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00:00Nine-year-old right-hander and two-time All-Star coming off a season in Milwaukee that saw him reach
00:05a career high in wins, innings of work and games started, a career-best 2.70 ERA.
00:12Neil, he is one of the best in the business.
00:15Yes, he is, and a guy that obviously came from Milwaukee, Pittsburgh has several appearances against him.
00:22A lot of guys in the lineup have some experience.
00:23Very, very difficult, especially on right-handed pitchers.
00:26And for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a lot of additions offensively from left-handed hitters.
00:32As you see, O'Neal Cruz is going to lead this game off.
00:35Yeah, let's get to those additions.
00:36Time now for our starting lineup for the Bucs, presented by Capital One.
00:40Those additions in the starting lineup for Don Kelly today.
00:44Brandon Lau, Marcel Ozuna, Ryan O'Hearn will be counted on to aid a lineup last year.
00:51They finished dead last in OPS, dead last in runs per game.
00:56And the Pirates think that they have addressed those deficiencies for 2026.
01:01And I think they have, especially against opposing right-handed pitchers.
01:06The lineup construction just makes more sense than it has in the past.
01:10You talked about the power that was added.
01:12That, in my opinion, is the most important person on this Pirates roster, O'Neal Cruz.
01:16He has a big year.
01:18They go as he goes.
01:19Cruz will lead things off.
01:21And the Pirates hoping that a 10-year playoff drought is a thing of the past once we get to
01:26the end of September of 2026.
01:29Defensively for the Mets, the conversation is around two guys at corner infield spots, Al,
01:34who have precious little experience at their spots.
01:37Bo Bichette never before playing third base.
01:40And Jorge Polanco has but a handful of opportunities as a first baseman in the big leagues.
01:46Yeah, and I know that's been a conversation, and justifiably so.
01:49You have great veteran players, right?
01:51They've been around a long time.
01:52Bo Bichette, that was a sign that they had in January for the Mets to bring him over.
01:57He's historically been a shortstop.
01:59Moving him to third base, as you say, Matty.
02:01And Jorge Polanco, who's been in the league a long time, Minnesota, was up in Seattle, great hitter, also middle
02:07infielder.
02:07So I think there's going to be a little growing pains to see how they do defensively.
02:13Freddy Peralta ready to begin his career as a New York Met.
02:18O'Neal Cruz digs in to lead us off, and the 2026 season in Queens is underway.
02:27Peralta, you're going to see a lot of fastball, forcing change-up combinations with some curveballs
02:32mixed in against the lefties, and a little bit of slider and curveball mixed in to the right-handers.
02:37With four seamer away from the big swing of O'Neal Cruz, and it's a one-ball, one-strike count
02:43to start things here today.
02:47Cruz making his third consecutive opening day start.
02:52And if we refer to Freddy Peralta as fastball Freddy, and that might not be fair, because
02:58he throws a great assortment of secondary stuff, he is likely to throw some secondary stuff
03:06here in this matchup.
03:08O'Neal Cruz batted just 163 against non-fastballs last year, tied for the lowest mark in the game.
03:18And a slider has it at 2-and-2.
03:22Yeah, two different breaking balls from Freddy.
03:23Curveball slider, as you say, Matt.
03:25But it's really his pitch is that change-up.
03:28You see 21% of the time.
03:32And that's not a ground ball change-up.
03:34That's a swing-and-miss pitch.
03:35Ow.
03:37Oh, no!
03:38And that's a breaking ball right there.
03:40Goes to a full count on Cruz.
03:42One thing for O'Neal Cruz this offseason, he really emphasized, number one, hitting it
03:49off of left-handed pitchers.
03:50He got himself a left-handed batting practice guy for the offseason.
03:53He got a lot of the bats in spring training against left-haters.
03:56And he's really putting an emphasis on situations like this, two-strike counts, two-strike approach.
04:04Making Freddy work in his first at-bat of the season.
04:06Still three balls and two strikes to O'Neal Cruz.
04:13Lowe and Reynolds follow as we're underway, top of the first, the next full count offering.
04:18And Cruz serves a little flair out to center field.
04:21It's going to drop in for a base hit.
04:23So now the speed of O'Neal Cruz will be contended with as the leadoff hitter reaches to start
04:29the ballgame.
04:31Just kind of soft serves this backdoor breaking ball in the center field.
04:35But he literally half-swung at that.
04:39But he's able to get down.
04:40And as you mentioned, Matt, he's probably not going to be staying on first base for long.
04:43He's going to try to take an attempt here.
04:4638 stolen bases last year.
04:47And talking to Tarek Brock, the first base coach, they think they got a chance to get
04:52him at times, Freddy Peralta, that is.
04:54Here is one of the new bucks, Brandon Lau, now.
04:57And Peralta will pay attention to O'Neal Cruz immediately.
05:00Neil mentions the 38 bags for Cruz last year.
05:03Gave him a share of the National League lead.
05:06Tied for first in the circuit with Juan Soto of the Mets.
05:15And Lau, on the first pitch, breaking ball, sends a fly ball out to the corner.
05:18It's the rookie, Carson Binge, leaping.
05:21And no, that one goes.
05:25Brandon Lau, on the first pitch, he sees as a Pirate, has hit a two-run homer.
05:32Brandon Lau didn't take very long to make his presence known in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform.
05:36He hits this ball, and it looks like he, some people, it looked like some people didn't
05:40know where this ball went, Matt.
