Takeaways from Miami's Extra Innings Loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates

The Miami Marlins have had a disastrous start to the 2024 season

The Pittsburgh Pirates celebrate after defeating the Miami Marlins; with their victory on Sunday, they secured the series sweep / Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

This is NOT how the Miami Marlins wanted to start their season.

Having dropped the first three games of the season and overworking the bullpen in the process, Miami was hoping for smooth sailing on Sunday to avoid a sweep and rest their beleaguered bullpen.

The Marlins got neither of those things, as the Pittsburgh Pirates won a close-fought 9-7 battle over Miami in ten innings to keep the Marlins out of the win column in the 2024 season. Here's what you need to know about the contest:

We should give away Jazz Chisholm Jr. jerseys every day

Today was a "mystery" jersey giveaway for both Jake Burger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. - for Chisholm, it was an "alien" jersey, as the outfield commonly wears alien-adorned necklaces and has joked that he's always thought he wasn't "of this world".

Let's keep the jersey giveaways going, yeah? Jazz hit a grand slam in the first ining, the fourth of his career. It was the first time he'd done it against a lefty pitcher, as well.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a grand slam on his alien jersey giveaway.#Marlins have opened up with a five-run first. There are no outs.

Jake Burger, who drove in a run, also has a jersey giveaway today. pic.twitter.com/9e7nNOEatT

— Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) March 31, 2024

Jazz finished the game 1-4, with the four RBIs, a walk, and two strikeouts.

Avisaíl García found his stroke

García, who complained over the weekend about getting booed by Marlins fans frustrated by his struggles at the plate, temporarily quieted the boobirds by launching his first homer of the season to lead off the 4th inning off of Pirates starter Bailey Falter.

BOOYAH. 🤫 pic.twitter.com/DZRlSBpBG3

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) March 31, 2024

It's the embattled outfielder's last homerun since April 26, 2023, 106.9 mph off the bat and traveling 421 feet. Let's hope it's the start of a turnaround for the outfielder, who is still under team control through the 2025 season.

The bullpen finally got a break...mostly

Rogers, who dealt with both a bicep and lat issue last season that limited him to only four starts in Miami, didn't always have his control in this one but battled through the outing. Going only five innings, the lefty allowed four runs on seven hits, walking four and striking out six.

Given the state of the bullpen, there was hope that Rogers could potentially extend his outing, but the iffy control limited him to only five innings, with the lefty taking 97 pitches (only 58 for strikes) to get through the start.

Newly-called-up Vladimir Gutierrez took over for the sixth inning and worked as a "piggyback" to Rogers, asked to take the ball and work as long as he could. Throwing 80 pitches, Gutierrez covered the final four innings of regulation and allowed three runs on three hits, walking two and striking out four.

The offense finally found that final hit to tie it up

Miami maximized most of their opportunities in this one, they just didn't have many of them. Scoring six runs, Miami only had four opportunities to bat with runners in scoring position and went 3-4 in those at-bats. But they also stranded three runners on base in regulation, including one on second base in the middle innings.

The Marlins offense got only six hits in regulation, scoring seven runs thanks to six of the seven coming from home runs.

But when they HAD to get a hit...enter Nick Gordon.

The pinch-hitter, hitting for catcher Nick Fortes, launched a first pitch splitter from closer Will Bednar to right center field to tie the game at seven and push it to extra innings, the second game of Miami's to go to extra innings out of the first four played this season.

RIGHT IN THE NICK OF TIME 💥 pic.twitter.com/BfLHixoBQF

— Bally Sports Florida: Marlins (@BallyMarlins) March 31, 2024

Tanner Scott bitten by bad luck in the tenth inning

Scott, the only pitcher in Miami's pen to not throw 30 or more pitches over the last three days, was asked to come on and pitch the 10th inning.

The closer was a victim of soft contact, with back-to-back bunts scoring a run for Pittsburgh and then Ke'Bryan Hayes loading the bases on a softly hit ball to Jonah Bride at third base - at 43.9 mph, it had an expected batting average of .030. The Pirates went on to score a second run on Scott's only walk of the inning, coming on seven pitches to Michael A. Taylor.

What's next for the Miami Marlins?

Today's loss drops Miam to 0-4, their worst start to the season since 2001 (the team has never started a season with five straight losses). The Marlins look to get in the win column against the Shohei Ohtani-less Los Angeles Angels, who dropped two out of three on the road to the Baltimore Orioles this weekend. Game one of that series is scheduled for 6:40 PM ET on Monday, with Max Meyer taking on LA's Chase Silseth.