Paul Skenes had a bad outing on Opening Day during the Pittsburgh Pirates’ loss to the New York Mets. After being Team USA’s star in the World Baseball Classic, expectations were very high.
However, everything turned into a disaster in the first inning. Skenes walked Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto singled on a line drive, and then two incredible errors by Oneil Cruz triggered a five-run rally.
In the end, Paul Skenes’ line was surprising. Two-thirds of an inning, four hits, five earned runs, two walks, and one strikeout. His ERA stood at an astronomical 67.50, which will surely drop as the weeks go by, but at least for today it is historic.
What happened with Paul Skenes?
In addition to Paul Skenes showing little control on the mound, the reality is that Oneil Cruz’s errors were extremely costly. Without them, the starting pitcher might have escaped with only two runs of damage, but with those mistakes, the Mets’ haul was enormous.
Did Pirates lose against Mets on Opening Day?
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost 11–7 to the New York Mets at Citi Field in the first game of the 2026 MLB season. After finally making important upgrades to the roster, thousands of fans were expecting a different version of the Bucs. Opening Day was disappointing.
