San Francisco, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz (2) runs to third base against the San Francisco Giants in the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Pirates Leadoff Hitters Combine For Historically Productive Weekend

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 10:59 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates came out of the gates firing on all cylinders this weekend in Denver.

Even though they lost in historic fashion Friday, they still took a 9-0 lead over the Colorado Rockies in the first inning. Pittsburgh went up 1-0 again Saturday thanks to a leadoff home run by Liover Peguero, who finished the contest with three home runs and five RBIs.

Colorado took game two, as well, since Peguero accounted for Pittsburgh's entire offense in the eventual 8-5 loss. The Pirates managed to avoid the sweep Sunday, though, after slotting Spencer Horwitz in as their leadoff man in the finale.

Horwitz hit two home runs and a double, racking up six RBIs en route to his team's 9-5 win.

According to OptaSTATS, the Pirates became the first MLB team to get five-plus RBIs from their leadoff hitter in back-to-back games since RBIs became an official stat in 1920. Only one other team – the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers – has received 11 RBIs out of the leadoff spot in a two-game span.

The only other MLB team with 11+ RBI by leadoff hitters over a 2-game span was the Dodgers from September 19-20, 2024 (12 RBI, all by Shohei Ohtani).
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) August 3, 2025

Peguero has now appeared in 12 big league games this season, batting .265 with a .953 OPS and 0.5 WAR. Horwitz, on the other hand, is batting .259 with a .726 OPS and 0.5 WAR through 61 games.

The shortstop and first baseman will return to action Monday, when the Pirates host the San Francisco Giants for the start of a three-game series at PNC Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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