Pirates Get Shafted from Blatant Missed Strike Call
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates blew their Opening Day game vs. the Miami Marlins, but a clear missed call cost them dearly.
Pirates right-handed relief pitcher Colin Holderman found himself in trouble in the bottom of the eighth inning.
He walked Marlins left fielder Kyle Stowers to start the inning, only up 4-2. He would force designated hitter Jonah Bride into a groundout and struck out first baseman Matt Mervis for two outs, but Stowers made it to second base.
Holderman then allowed a single to second baseman Otto Lopez, scoring Stowers, and ending up at second base after the throw home from Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz.
He did get right fielder Dane Myers on a 1-2 count and threw a fastball that landed in the outside top corner of the strike zone, but home plate umpire Bill Miller didn't call it a third strike.
Holderman did get squeezed on what would have been inning-ending, strike 3 pitch before game-tying single. #Pirates pic.twitter.com/MoSCAb9RSQ
— David Todd (@DTonPirates) March 27, 2025
Myers then singled on a pitch outside the zone, scoring Lopez from second base, tying it at 4-4.
The Pirates failed to score in the top of the ninth inning, even with left fielder Tommy Pham hitting a double, keeping the score level at 4-4.
Right-handed pitcher David Bednar came in relief in the bottom of the ninth inning, and then allowed a triple to catcher Nick Fortes. Stowers would play the hero, singling Fortes home for the walk-off, 5-4 comeback win.
The entire game doesn't rest on if Miller makes that strike call, but if he does, the Pirates get out of the eighth inning up 4-3 and have a chance to close it out.
Instead, the Pirates give up the run and eventually lose in the bottom of the ninth inning, missing out on a win on Opening Day.
Pittsburgh held a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning. Right fielder Bryan Reynolds hit a single with bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning and second baseman Nick Gonzales would hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning, before departing with injury.
The Pirates will continue on in this four game series, with the second game against the Marlins on March 28 with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.