05:42And wouldn't you know it, it just keeps carrying down that right field line and just seeks out.
05:47I don't know about you guys.
05:48I know he's strong, right?
05:50Last year with Tampa Bay 31 home runs.
05:52Yes, he barreled it.
05:54Wow.
05:55It didn't take long for the Pirates to go into their home run celebration, and that's
06:00an actual steel mill worker's welding helmet.
06:03A gentleman by the name of Dave Stevenson, who spent 22 years working in the Pittsburgh
06:09steel mills, has his helmet used as the Pirates' celebratory headpiece.
06:15This one just scraped over the right field wall.
06:202-0 Pittsburgh.
06:24Hey, there's something about season openers for Freddy Peralta.
06:28Last year, he opened the season in the Bronx as a Brewer and allowed leadoff homer to Austin
06:35Wells.
06:36Second at bat of the year this season.
06:39And a two-run shot for Brandon Lau.
06:42Already, Pirates fans are eager to see that number change from their home run output last
06:48season.
06:49And Brian Reynolds chums it a breaking ball.
06:53One gone.
06:55Well, I think when you're talking about the 5,000-foot view of this Pirates roster, especially
07:00on the offensive side of things, guys, they averaged 3.6 runs a game last year.
07:05When they scored four or more runs in their games last year, they were 46-21 and played 61-run
07:11games last year.
07:12So think about that recipe with the addition of the offensive players they have.
07:17Marcelo Zuna, that being one of those guys, if they can take that up to 4.3, 4.4 a
07:22game,
07:22you're looking at potentially a lot of wins over 80-80 this year.
07:28Another new Pirate, the three-time All-Star Marcelo Zuna behind 0-2.
07:33Which is why people across baseball looking at this, Marcelo Zuna being one of the other additions
07:38along with what we just saw with Brandon Lau and Ryan O'Hearns on deck.
07:42They, their offense was that bad.
07:45We have, Paul Skeves is going to tow the hill here in the bottom of the inning.
07:50And he was 10-10 with an ERA under 2.
07:53And it, not to just drill down on the fact that they, they just didn't score runs last year
07:59in lasting, lasting baseball with home runs and runs scored.
08:06So, a two-run homer and then two straight strikeouts, each at-bat finished on a curveball.
08:12And a swing and a miss by new pirate Ryan O'Hearn.
08:16An All-Star last year for the first time in his career.
08:19Good combined numbers between the Orioles and Padres.
08:22The meat of those numbers happening in Baltimore.
08:26Heater misses the corner and it's 1-1.
08:31Yeah, Paul Skeves has to be delighted with two early runs.
08:36To your guys' point earlier.
08:39Oh, corner!
08:4132 starts last year for Skeves.
08:43And he was the beneficiary of four or more runs in only nine of those outings.
08:52Halfway to that total, two at-bats into the day.
08:58Yeah, even as good as Paul Skeves is, that's pretty hard to win baseball games.
09:02You're not getting the crooked numbers up on the scoreboard.
09:07Well, you're wondering, and you can speak to this now, what does that do to your psyche when you're out
09:10of the mound
09:11and you feel like you have to be perfect and you have a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning?
09:15You just said it.
09:16Yeah.
09:17One!
09:19Three straight strikeouts, but the two-run homer gets the visitors on the board.
09:23First on opening day.
09:26Some support early for Paul Skeves.
09:30Two-nothing buckos.
09:35Support for 23-year-old Pirates ace, two-time All-Star Paul Skeves.
09:41Yeah, you see the numbers, the 10 and 10, but that doesn't tell the story.
09:45He's a reigning National League Cy Young Award winner.
09:47Exceptional stuff.
09:48You'll see triple digits.
09:51Seven different pitches, guys, for a guy who could hit 100 miles an hour.
09:55You forgot that.
09:56Plus.
09:56Plus, right.
09:57Plus pitches.
09:59Francisco Lindor leads things off for New York.
10:01We'll get to the rest of the Mets' starting lineup in a moment.
10:051-0 from Steams.
10:06Drips on him.
10:07Two balls and no strikes.
10:08Let's do it right now.
10:09Time for the Mets' starting lineup, presented by Capital One.
10:13Soto and Bichette follow Lindor.
10:15Plenty of pop, four through six, with New Mets' Polanco and Robert.
10:20Beatty, Simeon, Benj, and Alvarez lead things off for the Mets.
10:26Quickly, a three-ball, no-strike count to Francisco Lindor.
10:30Five-time All-Star, making a lot of news in the offseason.
10:33After a broken hamate bone, surgery repaired that, and he's good to go for opening day.
10:40And it's three balls and a strike.
10:42I know Carlos Mendoza wouldn't say this, but you're hoping, I know he's hoping that Francisco
10:47Lindor, as this ball looks like it's just off the plate, huh?
10:50Wow.
10:51Watson Lindor in the dugout.
10:52I know he wanted to tap his head.
10:54A 3-0 in the first inning.
10:55Bad idea.
10:57And it's a full count now.
10:59ABS challenge in place for 20-26.
11:04Each team gets two challenges of balls and strikes calls.
11:08They have to come from a pitcher, catcher, or batter.
11:11You've got two seconds to make that decision.
11:16If you are successful in your challenge, you get to keep it.
11:20If not, one leaves your inventory.
11:26So from 3-0 to a full count.
