The Pittsburgh Pirates are beginning their 130th season this weekend — by doing something for the first time.

When the Bucs host the St. Louis Cardinals at 1:05 p.m. Sunday at PNC Park, they will take part in the first regular season game on the major league schedule for the first time ever.

The Pirates will be looking to accomplish another “first” in 2016. The franchise has never reached postseason play four years in a row.

Under manager Fred Clarke, the Pirates won the National League pennant in 1901, 1902 and 1903. In 1904, they finished fourth with an 87-66 record.

Danny Murtaugh skippered the Bucs to the National League East Division title in 1970 and 1971. Bill Virdon stepped in and did likewise in 1972.

But in 1983, the Pirates finished 80-82, in third place in the NL East and Virdon was fired late in the season.

Under Jim Leyland, the Pirates won NL East titles in 1990, 1991 and 1992. Free agent losses then cost the team dearly and the 1993 squad finished 75-87, in fifth place. Leyland left town for the Florida Marlins four years later.

So here we are now.

The Pirates have hosted the NL wild-card game each of the past three seasons under manager Clint Hurdle. The team won 94 games in 2013, 88 in 2014 and 98 last year.

Can Hurdle overcome the hurdle that great managers in Pirate history before him could not?

The guess here is no.

But the possibility is there.

The Pirates are still up against the Cubs and Cardinals in their own division. The Cubs have gotten better, the Cardinals will likely slip a bit.

The Mets and Dodgers should be contenders again while the Nationals and Giants are likely to bounce back from disappointing seasons a year ago. In other words, it’s getting crowded at the top in the National League.

For the Pirates to return to the playoffs in October, simple math shows that Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano will have to win a lot more games than they lose. Jonathan Niese can’t be expected to be more than a few games over .500 and the Bucs will be fortunate if Jeff Locke approaches .500.

The wild-card in the starting rotation — at least at the start — is Juan Nicasio. Is this guy really pitching coach Ray Searage’s latest reclamation project — following Liriano, Edinson Volquez and J.A. Happ — or are his eye-popping spring training numbers a mirage?

The Pirate bullpen should be pretty good again, but it can’t be expected to match last year’s performance.

In terms of power, Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte need to hit 20 to 30 home runs each, Gregory Polanco and Jordy Mercer 10 to 15, Jung-Ho Kang 15 to 20. Matt Joyce needs to hit double figures in homers off the bench.

If all of that happens, the Bucs might get there.

But I’m predicting 86-76.

Close, but no cigar.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle