Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitched two-thirds of an inning in the opening game of the 2026 Major League Baseball season against the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 26, 2026. The Mets scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning before Pirates manager Don Kelly relieved Skenes.
The inning started with a walk to Francisco Lindor. Juan Soto singled, moving Lindor to third base. Bo Bichette hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Lindor and giving the Mets a 2-1 lead. Jorge Polanco reached on a swinging bunt single. Luis Robert Jr. walked, loading the bases with one out.
Brett Baty hit a changeup to center field. Pirates center fielder O'Neil Cruz misplayed the ball, allowing three Mets runners to score and extending the lead to 5-1. Marcus Semien followed with a pop-up to center that Cruz lost in the sun, allowing Baty to score from third base.
Skenes hit Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez with a pitch. Kelly then removed Skenes after 37 pitches. In an in-game interview with NBC Sports, Kelly attributed the early exit to pitch count considerations early in the season.
Skenes had participated in the World Baseball Classic prior to the MLB season. The tournament concluded shortly before the MLB opening day. The 23-year-old right-hander was a first-round pick by the Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Louisiana State University. In his 2024 rookie season, Skenes recorded a 1.96 ERA over 133 innings pitched in 21 starts.[1][2]
Citi Field, located in Queens, New York City, has served as the home stadium of the New York Mets since 2009.[3]
Sources
- MLB.com
Paul Skenes Player Page
Accessed October 2024
https://www.mlb.com/player/paul-skenes-671737 - Baseball-Reference.com
Paul Skenes Stats
Accessed October 2024
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/skenepa01.shtml - Wikipedia
Citi Field
Accessed October 2024
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citi_Field