11:32Well, and as I was, as I was saying earlier, I know Carlos Mendoza won't say it, but he's
11:37hoping that Francisco Lindor can get off.
11:40I believe he's hoping that he can get off to a good start.
11:43He's been, he's been slow out of the gates the last couple years.
11:46And for Paul Skeen's right here, one count to take note of is this 3-2 count.
11:50It's one count that we've seen the slug go up.
11:54Ball four to Lindor.
11:58Lead off hitter reaches in the bottom half of the first.
12:03What do you got, Neal?
12:04Hitter.
12:07No, he didn't, no, he didn't do it right there.
12:08That's good.
12:10You guys are going to be on opposite sides of that.
12:15Man on in front of four-time All-Star, Juan Soto.
12:21And so far, a guy with a seven-pitch mix has only shown us two.
12:24A lot of heaters to start the game so far.
12:27There's one for a strike to Soto.
12:33And as I was mentioning, there's not many counts that Skeen's gets, you know, roughed up on too much.
12:40But, you know, he gets a 3-2.
12:41He does not like to walk, guys.
12:43A very rare walk right there.
12:44But tends to come in the zone a little bit more.
12:4760-plus percent fastball in those counts.
12:50And you wonder if he's going to change that repertoire as the year goes along.
12:56Saw the numbers on Soto a moment ago.
12:58A massive 20-25 season despite a really slow April and May.
13:05He finished just two stolen bases shy of a 40-40 season.
13:11Yeah, do you think, Matty, those first 55 games, he got a 2-24 and then the last 105, 285,
13:18he had 35 home runs as the season went on.
13:21But eight in those first 55.
13:23Settle in, you know.
13:24I know he came from the Bronx and Yankee Stadium, a new team here in Queens.
13:32Still ball and two strikes.
13:37The Mets had a lot of success as a running team last year.
13:40Not that Lindor's going here with a big green light.
13:43But last season, the Mets had the best team, stolen base success in the league.
13:53Soto fights a pitch off his hands, dumps it into right center field.
13:57Lindor on his way to third.
13:59Throw there is not in time.
14:02And here come the Mets with nobody out in their half of the first.
14:06Super aggressive base running right there, right?
14:08The face of O'Neal Cruz from Francisco Lindor.
14:11Cruz makes a strong throw right here.
14:13Has to just go a little bit too far to that right to make it a little more competitive.
14:17Let's see and make sure that he was safe.
14:21Looks like it.
14:26Well, they're going to, are they talented?
14:28No.
14:31First and third with nobody out.
14:33And what an opportunity for Bo Bichette to do a little damage here in his first plate appearance
14:41as a Mets.
14:43Signed a three-year free agent deal in the offseason.
14:47The Mets were so pleased to have plucked him away from other suitors, notably the Philadelphia
14:53Phillies.
14:55Hot!
14:5799-mile-an-hour sinker has schemes in front 0-1.
15:02It's an interesting contract.
15:04Essentially a series of one-year deals.
15:08Options for him to bolt after each year in that three-year pact.
15:16With Pia.
15:18Yeah.
15:20I mean, it's pretty amazing.
15:24Very much an old-school type of player, right?
15:26High batting average, especially last year, 311.
15:30Gets on base.
15:31Drove a 90-plus runs last year.
15:40A couple of fastballs.
15:42Has Bichette behind 0-2.
15:47And this was a spot where Paul Skeene was very effective last year, especially against
15:51these righties in double-play situations.
15:53He does a good job of trying to get you to hit that something on the inner half or a
15:57breaking
15:57ball going away from you.
16:00Filed off the hands.
16:01Still nothing and two to him.
16:02You saw the numbers for Bichette with runners in scoring position last year.
16:06Going a little deeper on that.
16:08So we take a look at the jam shot again.
16:1130 opportunities to drive in a runner from third with less than two out.
16:15And he converted in 21 of those in his final season in Toronto.
16:25Bichette with a fly ball the other way for O'Hearn.
16:30Makes the catch in the corner.
16:31Lindor is going to tag up.
16:33Mets get one of them back immediately.
16:36And welcome to New York.
16:37Bo Bichette with an RBI sack fly in his first plate appearance as a Mets.
16:42Well, and that approach right there is exactly why Bo Bichette had so much success last year
16:46in these situations.
16:48You don't try to do too much in these situations.
16:50You try to use the big part of the field.
16:51You try to get something lifted if you can, especially with nobody out.
16:55And with one out, with runners on the corners, you want to stay away from that double play ball.
17:00That's how you draw it up right there to score a run in the early part of the game.
17:03You'll take that.
17:06So one in, one out, one on, and now it's Jorge Polanco, the new Mets, which hitting first baseman today.
17:14After 10 years in Minnesota, a couple of years in Seattle,
17:18signed a two-year off-season deal to join the New York Mets.
17:25Soto with an aggressive leadoff first.
17:28Skeens noticing that will check in.
17:36You know, just looking at these two batters, Bichette, and I couldn't agree with you more.
17:40That's a change up there.
17:41It puts the ball in play.
17:42How often do we see guys still with their A swing?
17:45He needed it, got a sack fly.
17:46But Polanco, I'll tell you, you talk about a bat-to-ball guy who doesn't strike out
17:52and puts the ball in play.
17:53Both of these pickups have been great for this.
17:56Polanco had such a good run in the postseason last year.
18:01He added that his free agent resume made him a pretty desirable commodity.
