It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as the Pirates start off strong with a big victory over the Marlins.
Another Opening-Day has come and gone, and luckily for the Pittsburgh Pirates, they left with a win against the Miami Marlins in a 6-5 extra innings contest. Nothing like a little dramatics to start the season off right. Looking back at this game, there were several things that stood out for Pittsburgh’s ball club.
Without a shadow of a doubt, I believe the biggest contributors to this win was the Pirates’ bullpen. Starter Mitch Keller had a below average outing, allowing five runs in 5.2 innings pitched. However, with the combined efforts of six Buccos out of the bullpen, the Marlins offense was lifeless, with only Hunter Stratton allowing a single hit from the opposition. Luis Ortiz made his first appearance in relief and was credited with the win after two dominant innings, with Jose Hernandez picking up the save.
Another thing this team has already shown is the ability to hit bombs off the deck. While not an ideal strategy to be playing from behind, the Pirates were never really out of it, as the long ball told the story for three players today. Bryan Reynolds became the first Pirate with a home run this season, while also having another hit and getting walked once to finish the day with the most complete offensive performance. Edward Olivares made himself known to Pittsburgh fans by homering in his first at-bat, and Oneil Cruz helped swing the momentum in the eighth inning with a bomb of his own.
“I don’t think anybody ever thought that we were gonna lose.”
️ Jared Triolo pic.twitter.com/fAX5HuepES
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 29, 2024
Not to beat a dead horse but I was not impressed with Mitch Keller’s first performance of the year. Granted it is the first game, but I hate when a guy performs great in a prove-it year, gets paid, and then shows no signs of that ability following that paycheck. Not saying that’s what’s happening with Keller, but I did think it was a bold decision to commit that kind of money to him.
More than anything though, I’m happy we pulled out a tough win. The thrill of listening to the radio, driving through Vegas, and hearing the Buccos day end in victory was a treat. This kind of performance showed that this team is capable of winning those grind it out games, and that the bullpen while not even at 100 percent could be capable of great things this year.
Bryan Reynolds with the first cannonball of 2024! pic.twitter.com/bwbNkH53yE
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 28, 2024
Obviously, one game does not determine how the rest of the season will go, but getting the ball rolling early and often is a great start to what should hopefully be a very fun and exciting year for the Pittsburgh Pirates ball club.