NY Mets’ pick up 11-7 Opening Day win vs Pittsburgh

The NY Mets scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning against Paul Skenes, and never looked back. Final score: 11-7.

Skenes didn’t finish the inning. He walked Francisco Lindor to start the frame, gave up a Juan Soto single, and watched the lineup work through him from there. Bo Bichette’s sacrifice fly scored Lindor. Then Brett Baty lined a 3-run triple to center that cleared the bases — Soto, Jorge Polanco, and Luis Robert Jr. all scored. Marcus Semien followed with an RBI double. Skenes was pulled before the inning ended, having recorded just 2 outs. 5-2 after 1.

That inning set the operating principle for the whole afternoon: the Mets weren’t going to let Pittsburgh’s starter settle in, and they had enough lineup depth to keep adding even after the big hit landed.

Benge and Alvarez Put It Away

The game stayed competitive into the 6th. Brandon Lowe homered twice — in the 1st and again in the 3rd — and Pittsburgh chipped away to pull within 9-5 before the Mets’ bottom of the 6th ended the conversation.

Carson Benge led off with his first career home run, a line drive to right center. Francisco Alvarez followed immediately with a solo shot to left center. Back-to-back. 11-5.

Benge finished 1-for-3 with 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, and 2 walks in his first regular season game. Alvarez went 2-for-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI. Robert Jr. added 2 hits and 2 RBI out of the 5-hole and was quietly one of the best offensive players on the field.

Freddy Peralta picked up the win, going 5 innings, striking out 7, and allowing 4 runs on 6 hits. The ERA inflates the performance — Lowe’s 2 home runs accounted for 3 of those runs, and Peralta was in control between them. Tobias Myers came on in relief and held Pittsburgh to 1 run over 3 innings.

The Mets walked 9 times as a team, and never needed a big defensive play to protect the lead. It was a complete opener — the kind of game that raises early expectations rather than just meeting them.