Mets Rout Pirates on Opening Day

Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images

March 26, 2026

The New York Mets‘ new look roster strung together an Opening Day 11-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field on Thursday. Prospect Carson Benge hit his first major league home run, as Francisco Alvarez hit one out of the park. Offseason additions Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., Marcus Semien, and Jorge Polanco all put runs across the board. The collective performance came on an afternoon in which Freddy Peralta lasted five innings in his first start for the Mets.

Fiery Start on Opening Day

Peralta, a two-time All-Star, gave up a hit to O’Neil Cruz in the first. Brandon Lowe then took Peralta deep for a two-run home run that put the Pirates ahead 2-0. But Peralta didn’t let his lackluster Opening Day start continue, going on to punch out the next three batters.

Reigning NL CY Young winner Paul Skenes walked Francisco Lindor to start the first inning. Juan Soto moved his teammate to third with a single. Bichette scored Lindor on a sacrifice fly, which was his first RBI in a Mets uniform. Polanco hit a single off Skenes, while Robert walked.

Brett Baty hit a three-RBI triple to score Soto, Polanco, and Robert. Semien hit an RBI double to score Baty. As the Mets took a 5-2 lead, the Pirates pulled Skenes out of the ballgame. Skenes had a rare, off, and forgettable Opening Day performance in which he gave up five earned runs in 2/3 of an inning. He allowed five hits and had a troubling 67.50 ERA.

A scoreless second inning led to Lowe hitting his second home run of the game off Peralta to start the third. The Mets failed to respond in the bottom of the third, but began to recover during the fourth. Lindor and Soto walked, giving way to Robert’s RBI single that scored Lindor. But Baty struck out and left two base runners stranded with the Mets leading 6-3.

Mets Score Five More

Peralta surrendered a hit in the fifth to Nick Gonzales, only to then allow an RBI double to Henry Davis. However, Peralta was able to finish the inning by collecting three straight outs. Benge walked before Alvarez hit a single, and a Lindor walk moved Benge to third. Soto hit an RBI single to score Benge, while Polanco walked to bring Alvarez home. Robert hit a shallow RBI single to score Lindor. This put the Mets ahead 9-4 entering the sixth.

Tobias Myers came out of the bullpen to replace Peralta and make his Mets debut. After recording the first out, he gave up a solo home run to Ryan O’Hearn. This cut the Mets’ lead down to four, but Myers was able to stop the damage by forcing the next three outs.

Benge started the bottom of the sixth with a deep solo shot to center field. Alvarez followed that up with a solo shot to left. From there on, both teams went scoreless until the ninth inning. O’Hearn hit a single, and Jared Triolo hit a double. Gonzales scored both his teammates on an RBI double. But the comeback effort came too late in the ballgame, as the Mets won by a comfortable four-run margin.

When Went Right for the Mets

The Mets lineup found success early and often, combining for 11 hits and 11 RBI. Baty hit three RBI, while Robert scored two base runners. Soto, Robert, Benge, and Semien each had two hits.

What Went Wrong for the Mets

While the bullpen was able to maintain the pace in the last four innings, their performance wasn’t spectacular. Myers went three innings with a strikeout and an earned run. Luis Garcia struck out two, but gave up three hits and two earned runs. Peralta, meanwhile, gave up six hits and four earned runs in five innings. He did manage to record seven strikeouts, but that came with a 7.20 ERA.

Looking Ahead

With an Opening Day win already in the books, the Mets look to capitalize on their momentum going into the remainder of this three-game series against the Pirates. They have Friday off, but will play Saturday and Sunday at Citi Field. Saturday’s game is scheduled to start at 4:10 p.m. Eastern.