QUEENS, NY — In hopes of proving that last year truly means nothing, the New York Mets showed no mercy for reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul
Mar 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Brett Baty reacts after hitting an RBI triple against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesIn hopes of proving that last year truly means nothing, the New York Mets showed no mercy for reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
They sacked the superstar right-hander for five runs in the first inning and batted around — running him from the game after just two outs — sparking an 11-7 victory on Opening Day at Citi Field on Thursday afternoon.It was Skenes’ shortest start of his major-league career, eclipsing his previous mark by some margin. He lasted just two innings in the 2024 regular-season finale against the New York Yankees.Brett Baty’s three-run triple punctuated the big opening frame on a day that also featured Luis Robert Jr. driving in a pair of runs and Carson Benge homering for his first-career hit in his MLB debut. Had Skenes’ center fielder, Oneil Cruz, made a few plays, the Pittsburgh ace’s afternoon might have gone differently. Given a 2-0 lead following Brandon Lowe’s two-run home run off Mets ace and debutant Freddy Peralta, Skenes walked Lindor and allowed a single to Juan Soto to put runners at the corners. The Mets halved the deficit with Bo Bichette’s sacrifice fly. Following a Jorge Polanco infield single and a 10-pitch Luis Robert Jr. walk, Brett Baty hit a searing liner to center that Cruz initially stepped in to play, until realizing the ball was well over his head. It rolled to the wall to clear the bases with Baty standing on third with a triple. The very next batter, Marcus Semien, hit a lazy pop fly to center, but Cruz lost it in the sun to score Baty from third and put the Mets up 5-2. Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes walks off the mound after being pulled with two outs in the first inning Peralta’s Mets debut was not stellar, allowing four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and zero walks. Most of the damage was being done by a pair of Lowe round-trippers, his second being a solo shot with two outs in the third inning to cut New York’s lead to 5-3. Robert picked up his first RBI as a Met in the fourth with a two-out single to score Lindor and momentarily restore a three-run lead, though a Henry David double in the top of the fifth canceled it out. The Mets plated three in the fifth thanks to an RBI single from Soto, a bases-loaded walk by Polanco, and an infield, check-swing single by Robert. In the sixth, Benge took a first-pitch sweeper from Justin Lawrence into the bullpens in right-center, which was then followed up by a 429-foot blast to left from Francisco Alvarez.Joe Pantorno has been the executive sports editor of amNewYork since 2020. He covers the New York Mets and is a member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America . He is also a member of the Pro Hockey Writers’ Association and has covered the New York Islanders for nearly a decade. His previous stops include Bleacher Report and Metro New York, while his work has been featured in the New York Post, Newsday, and Yahoo! Sports.case could be dismissed if the government won’t allow him to pay his attorneys, court saysPhotos: Mets fans gather at Citi Field for 2026 Opening Day with hope and optimismAt The Stand, a perfect pour meets a hilarious punchline
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