Reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes got chased in the very first inning against a revamped New York Mets super team. Between Oneil Cruz's brutal defensive errors and Brett Baty's clutch triple, Opening Day 2026 was pure chaos.
The Paul Skenes Disaster Class
Nobody saw this coming. Just months after locking up the NL Cy Young, Paul Skenes had the absolute worst start of his career. The invincible ace lasted just two outs. Yes, you read that right. Zero point two innings, four hits, five earned runs, and 37 pitches later, Skenes was walking back to the dugout with a 67.50 ERA. Before the game, he joked that it was kinda chilly outside. Well, Mets fans are having a field day with that quote right now, roasting him for going ice cold on the mound. Even Olivia Dunne's pre-game Skenes look-alike contest couldn't distract from the actual Skenes getting completely lit up on national TV during NBC's massive baseball comeback broadcast.
Oneil Cruz's Outfield Nightmare
To be totally fair to Skenes, he didn't get a ton of help. The real villain for Pirates fans right now is Oneil Cruz. Moving Cruz to center field felt risky, and Opening Day proved exactly why. Cruz absolutely lost his mind out there, misplaying a deep fly ball and getting completely blinded by the sun on a routine pop-up. Those two defensive blunders directly led to four of the five runs charged to Skenes. Pirates Twitter went from anticipating a massive 2026 rebirth to immediate panic mode in exactly twenty minutes. You can already see the lowlight reels flooding social media.
The New Look Mets Look Terrifying
On the flip side, New York is partying like it is 1986. The Mets rolled out their brand new super team and it paid off instantly. Watching Juan Soto, Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, and Luis Robert Jr. step up to the plate is nightmare fuel for opposing pitchers. But ironically, the loudest moment of the first inning came from Brett Baty. Baty literally had to fight for his roster spot in spring training, and he rewarded the Mets with a bases-clearing triple that officially ended Skenes day. The hype in Queens is completely out of control right now, and fans are fully convinced this is a World Series roster.
Steel City Cellies and Late Inning Drama
Even with the disastrous start, the game is not totally over. The Mets currently lead 5-3 in the late innings, thanks entirely to Brandon Lowe keeping Pittsburgh on life support. Lowe smashed two home runs, which gave us the debut of the Pirates' amazing new home run celebration. They are literally putting a vintage welder's mask on the guy who hits a bomb, perfectly matching that Steel City vibe. So while Skenes might want to erase this entire day from his memory, at least the Pirates have a sick new celly. Will the Mets hold on or will the Pirates pull off a miracle? Either way, baseball is so incredibly back.