Pittsburgh Pirates' Historic Shaky Start: Echoes of 1920s Baseball
Sarah Johnson
March 31, 2025
Brief
The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered a rough 2025 season start, losing three walk-off games to the Miami Marlins, echoing a historic slump last seen in 1924.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have stumbled into the 2025 season with a start so rough, it’s making historians dust off records from the 1920s. Let’s just say, if they were aiming for a memorable debut, mission accomplished.
After a four-game clash with the Miami Marlins, the Pirates emerged with a 1-3 record. But it wasn’t just the losses—it was the way they lost. Each defeat was served with a side of heartbreak, as Miami snatched victory in walk-off fashion three times in a row. Talk about a gut-punch.
Sunday’s game delivered the final blow of the series when Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine tied things up with a solo homer in the seventh inning, followed by Derek Hill’s game-winning run on a wild pitch. Pittsburgh’s manager Derek Shelton summed it up perfectly: "It’s challenging. We’ve got some things to work on." Understatement of the year.
According to MLB.com, the Pirates are the first team since their own 1924 squad to lose their opening three games via walk-offs. The bittersweet twist? That 1924 team went on to win 90 games and a World Series in 1925. So, maybe there’s hope buried somewhere in this painful start.
The Marlins didn’t hold back over the weekend. Thursday’s opener saw Paul Skenes’ debut spoiled by a ninth-inning triple from Nick Forbes, setting up Miami’s first walk-off of the season. On Saturday, Dane Myers took hero status, driving in Otto Lopez in the 12th inning and even throwing out Tommy Pham at home earlier in the game.
Pirates reliever David Bednar earned the dubious distinction of being credited with two of those walk-off losses, while veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen didn’t mince words in the locker room: "Lock it in and do the small things right. This is the outcome when you don’t." Simple advice, but hey, sometimes basics win games.
The Pirates now head to a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, hoping for a reset. Meanwhile, the Marlins are basking in their own piece of history, becoming the first team since 2003 to start the season with three walk-off wins.
With the season barely underway, there’s still plenty of time for Pittsburgh to turn the tide. But for now, they’re carrying the weight of history—and a little extra sting from Miami’s dramatic victories.
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Editor's Comments
Honestly, if you're going to lose three games in walk-off fashion, at least make it a once-in-a-century kind of stat. The Pirates managed to do just that, and while it’s a bitter pill to swallow, maybe they’ll channel their inner 1924 and surprise us all. For now, though, they’re walking a fine line between historic and just plain tragic.
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