The bullpen ace of the great Pittsburgh clubs of the early 1970s, Dave Giusti is unfortunately remembered for a save he never made: the final game of the 1972 NLCS. Giusti was on the mound to protect a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth in Game 5. The 1972 Pirates, ranked by many as the best Pittsburgh team of all time, were hoping to play in their second consecutive World Series. However, Johnny Bench, the first Cincinnati batter in the ninth, got hold of a high Giusti fastball and powered it over the right-field fence to tie the game. After the next two batters singled, Bob Moose replaced Giusti and threw a wild pitch to put the Reds in the Series. It was also Pittsburgh outfielder Roberto Clemente's last game; he was killed in a plane crash less than three months later.

In Giusti's first seven years in the majors - six with Houston and one with St. Louis - he was a workhorse starter, although hardly a star. With the Astros, he was 47-53 with a 4.02 ERA and eight shutouts in 118 starts. He did have some great moments, though, as when he one-hit the Giants in 1966, the same year he also had a six-RBI game at the plate against Cincinnati while pitching a shutout. In 1968, he hurled a pair of two-hitters.

After he came to Pittsburgh in 1970 from St. Louis in exchange for Carl Taylor, Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh gave him bullpen duty. Giusti responded with 26 saves his first year (along with nine relief wins), 30 saves and a Fireman of the Year Award in 1971, and then 22 and 20 saves in the following two seasons. In seven appearances totaling 10-2/3 innings against the Giants and Orioles in the 1971 postseason, he registered four saves and didn't allow a run.

Giusti played for Pittsburgh through the 1976 season. In 1977, he was traded to Oakland, and then to the Chicago Cubs, for his last season in the major leagues.