18:06He was suited by a couple of teams in the offseason.
18:13Big shoes to fill, though, with Pete Alonzo going to Baltimore, no doubt.
18:20Will Tapper, that's going to be trouble.
18:22Skeens barehands, he's got to eat it, everybody's safe.
18:30I mean, again, it's exactly kind of, you know, the Bichette at bat.
18:33And now here you see Polanco being tough, obviously.
18:36Paul Skeens, exceptional stuff.
18:38Cy Young award winner last year.
18:40He didn't try to do much with that.
18:42Just stayed back enough to put the ball in play.
18:45And in this case, he hit it in the perfect spot and gets a knock.
18:49Couldn't have thrown that ball in a better spot, could he?
18:56Not exactly a lot of loud contact against him, but it spells some trouble here with the run-in
19:01and two on for Luis Robert Jr., making his Mets debut this afternoon.
19:0628-year, former Chicago White Sox, 14 homers last year,
19:11but he's a few years removed from a 38-home run campaign on the south side.
19:21And I think the biggest question with Luis Robert Jr. is, can he stay healthy over the course of the
19:26year?
19:27And how will Carlos Mendoza use him?
19:29How often will he try to get him off his feet?
19:31He's had a lot of soft tissue injuries over the course of his career.
19:34This guy is a lightning rod and can really do some damage when healthy and on the field.
19:40He's got a 9-iron pop-up that's going to get into the stands.
19:43How about 44 miles an hour off the bat?
19:46What's that?
19:47Yeah.
19:48I like to really knock the snot out of that ball.
19:51Well, you can even go back to Soto.
19:53Soto, you know, he just doinked it in the right center.
20:01Ball and two strikes on the guy that used to call Lou Bob on the south side.
20:07He sprays that one foul.
20:10So, Paul Skeen's having to work a little harder than most of us envisioned to begin the day.
20:1623 pitches.
20:17He's only got one out on the board.
20:20And trying to pitch out of any further trouble.
20:35All these deep counts matter here early in the start.
20:38Don Kelly telling all of us before the game, don't expect to see Paul Skeen's out there with 100-plus
20:43pitches today.
20:44It's been the same on the other side, right?
20:46I mean, both of these guys went out of their way when they were talking about their offenses
20:49to make sure they mentioned that they had a lot of grinders.
20:53They felt like they had a lot of guys that gave professional at-bats.
20:56And this is exactly what you're talking about.
20:58Fouling off two strike pitches.
20:59Bill Bichette, you know, just serving one out there in the right field to score a run.
21:03Not trying to go up there and hit balls out of the ballpark.
21:06Pass it to the next guy.
21:07Have good at-bats.
21:08And see what happens over the course of nine innings.
21:11Another one fouled away.
21:30Eighth pitch of the at-bat misses to make it two and two.
21:33You know, the last time we saw Paul Skeen's on a mound
21:37was in the World Baseball Classic pitching against the Dominican Republic in Miami
21:41through 71 pitches.
21:44And Don Kelly telling us, you know, those aren't an ordinary 71 pitches.
21:49That's high-intensity stuff in front of a big house.
21:53Man, Lubav just won't go away.
21:56If this is the approach that the Mets are going to have,
21:58and I know we're only not even through the first inning,
22:01but this is impressive, guys.
22:04Soto's a bat.
22:04Of course, Lindor walks.
22:06And you've got, at least what I'm visualizing here, Neil,
22:09is guys that are hitting the ball where it's thrown
22:12and also mindset to put the ball in play.
22:16Fighting some, spoiling some good pitches here, Luis Robert.
22:22Full count.
22:25So it will be a ten-pitch add-back to Luis Robert Jr.
22:28And again, going back, even though it's early,
22:31to that 3-2 count.
22:32I saw Paul walk Francisco Lindor in that 3-2 count.
22:37That's a big situation.
22:38Let's see if he attacks his own or sees if he can get Chase.
22:42Payoff pitch.
22:44Lost him on ball four.
22:48Two walks, two full counts among the first five batters
22:52that Skeens has faced.
22:53And I don't know that we saw this at any point
22:55over 32 starts last year from Skeens.
22:59Not with a guy at 32 starts in the area under two.
23:04Look, I, I, this, this is impressive
23:06of what we just saw through five hitters, right,
23:09for the, for the bench.
23:12We have Adam Adovino at field level today.
23:15Adam, what are you seeing out of Paul Skeens so far?
23:18He's just a little off his precision right now.
23:21He's been in the zone enough to get ahead of the count
23:22the last couple batters,
23:23but he hasn't been able to put them away.
23:25Also, it looks like he's not trusting his breaking ball
23:27the same as we've seen in the past.
23:29I actually noticed that going back to the WBC a little bit.
23:31He's been mostly fastball changeup.
23:33So he doesn't have all his get-out-of-jail free cards right now.
23:37Boy, how many of us had the bullpen getting hot
23:40behind Paul Skeens in the bottom of the first
23:42on our bingo cards today?
23:43Not I.
23:47Well, you know, you're always one pitch away
23:50from getting out of it.
23:53In this case, a double play ball.
23:57So that'll bring up Brett Beatty.
24:00Saw plenty of work in spring at multiple positions
24:03for the Mets, starting at DH on opening day.
24:11Signature changeup swung on and missed.
24:13I like what Adam said there
24:16because there's a depth issue with vertical, right?
