Pirates and Marlins to Duel Under Miami Skies at loanDepot Park

As the Pirates prepare to set sail against the Marlins at loanDepot park, fans are anticipating a game where strategy and skill will be paramount. The Pirates, coming off a previous season with notable statistics, look to capitalize on their strengths and address areas that need improvement.

In terms of hitting, the team had a collective batting average of .239 last season. While not stellar, it's important to note their on-base percentage (OBP) was more promising at 31 percent. The slugging percentage stood at 39 percent with an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .707. They managed to hit 159 home runs and garnered 662 RBIs. Their isolated power (ISO), which measures raw power, was decent at .153.

The ability of the Pirates to get on base in scoring positions was evident as they had 1341 at-bats with runners in scoring position (RISP), securing hits in those situations 342 times. However, discipline at the plate could be improved as evidenced by their base-on-balls per strikeout ratio (BB/K) of 0.38.

On the mound, pitchers ended last season with an earned run average (ERA) of approximately 4.60 and a walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) around 1.38—numbers that suggest there's room for tightening up control and reducing opponents' scoring opportunities this year.

Defensively, they held a fielding percentage of nearly 98 percent but committed 91 errors over the course of the season; thus focus on defensive reliability will be crucial going forward.

The venue itself may play into how both teams strategize; loanDepot park is known for its unique dimensions which can affect both pitching approaches and hitting tactics.

Fans can catch this matchup live from Miami on March 28th at Sportsnet PT network starting from local game time which is scheduled for exactly two hours past noon Eastern Time Zone or simply put - it's a night game starting precisely ten minutes after eight o'clock ET.