Paul Skenes Gets Shelled On Opening Day, Continues To Have Zero Help In Pittsburgh
Skenes is going to have some words for his center fielder.
Heading into the 2026 MLB season, one of the universally forgone conclusions was that Pittsburgh Pirates stud pitcher Paul Skenes was going to continue to dominate on the bump and take yet another step into ratified air in year three.
While we'll likely look back on this season and say that's exactly what Skenes accomplished, the signs he showed the baseball world on Opening Day against the New York Mets certainly didn't represent it.
After the Pirates jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Skenes took the mound and proceeded to get shelled, unlike he ever has during his young MLB career.
The Mets chased Skenes out of the game in the first inning as the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner gave up four hits, five earned runs, and struck out just one batter in his 0.2 innings of work in New York.
Pittsburgh center fielder O'Neil Cruz did no favors for his pitcher in the opening inning, but it was still a shock to see the Mets jump on his stuff so quickly.
Skenes' 0.2 innings of work are by far his shortest stint since arriving to The Show in 2024. Thursday's outing was also just the second time he's allowed more than four earned runs in a game in his MLB career, with the last occasion coming in a 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in April of last year.