MIAMI -- For a few minutes on Friday night, it looked as though the Marlins might orchestrate another dramatic comeback victory over two-time All-Star closer David Bednar to open the season.
Miami showed signs of life when Otto Lopez deposited a shoulder-height fastball into the Home Run Harbor to make it a one-run deficit in the ninth. But earlier miscues by a young Marlins club proved insurmountable in a 4-3 loss to the Pirates at loanDepot park.
After a clean season opener, Miami committed four errors on Friday. During a 2024 season in which they led the Majors with 117 errors, the Marlins recorded as many as four in a game just twice.
“We played good defense throughout Spring Training,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “Tonight was one of those nights we didn't make some of the plays that I think we've been making. That's all right. Those things are going to happen. Our guys will come back [to] work tomorrow. When you give people extra outs, it just makes it tough on yourself and your staff. So one of those nights where plays that we typically make, that we just didn't.”
Pittsburgh broke a scoreless deadlock to score all four of its runs in the fourth and fifth innings by capitalizing on Miami’s sloppy play.
It started with right-hander Connor Gillispie, who issued a leadoff walk to Oneil Cruz. Gillispie wasn't able to hold Cruz at first, and the speedy Pirate proceeded to swipe the Bucs’ seventh base of the series. Catcher Liam Hicks’ throwdown sailed into center, allowing Cruz to advance to third on the play.
“I definitely need to speed up a little bit, just give Liam a chance,” said Gillispie, who was making his first career start in his fourth MLB outing. “I take ownership on that.”
Gillispie also walked Joey Bart before Andrew McCutchen laced a pitch to the left-center gap, where left fielder Kyle Stowers (119th game) and center fielder Derek Hill (163rd game) slightly hesitated as to who would give way. Stowers wound up retrieving the ball, and his one-hop throw caught second baseman Lopez on the right ear.
The Pirates proceeded to load the bases on a comebacker (99.3 mph exit velocity) off Gillispie’s right hand, though he bounced back by inducing consecutive shallow flyouts.
Except …
Right fielder Griffin Conine, who has arguably the strongest outfield arm on the club, camped under a popup 236 feet from home plate and fired home. Though it wasn’t his best throw (81.6 mph), it was on target. However, first baseman Matt Mervis (38th MLB game) cut it off rather than letting it bounce to home for a potential play at the plate, and instead a run scored.
In 2024, there were only 11 sacrifice flies where a ball traveled no further than 236 feet in the Majors.
“I heard ‘Cut,’ from somewhere behind me,” Mervis said. “Reaction took over. In hindsight, it was a throw that was perfectly on line. Would have been an easy hop for the catcher to handle. So my mistake there.”
Added Hicks, who was making his MLB debut: “Just kind of a weird play. Griffin made an amazing throw. I didn't think that Bart was going all the way, just in the corner of my eye. Thought I saw him stop. But obviously, if you can take it back, I'd kind of let it go through.”
Pittsburgh tacked on another pair of runs in the fifth on Cruz’s homer to right, which followed third baseman Graham Pauley’s fielding error to begin the frame. Pauley, who ranks as Miami’s No. 25 prospect, briefly charged Tommy Pham’s chopper before stepping back and having the ball glance off his glove. Friday marked his 15th MLB game.
So were these difference-making plays due to inexperience? The game speeding up on guys? Perhaps the product of what naturally happens over the course of a long season?
Entering Friday, Miami’s Opening Day roster had just 2,891 total games played -- the fewest in the Majors. The next-closest team, the A’s, had nearly double that number (5,677).
“You have to look at each play independently,” McCullough said. “I don't think it has to do with the youthfulness. Guys that have been playing in this league a long time make errors as well. So unfortunately tonight for us, they just kind of stacked on each other a little bit. We'll right the ship, and these guys will just come out and keep going.”