Mets Beat Pirates in Season Opener as Ace Pitcher Struggles Early and Is Pulled
New York's Major Leaguers defeated Pittsburgh on Opening Day with a decisive scoreline, marking the first Citi Field standing ovation for home fans. The Pirates' season opener collapsed after ace Paul Skenes was pulled from his start following an abysmal performance that included giving up runs in just one inning of work and failing to secure any outs against New York's offense.
Key Points
-
1Paul Skenes was pulled by manager Mike Martin during his Opening Day start after allowing just two outs.
-
2"Skeener" pitched only three seven pitches and gave up five runs in less than one inning against the Mets on March 26, 2025
-
3The Pirates lost their season opener to New York with a final score of eleven-seven despite Skenes' early exit.
Developments
Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was yanked after two-thirds of an inning following five earned runs and four hits due in part to a high batting average on balls played (.800). Pirates manager Don Kelly attributed the early loss partly to poor defensive plays by Oneil Cruz, while noting that pulling Skenes at 37 pitches aimed to protect his health.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza's team defeated their rivals 1-0 after an opening day win over the Pirates on Thursday. Paul Skenes allowed five earned runs while pitching just three innings before being pulled by his own coach due to poor execution and low exit velocities from Mets hitters, resulting in a loss for him despite strong defensive plays against other pitchers earlier that season
The New York Mets defeated Pittsburgh on Opening Day with an 11-7 victory led by a dominant first inning from Paul Skenes. Despite being the reigning National League Cy Young award winner, Pirates ace Skenes was pulled after just two outs and gave up five earned runs to fans who stood ovationed him for his poor performance against Mets' relentless offense
Paul Skenes was lifted after one inning against the Mets on Opening Day 2026 following four earned runs and five hits. His poor performance included an ineffective curveball, while defensive errors by Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz allowed multiple unearned bases to score for New York.