: David Freese collected the only RBI in Pittsburgh’s 1-0 win on 5/21 after being hit by a pitch with Playing errorless ............. 45-47 the bases loaded in the sixth inning...It marked the first time the Pirates won 1-0 with the only RBI coming via a hit by pitch since Committing an Error ........... 30-40 May 31, 1915, vs. the Cubs when Bill Hinchman was plunked by Chicago’s Jimmy Lavender with the sacks packed. Homering ................... 58-43 THE .400 CLUB: Andrew McCutchen ended the month of June with a .411 average (37-for-90)...Since 1913 among players with at least 90 at bats, McCutchen’s .411 average was the fifth-highest in team history for the month of June, trailing only Tony Pena Hitting 2+ Homers ............. 29-5 (.456 in 1982), Paul Waner (.453 in 1927), Clyde Barnhart (.421 in 1927) and Carson Bigbee (.415 in 1923). Going Homerless .............. 17-44 HONORS FOR ANDREW: Andrew McCutchen was named the National League Player-of-the-Month for the month of June after hitting .411 with six home runs and 23 RBI...He also led all National League players in batting, OPS (1.193) and OBP (.505) while Series (W-L-T) .............. 21-23-8 ranking sixth in RBI (minimum: 90 PAs)...McCutchen is now the only player in team history to win the monthly award five times. Series Sweeps .................... 5 A PERFECT 10: The Pirates scored 10 runs in the first inning in their 14-3 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field on 7/9...According Swept in a Series ................. 9 to the Elias Sports Bureau, it marked the third time in team history that the Pirates put up double digits in the first inning; they scored 10 runs on June 8, 1989 at Philadelphia and 12 runs in their Home Opener in 1892, a 14-3 win over St. Louis. Interleague .................. 10-10 OLD TIME FEEL: On Sunday, August 20, The Pirates and Cardinals played at BB&T Ballpark at historic Bowman Field in Before the break ............. 42-47 Williamsport, PA, the home of the Little League World Series...The Bucs arrived in Williamsport at 10:20am Sunday and returned home to Pittsburgh a little past midnight...Josh Bell went 2-for-4 with a career-high tying four RBI and Ivan Nova pitched 5.2 After the break ............... 33-40 innings for his team-high 11th victory...Felipe Rivero earned his 14th save in the game that was played in front of a sold-out Starter goes 6.0ip+ ........... 46-36 crowd of 2,596....Starling Marte, Josh Harrison and Andrew McCutchen all had two hits apiece. Starter goes less than 6.0ip ....... 29-51 A 1-HIT WONDER: The Pirates beat the Dodgers on 8/23 after collecting just one hit; a walkoff home run by Josh Harrison in the 10th inning off Los Angeles starter Rich Hill...According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Pirates won a game with just Stealing at least 1 Base .......... 30-21 one hit was May 2, 1943 against the Cubs in the second game of a doubleheader at Forbes Field...Vince DiMaggio’s double off Stealing No Bases .............. 45-66 Chicago’s Dick Barrett in the fourth inning was the only hit in Pittsburgh’s 1-0 victory that day...Harrison became the first player in Major League history to end a pitcher’s no-hit bid with a walkoff home run.