Pirates' Skenes Struggles in Opening Day Start

0:00On March 26, Paul Schienz had a rough opening day start for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the New York Mets at City Field. The young pitcher didn't make it out of the first inning, recording just two outs while allowing four hits, two walks, and five earned runs on. Thirty-seven pitches. That left him with a sky-high 67.50 ERA after his debut outing of the 2026 season. The Pirates had jumped out to a two-nothing lead early, but the Mets quickly turned things around. Schienz issued a lead-off walk, then hits loaded the bases, and defensive miscues in the outfield by O'Neill Cruz, led in extra runs, pushing the score to 5-2 against Pittsburgh. Manager Don Kelly pulled Schienz early to protect his arm, bringing in reliever Johan Ramirez for the final out of the inning. Kelly explained it was all about managing the pitch count, avoiding any risk of pushing into the 40s if things dragged on. This marks the first time Schienz has been yanked in the opening frame during his big league career, and also his initial five-run inning allowed.

1:03The Pirates still plans to lean on him heavily throughout the year, despite the bumpy beginning. While the team digested this unexpected hiccup, fans will watch closely as Schienz bounces back in upcoming starts. That's your MLB news today update, AI-powered and always on.