24:21To have some depth going down,
24:22a lot of his pitches are side to side.
24:25Beatty to center field.
24:27Cruz started in and he gets burned.
24:29It's over him!
24:32Sandham!
24:35All three will score!
24:42Oh, this is so unfortunate right here.
24:45O'Neal Cruz, he got a great vantage point up here.
24:49It looked like he just got stuck.
24:51We're not, we don't have,
24:52we're not sure in this ballpark
24:54when you're playing in here,
24:55you always want to watch the wind
24:56and the flags that are above center field.
24:59Or above home plate, I should say.
25:00And I think that he got a bad read,
25:02got stuck,
25:03and I think the wind helped push this ball
25:05even more over his head.
25:08A three-run triple for Brett Beatty.
25:11The Bucs bring the infield in.
25:144-2 Mets.
25:15And the first pitch to Marcus Simeon
25:18to start his New York career.
25:20Oh, and Cruz passed that one!
25:25A nightmarish start for O'Neal Cruz on opening day.
25:32Oh, no.
25:34All the work in the spring,
25:35the renewed emphasis on defense.
25:38There was so much optimism for O'Neal Cruz,
25:41and he lost that one in the sun.
25:43Well, absolutely.
25:45He got there,
25:46but then obviously right here,
25:47he doesn't know where it is.
25:48Here's the shortstop that they moved to center field.
25:51Obviously, this is absolutely an inning
25:53he would love to forget.
25:54But, hey,
25:56Mets capitalize on it.
25:59They're up 5-2.
26:03And now it's the rookie right fielder,
26:05Carson Bench,
26:06making his major league debut
26:09in a circumstance that none of us saw coming.
26:12A five-run bottom of the first
26:14against two-time All-Star Paul Schames.
26:18And Bench behind nothing and two.
26:23Kind of interesting to know,
26:25as you see O'Neal Cruz right there,
26:27no sunglasses on out there.
26:29I know some guys really don't care
26:32to wear them all that often,
26:33but, you know,
26:34in a day game like this,
26:35you know where that sun's gonna be.
26:38And Skees kind of blows Bench away on three pitches.
26:43You think that'll change?
26:44Is he a guy that doesn't like the sunglasses,
26:46or did he just not take them out there today?
26:48No, you typically don't see him wearing sunglasses
26:51out in the outfield,
26:52but I have seen him at times.
26:54I am surprised not to see it,
26:56as you see the flags right here, too.
26:58I was taught when I came to play here at Citi Field,
27:01you always look at the flags that were above home plate
27:03as opposed to the other ones,
27:04because there's times that the wind will come in here
27:06and jut out either to right center or left center.
27:09Yeah, it's definitely blowing toward left center field.
27:15So the ninth batter to bat in this bottom of the first inning
27:18is the catcher, Francisco Alvarez.
27:23And that one hits him.
27:26Nothing going right for the Bucs in the bottom of the first.
27:30Wow.
27:31This is an ugly inning for Pittsburgh.
27:37Well, two-seamer running inside.
27:40Alvarez doesn't do a whole lot to try to get out of the way.
27:44I say this a little tongue-in-cheek,
27:45but I wonder if Paul Skates has ever faced
27:47the same guy in the same inning in his entire life.
27:51Well, I got a partial answer to that.
27:53He's never had a five-run inning
27:55and didn't have one last year,
27:57and that's going to be it.
27:58Wow.
28:02John Kelly has seen enough
28:03and Paul Skates will be done
28:06after 37 pitches
28:08and two-thirds of an inning on opening day.
28:11Wow.
28:12This is unbelievable.
28:14A shocking, shocking result
28:17early on on opening day in New York.
28:21Pittsburgh to the bullpen.
28:23And a surprising result
28:26is the understatement of the day
28:28on opening day.
28:29Paul Skates lasting only 37 pitches
28:32into his opening day start.
28:34Two outs.
28:35And he has turned it over to
28:37Johan Ramirez
28:38in the bottom of the first inning.
28:42Francisco Lindor batting.
28:44Oh, two-runners aboard.
28:45That one gets away from Henry Davis.
28:48Everybody advances.
28:50What?
28:52And I don't know
28:53that it's Bradenton cobwebs
28:55or what,
28:55but the Pirates have not been sharp
28:57to start the day.
28:59Yeah, I think that's putting it mildly.
29:01It looks like it, yeah,
29:01he's got his foot down early
29:03and he almost tripped.
29:04Obviously, with runners on base,
29:05he had to throw the baseball.
29:08...
29:13...
29:16So, the wild pitch puts runners
29:18at second and third.
29:20Lindor began this inning
29:23with a leadoff walk.
29:25He would score in front of the
29:26Bichette sack fly.
29:28And then much damage later,
29:31Skeens is gone after two-thirds
29:33of an inning.
29:39Another one almost got past Davis.
29:44High ground ball rate
29:45from Johan Ramirez.
29:47Very good against left-handed pitchers.
29:49You see Paul Skeens right there.
29:51Only one home run given up last year.
29:5320-25.
29:57Two balls and no strike to Lindor.
29:59I feel like you can almost
30:01forecast the headlines
30:03in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
30:04and other places
30:07with Skeens not lasting
30:09past an inning.
30:11And the WBC workload
30:13coming out.
30:14It's going to be a part
30:16of the dialogue here
30:16over the next few days
30:17in Pittsburgh.
