record. Then, on August 25, he threw a complete game shutout against the Padres, the first of six wins in a row for him. In 1976, Kison posted the best numbers of his career. He had the most wins (14, with 9 losses) and his lowest ERA (3.08). Once again, Kison was the Pirates' number two starter in 1977, this time behind Jerry Reuss. On July 8, Kison hit Mike Schmidt with a pitch during a game. Schmidt charged the mound, started a fight, and broke a finger, while Kison escaped without injury. He was bothered by a hangnail that year and tried numerous remedies to alleviate it, even resorting to fan mail suggestions such as packing it in salt and ice—"It gave me frostbite," was how he described the effectiveness of that remedy. The nail trouble made it difficult for him to throw his fastball and slider, and he had to rely more on slower pitches, which limited his effectiveness. He had a losing record for the first time in his career in 1977, going 9–10 as his ERA ascended to 4.90, well below the league average. He summarized his season, "It was not an exceptionally good year." However, Kison did have a career-high 122 strikeouts that season. The Pirates' additions of Bert Blyleven and Don Robinson relegated Kison to the bullpen for the first time since 1974. His first start of the season did not come until July 17, but it was not until the middle of August that he got back into the rotation regularly. From August 17 through the end of the season, he had a 4–3 record and a 2.50 ERA in seven starts. He finished the season with a 6–6 record and a 3.19 ERA in 28 games (11 starts). Though not expected to make the rotation in 1979, Kison began the year as a starter after Reuss was traded. He had a 1–1 record and a 3.94 ERA in his first six games, but in the middle of May, he lost his rotation spot to Ed Whitson. Moving to the bullpen, he had an 0.84 ERA in six games. Then, on June 3, Don Robinson had trouble warming up, and Kison had to make a spot start against the Padres; the start would be one of the best of his career. He pitched a one-hitter against the Padres, losing his no-hit bid when