Pirates vs Marlins Picks and Prediction – 3/29/2025

The Pirates and Marlins meet again at loanDepot park on March 29 at 4:10 PM EST, with Bailey Falter set to start for Pittsburgh and Valente Bellozo making his MLB debut for Miami. The Marlins edged out the Pirates 5-4 in the opener, handing Pittsburgh its fifth straight loss dating back to Spring Training. Miami, now 1-0, looks to build off the tight win and stay hot at home. Elevate your MLB game with our top-notch MLB picks.

Pittsburgh's losing streak continued after a tough 5-4 loss in the opener. The offense has looked flat, managing only four hits and batting .129 as a team through one game. Bryan Reynolds drove in two runs while Nick Gonzales launched the team’s only homer, but Gonzales is now day-to-day with an injury. The Bucs are in desperate need of a turnaround after scoring just 8 runs over their last three games combined.

Defensively, the Pirates were shaky. They allowed five runs on seven hits and posted a team ERA of 5.63 with a bloated 1.75 WHIP. Bailey Falter gets the ball Saturday and Pittsburgh will need a quality start from the lefty with Sean Sullivan already ruled out. Pittsburgh pitchers walked 7 batters and gave up a .233 opposing batting average — not a formula for winning baseball. The bullpen depth is also a concern, with Dauri Moreta on the 60-day IL.

The Marlins took care of business in Game 1 with a walk-off win, thanks to some timely hitting. Dane Myers went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Tommy Pham reached base three times and put up a .600 OBP. Miami has won three of its last four and continues to find ways to score, even without the long ball.

On defense, the Marlins pitched efficiently, holding the Pirates to just four hits and striking out 11. The team ERA sits at 4.00 with a WHIP of 1.22, and opponents are hitting only .129 against them. Valente Bellozo takes the mound for the first time in the big leagues and faces a cold Pittsburgh lineup. Injuries are mounting, though, with Jesus Sanchez sidelined.

This is a matchup of a hot team versus a cold one. Miami’s lineup is getting on base at a .395 clip compared to Pittsburgh’s .325, and the pitching is simply sharper right now. With Falter on the hill and Bellozo making his debut, expect the Marlins to take advantage of Pittsburgh’s struggles again. Final Score Prediction: Miami Marlins win 5-3.