30:212-1 to Lindor.
30:23Fly ball to shallow left.
30:25Reynolds is here for it.
30:27To put a merciful tourniquet
30:29to a big bottom of the first
30:31for the home side.
30:35home runs this season.
30:37Here's your live look
30:38at FanDuel's home run odds
30:39for today's game.
30:41Get a plus 8.50
30:44on Spencer Horowitz.
30:46I don't know what the FanDuel
30:47pre-flop odds were
30:49on a home run
30:51from Brandon Lau
30:52in his first day B as a buck.
30:54But that's kind of a side note
30:56at this point
30:57because the Mets have countered
30:58with five knocking Paul Skeens
31:00out of the game.
31:03Freddie Peralta back to work
31:04after three straight strikeouts
31:06followed the Lau homer.
31:08He gets Jared Triolo,
31:09Spencer Horowitz,
31:10and Nick Gonzalez
31:11in the Pittsburgh second.
31:15I'm still trying to process
31:17what happened to Paul Skeens.
31:20It's the first time
31:21for everything, right?
31:21I guess.
31:27Well, look, guys,
31:28he has to lead off walk.
31:31Soto hits an 83-mile-an-hour
31:33off the bat,
31:34which was perfectly placed
31:36right center.
31:37I'm not making excuses here,
31:38but I'm just saying
31:39it wasn't like he got tattooed.
31:41Two misplays in center field.
31:42Two misplays in center field.
31:43It's the right move
31:44by Don Kelly.
31:45You have 37 pitches
31:46in the first inning.
31:47The rule of thumb is
31:48you start getting into
31:49the mid-20s,
31:51you worry about pitch count
31:53and injury and all that.
31:55Adam Adovino,
31:56from a reliever's standpoint,
31:58how do you process
31:59that bottom of the first?
32:01It's a bit of a nightmare
32:01if you're standing out there
32:02because we expected him
32:04to go at least four,
32:05five, six innings in this one,
32:06and then, you know,
32:07a couple guys clean it up.
32:08Now you have to cover
32:08eight innings.
32:10But I'm just sitting here
32:11a little shell-shocked.
32:12That was a crazy turn of events.
32:13I don't think he's ever had
32:14an inning from hell
32:15quite like that before.
32:16Adam, there's times
32:17that some of the relievers
32:18aren't even in the bullpen
32:19in the first inning.
32:20Is that right?
32:21Yeah, most of my career,
32:22I'd just be getting out
32:23of the cold tub right now,
32:25making a peanut butter
32:26and jelly sandwich
32:27and a coffee.
32:28So, yeah,
32:29a little bit of a
32:30three-alarm fire
32:31going on over there.
32:32Hey, Adam,
32:32you're close enough
32:33when O'Neal Cruz came in.
32:35Obviously,
32:35he's got to feel awful,
32:36but was there
32:37any interaction
32:38conversation or conversation?
32:41Yeah, a couple pats
32:42on the butt.
32:43Nothing too serious,
32:44though.
32:44They let him be.
32:47Strike one to Spencer Horowitz.
32:49It's going to be discussed
32:50as well.
32:51I mean,
32:51O'Neal Cruz
32:52is a very important player
32:53this year for the Pirates.
32:54You guys said it yourselves.
32:56And, Neal,
32:56you said he might be
32:56the most important player
32:57on the roster this season
32:59to try to break
33:00that 10-year playoff drought.
33:01Nice backhanded play
33:02by the two-time goal
33:03of Glover Marcus Simeon.
33:07You need to keep
33:08his head right,
33:09in other words.
33:11So, yeah,
33:12those were two boots.
33:14You got to move on.
33:15You have to move on.
33:16You got to hope that,
33:18you know,
33:18I have to assume
33:20that both balls
33:20were affected by the sun
33:21and or the wind.
33:23I did notice
33:24with the first ball
33:25that he came in first
33:26as opposed to went back,
33:27so there were some
33:28issues there.
33:30But we did see him
33:31improve over the course
33:32of the season.
33:34It just,
33:35the transition for him
33:36has just not been
33:36as clean as what
33:38people have expected
33:39it to be.
33:40But make no mistake,
33:41he's an unbelievably
33:42talented guy that,
33:44fastest guy on the team,
33:45hits the ball the farthest,
33:47and he can do everything.
33:49How do you get that
33:50on a regular basis, though?
33:52How do you get that
33:52consistency?
33:53That's the hardest thing
33:54to do at this level
33:55offensively.
33:58Here we go!
33:59Third baseman Nick Gonzalez
34:00behind 0-2.
34:02Gonzalez coming off
34:03a great spring.
34:07Little number.
34:08That's going to stick.
34:10Alvarez barehands
34:11and gets him.
34:12A fine play
34:12by Francisco Alvarez.
34:15A 1-2-3 second
34:17for Freddy Peralta
34:18with some help.
34:195-2 Mets,
34:20and moments ago,
34:21Ahmed caught up
34:22with Pirates manager
34:23Don Kelly.
34:25All right, Don,
34:26shortest outing
34:27of Paul Skeens' career.
34:28Are you as shocked
34:29as we are right now?
34:30Yeah, really,
34:31really tough inning
34:31there for us.
34:32It was some unfortunate plays
34:35and, you know,
34:36some walks,
34:37some control,
34:38but, you know,
34:39we've got to keep
34:39battling here.
34:39What, if anything,
34:40did you tell him?
