Hoist the cone: A new energy fuels Pirates’ Opening Week

Like I said when the Pirates were in spring training this year, things look to be different in Pittsburgh this season. The belief is there in the clubhouse and among the fans.

The season did not start pretty for the Pirates. The first game of the season was not what fans had expected at all. They went into Queens, New York, ready to go. It was the most anticipated start to a season in a long time for the Pirates.

Opening Series (New York Mets)

At the top of the first inning, Oneil Cruz led things off with a single to center, and newly added second baseman Brandon Lowe followed him with a 337-foot home run to right field. Pirates fans everywhere were all thinking the same thing — is this actually happening? We just scored two runs in the first inning, including a home run to get the season started.
But in the bottom half of the first, things fell apart. Pirates ace and 2025 Cy Young winner Paul Skenes was taken out of the game after recording only two outs, allowing four hits, five earned runs and walking two batters. This wasn’t entirely his fault, though — Cruz is still learning center field and, in my opinion, had two fielding errors on back-to-back plays. From there, the Pirates were playing catch-up without their ace on the mound.
This is not how Pirates fans imagined the season would begin. All that offseason hype just to blow up in our faces in the first game? The Pirates lost 11-7 and dropped the first two games of the series to the New York Mets before bouncing back to win the final game 4-3.
The biggest takeaway from that series was runners left on base. In the second loss, the Pirates left 17 runners on base — it’s not surprising they only scored two runs. Even in the win, they left 12 runners on base. If this is a common occurrence for the Pirates, they’re surely in for a long and disappointing season. 

Second Series (Cincinnati Reds)

Then the Pirates traveled to face the Cincinnati Reds and lost the first game 2-0, managing only four hits and leaving eight runners on base. At this point, Pirates fans were starting to get worried — this did not look like the team they had expected coming out of spring training.
But then, everything changed.
In the next game, the offense caught fire. The Pirates recorded eight hits, four home runs and 20 total bases while leaving only two runners on base in an 8-3 win. That game on March 31 wasn’t just a win — it was the start of something new.

“Hoist the Cone” was born after a Fanatics T-shirt misprint of “Hoist the Colors” came out as “Hoist the Cone,” and outfielder Jake Mangum and the staff leaned into it, grabbing a construction cone and turning it into a dugout celebration piece. It became a way to stay loose, keep the mood light and celebrate big moments.
The Pirates followed that up with another 8-3 win, finishing the game with nine hits, two home runs and 16 total bases. The offense was humming, and despite dropping the first game against the Reds, they took the series. The question now was, can they keep it going into the opening homestand?

Opening Home Series (Baltimore Orioles)

Then it was time for the home opener at PNC Park — and it did not disappoint. There was a sellout crowd, energy throughout the stadium and a team that looked ready for the moment. The Pirates beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4, highlighted by 19-year-old Konnor Griffin recording an RBI double in his first Major League at-bat. The Pirates were hoisting the cone.
The next day, they found themselves down 2-1 in the fourth inning but stayed in it with help from the bullpen. In the eighth they tied things up, then in the ninth Bryan Reynolds doubled to get things started. After an intentional walk, Nick Yorke stepped up and delivered, lining a ball over the left fielder’s head for his first MLB walk-off. The Pirates had now won four straight — and they were hoisting the cone again.
This win showed something important — this team is gritty. They’re winning close games, something that hasn’t always been the case in past years.
In the final game of the series, the Pirates didn’t let up. It was all Pirates from the start. Ryan O’Hearn launched a 402-foot home run early, and the offense kept rolling. Braxton Ashcraft controlled the game on the mound, striking out eight over six innings. The Pirates won 8-2, extending their win streak to five games.
The pitching staff is performing as expected, and the bats that were added in the offseason are starting to come into fruition. Ryan O’Hearn looks like the real deal, and he’s just getting started.

Coming up

Now, with the San Diego Padres coming into town and Bubba Chandler and Paul Skenes expected to take the mound, the Pirates have a chance to keep the momentum rolling.
And if Opening Week showed us anything, it’s this — this team is different.