The Pittsburgh Pirates didn't kick off their season quite as planned, falling to the New York Mets in a high-scoring 11-7 opener at Citi Field. It was a game that highlighted some early-season jitters for the Pirates, who struggled with fielding errors and handed out nine walks to the Mets-a recipe for trouble.
Paul Skenes had a rough start, exiting in the first inning for the shortest outing of his career, while Oneil Cruz had a tough time in center field, mishandling consecutive plays. Despite these setbacks, there were silver linings for Pittsburgh.
Brandon Lowe wasted no time making his mark, launching a home run on the first pitch he faced and adding another for good measure. Ryan O’Hearn also made a statement in his Pirates debut, going deep and contributing to an offense that showed promise with seven runs and 10 hits, including six for extra bases.
Don Kelly, in his first Opening Day as the Pirates' manager, had plenty to reflect on post-game. He emphasized the importance of throwing strikes, a cornerstone of their pitching philosophy, and expressed confidence in the team's ability to adjust moving forward.
Kelly also took pride in his team's resilience. Despite a rocky start, the Pirates didn't back down, battling through the adversity of a five-run inning that could have easily deflated them.
"Any time you give up five in an inning, it's a gut punch," Kelly noted. "But I'm proud of our club for not folding.
We hung in there and continued to battle. It could have been a game we mailed in, but we didn't.
We kept grinding and played the style of baseball we're committed to for the season."
With the marathon that is the baseball season just beginning, the Pirates have ample opportunity to iron out the kinks. They'll look to clean up their play and rebound this weekend, aiming to put Thursday's loss firmly in the past.