34:42Paul, you know,
34:42it's all pitch count related,
34:44really, for him.
34:45Don't want to put him
34:45in harm's way
34:46getting up in the 40 pitch
34:47count mark.
34:47If we get into a foul ball
34:49battle there,
34:50don't want to push him
34:50into the mid-40s.
34:51Thanks, Don.
34:53Yeah, guys,
34:54what he's saying is,
34:55normally,
34:56a typical inning
34:57is about 15 pitches.
34:58You start getting guys
35:00up into the 30s,
35:01it's just a,
35:02it's a no-go zone
35:03for pitchers.
35:04It's certainly...
35:06Dribble to reverse
35:07their ball,
35:08and they get Soto
35:09on a roller to start.
35:10And then we add to it,
35:11right?
35:11The WPC work
35:13and all of that,
35:13but I do know
35:15that there's organizations
35:16for minor league
35:17pitching prospects,
35:18when they get to
35:18the 30 number,
35:19they take them
35:20out of the game.
35:21So,
35:21this isn't like
35:22a dangerous thing
35:23for Paul Skeens,
35:25but it was the right move
35:25by Don Kelly.
35:26They got a long season,
35:28and it was an ugly inning.
35:35A quick out
35:36for Ramirez,
35:37and that'll bring up
35:38Beau Bichette
35:39for a second time.
35:39A sack fly
35:40and an RBI
35:41in his first official
35:42at-bat as a Mets
35:43first inning.
35:45Well, Al,
35:46you talk about this
35:47a little bit.
35:47You pitched in the big leagues
35:48for almost 20 years.
35:50Certainly,
35:50you had a clunker
35:51every once in a while.
35:53Coming back from that,
35:54did you ever have a stinker
35:55like that on opening day?
35:57I mean,
35:57that timing is odd.
35:59And I'll be up to look,
36:00guys.
36:01I played for the men.
36:01I played for four different teams.
36:03There's no, like,
36:04polling either way,
36:05but he's a special talent
36:06right there.
36:07Unbelievable.
36:08His work ethic,
36:09his routine,
36:10his stuff,
36:12it's unprecedented.
36:13It really is.
36:13And I'm not,
36:14I don't give a whole lot
36:15of praise.
36:16I'm pretty honest
36:17about my assessment,
36:18but that's shocking.
36:20And also,
36:21as you just,
36:21you framed it,
36:23Matty,
36:23it's, you know,
36:23opening day,
36:24the excitement here
36:25at Citi Field.
36:26You know,
36:26what that young man
36:27has done in the past,
36:28only two years,
36:29rookie of the year
36:29two years ago,
36:30nationally excited
36:31young award winner
36:32last year.
36:33Yeah,
36:34it's shocking.
36:35I'll tell you
36:35what I love personally
36:36from a fan standpoint,
36:38and,
36:38Neil,
36:39you know him
36:39better than Al and I do.
36:41He's sitting right there.
36:43He didn't go up the tunnel.
36:45He's not showered.
36:46He's not hiding in the club.
36:47He's going to watch
36:47the rest of the game.
36:48That's not surprising to me.
36:49I mean,
36:50he,
36:50there's nobody that cares
36:51more about this team
36:53than Paul Skeens.
36:54He works harder
36:55than anybody that's down there.
36:58He's going to assess today
36:59in a very,
37:01in a very positive way
37:03somehow.
37:04And he will turn
37:05this thing around
37:05the next time he gets out,
37:07probably in Cincinnati.
37:09I can almost guarantee
37:10it will be rectified.
37:12But,
37:13you know,
37:13we don't know
37:15if there was something
37:16mechanically a little bit off
37:17of him
37:17or what the case may be.
37:19But,
37:19he is going to be
37:20supporting this team
37:21for the rest of this game.
37:22He doesn't care about
37:24anything else right now
37:25but trying to
37:26creep back into this game.
37:30Two quick outs now
37:31for Jorge Polanco.
37:37stuff happens,
37:38right, guys?
37:38It's baseball.
37:39you,
37:40you,
37:40you throw one down
37:41the middle as a pitcher
37:42and a guy hits a rocket
37:43out at somebody.
37:44Then you got a swinging
37:45bunt that rolls down
37:46the third base line
37:46that Polanco,
37:47like,
37:48it's,
37:48it's,
37:49it's called,
37:49it's baseball.
37:50You,
37:50you,
37:51you control what you can
37:52control as a pitch.
37:53You let the ball go.
37:54You've got guys behind you.
37:55You hope they hit it at
37:56somebody and you make pitches.
37:57I don't think there was
37:58anything wrong with them.
37:59The stuff was every bit as
38:00good.
38:01That was a problem there.
38:03Real Cruz,
38:03that,
38:04that,
38:04that was a rough inning,
38:05just put it mildly for him.
38:09Counts two balls and no
38:10strikes on Jorge Polanco.
38:12Singleton scored in the five run
38:14first.
38:15Well,
38:16I'll tell you another thing
38:17that's in play here is the
38:19Mets opening day magic.
38:22Now,
38:23you know about it.
38:24It's a,
38:24it's a thing.
38:25The Mets win on opening day.
38:27Best big league record on
38:30opening day.
38:30A 631 winning percentage in
38:34lid lifters.
38:36Ball four to Polanco.
38:38That is true,
38:39right?
