Pirates ace Paul Skenes has nightmare Opening Day start vs Mets, leaves before first inning ends

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, nan reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, couldn't person had a much disastrous commencement to nan 2026 MLB play aft not making it retired of nan first inning against nan New York Mets.

Pirates head Don Kelly took a stroll retired to nan Citi Field mound to propulsion Skenes aft the Mets put together a five-run first inning that wasn't each connected nan phenom right-hander.

But immoderate soft contact, inconsistent accuracy, and 2 bad players successful halfway section by O'Neil Cruz had Skenes’ last statement publication conscionable two-thirds of an inning, 5 runs allowed connected 4 hits and 2 walks, and he’ll person to look astatine an inflated 67.50 ERA to commencement nan twelvemonth connected nan incorrect foot. 

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Paul Skenes of nan Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during nan first inning against nan New York Mets connected Opening Day astatine Citi Field connected March 26, 2026, successful nan Queens borough of New York City. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

The 5 runs earned tied a profession precocious allowed for Skenes, who recovered himself successful early problem erstwhile Juan Soto’s azygous allowed Francisco Lindor, who walked to commencement nan bottommost of nan first inning, to get to 3rd base. 

With runners connected nan corners, Bo Bichette’s first at-bat pinch nan Mets coiled up a sacrifice alert to get New York connected nan board, making it a 2-1 shot game. 

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Things started to unravel for Skenes aft that. Jorge Polanco’s first Mets at-bat was a swinging butt, arsenic he reached first guidelines pinch nary throw. Then, aft a hard-fought at-bat by Luis Robert Jr. ended pinch a walk, Skenes recovered nan bases loaded and 1 out. 

Brett Baty came to nan sheet for nan Mets pinch nan opportunity to return nan lead pinch a guidelines knock, not conscionable necktie nan crippled astatine 2 apiece. He caught a changeup from Skenes and deed it difficult to halfway field, but nan shot appeared playable for Cruz. 

That is until Cruz’s first measurement was in, and he stopped moving, arsenic he looked up into nan sky. When he realized his error, he started to sprint backwards and nan shot landed complete his caput and rolled to nan heavy halfway section wall. The misplay allowed each 3 Mets baserunners to score, making it a 5-2 crippled arsenic Skenes looked exasperated connected nan mound. 

Paul Skenes of nan Pittsburgh Pirates looks connected during nan crippled betwixt nan Pittsburgh Pirates and nan New York Mets astatine Citi Field connected Thursday, March 26, 2026, successful New York, New York. (Dustin Satloff/MLB Photos)

The adjacent at-bat was Marcus Semien who, for illustration his different caller teammates successful bluish and orange, sewage a timely hit, but it should've been caught if not for Cruz's 2nd blunder. He mislaid nan popular up to halfway section successful nan sun, fighting it pinch his mitt earlier nan shot landed adjacent to him, arsenic Baty scored from 3rd to make it 5-2.

Skenes would past only 2 much batters, hitting catcher Francisco Alvarez successful nan arm. Kelly came retired of nan dugout aft that, pulling his ace aft 37 pitches. 

During an in-game question and reply pinch NBC, he said nan early exit was "pitch count related," arsenic he isn’t very uncommon for a azygous framework to get higher than 30 pitches. Being that it’s nan commencement of nan season, and Skenes having a afloat activity load during nan World Baseball Classic, which saw him complete 70 pitches successful his semifinals commencement against nan Dominican Republic, nan Pirates made judge to beryllium cautious.

Paul Skenes of nan Pittsburgh Pirates walks disconnected nan section aft being taken retired of nan crippled during nan first inning against nan New York Mets connected Opening Day astatine Citi Field connected March 26, 2026, successful nan Queens borough of New York City. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

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The 23-year-old Skenes came into this play pinch a profession 1.96 ERA crossed 55 starts for nan Pirates (320.2 innings), arsenic he’s quickly asserted himself among nan champion pitchers successful nan game. 

But moreover nan champion person their disconnected days, and a operation of each nan things that could spell incorrect resulted successful an Opening Day commencement to hide successful Queens.

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