38:39I knew when I was here,
38:41they,
38:41they,
38:42you know,
38:42it was a,
38:42they talked about it.
38:43I guess it's still,
38:44it's still going.
38:45It's a thing.
38:45All right.
38:4641 and 23 all time on opening
38:49day.
38:49They have lost their last two.
38:52There's something about this
38:54franchise in opening day magic.
39:00Already the third walk by
39:01Pirates pitching today.
39:03First two had scored.
39:05And now Luis Robert Jr.
39:06For a second time,
39:07he drew one of the walks and
39:08scored in the first.
39:09Even right there,
39:10Neil.
39:10Luis Robert Jr.
39:12Unbelievable physical talent.
39:13And I know a couple years ago,
39:1430 plus home runs,
39:15but you know,
39:16he's got a new pitcher,
39:17scouting report,
39:18et cetera,
39:18and he takes a pitch that was
39:19borderline down to see pitches.
39:22And I always thought that was
39:24really important in the early
39:25portion of a game and in the
39:26early portion of the year was
39:28how many pitches can I see,
39:29you know,
39:30within reason to the game
39:32situation,
39:32runners in scoring position,
39:33all those things.
39:34I wanted to see,
39:35in my first at bat,
39:37if a guy had four pitches
39:37and I saw three of them,
39:38even if I got out,
39:39I saw that as a success.
39:41And,
39:41you know,
39:42obviously situations change
39:43from time to time.
39:45But when we talked to Carlos Mendoza,
39:47he talked about that.
39:49He talked about the professional
39:50at bats that we're going to see
39:51from this collective group
39:53of the Mets,
39:53right?
39:53And we're seeing it right off the bat
39:55in the first inning.
40:00Robert with a tapper to shortstop.
40:03Criolo over to first in time
40:04to get him.
40:05And the side is retired
40:07without incident.
40:12Adobe fan experience.
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40:22slash MLB.
40:25Some 1987 opening day
40:28highlights.
40:28Mets get their rings.
40:32A 5-2 lead for New York
40:34on opening day of 2026.
40:38Shattered bat roller that goes
40:40foul off the bat of Henry Davis
40:42leading things off in the Bucs
40:43half of inning number three.
40:45Davis then top of the order,
40:46Cruz and Lau.
40:49And speaking of Mets season
40:52openers,
40:52the 5-run first today
40:55is the first time
40:57that the Mets have ever scored
40:58three or more runs
41:00in the first inning
41:01of a season open.
41:03Makes sense, right?
41:04You can face in the opposing ace
41:06and usually they're...
41:08Yeah, you're right.
41:09Right?
41:10I mean, you're not...
41:10Facing the fifth starter
41:11or some call-up guys are usually
41:13the premium ace arms.
41:15Not much made sense
41:16through the first six outs
41:17of this game, I can tell you
41:18that.
41:19So Mets minutiae history.
41:21The magic, you said.
41:22First time scoring
41:23more than three runs
41:25in the first inning
41:25of the season opener
41:26to make sure we're right.
41:29It's 1-1 to Davis.
41:33He was buckling that time.
41:352-1.
41:37When do we see the first ABS,
41:39Neil?
41:41Today.
41:42It is very interesting.
41:43It's a super polarizing
41:45topic of discussion
41:46because how are teams
41:48going to handle
41:49whether they are
41:50super aggressive with it?
41:52Is it going to be more
41:53related to the situation?
41:55That count?
41:57I think time will tell
41:59how this is going to evolve,
42:01but I think it's going
42:01to have to be
42:03two, three weeks of games.
42:04How about the play here, Neil?
42:05New third baseman,
42:07nice short hop pick,
42:08wobbly throw,
42:09new first baseman
42:10with a very agile move.
42:11Get that first one
42:12out of the way.
42:12It's not always easiest,
42:14and that was a tough
42:15little play right there.
42:16He's used to the body
42:17control stuff being
42:17on the left side of the
42:18infield for a long period
42:19of time, but make no
42:20mistake, it's going to be
42:21a challenge to really
42:24get comfortable at that
42:25spot because you've got
42:26the fielding portion of it
42:28and then you have the
42:29throwing portion of it,
42:30and those balls,
42:31especially to your left
42:31and right, especially
42:32in that six hole,
42:33it's easy to get out of
42:34whack, especially when
42:35you're coming from
42:36shortstop where that ball
42:38in the six hole, you
42:38already got your shoulders
42:39set toward first base.
42:40You have to really work
42:41hard to get your body
42:42turn with a lot of balls
42:44at third base.
42:46Nothing in two, the count
42:47to O'Neal Cruz, who would
42:49love to begin the
42:50redemption process here
42:52with his second plate
42:53appearance of the
42:53afternoon.
42:55Yes, he singled and scored
42:57a run in front, allows
42:58first inning homer, but the
42:59two misplays were costly
43:01and a part of the 5-2 deficit
43:04narrative.
43:05Ball in two strikes.
43:12I can't imagine a lonelier
43:14feeling than two misplays on
43:16back-to-back at bats behind
43:17your staff face on opening day
43:19in the first inning.
43:21Yeah.
43:26Two-two.
43:27Two-two.
43:41Oh, no.
43:43You go.
43:44You see here.
43:44You checked it to fill the
43:45count of three balls and two
43:47strikes.
43:49putting a good at bat together right here as you see the check swing
43:52it can be easy sometimes guys to try to want to
43:55get that run back or get multiple runs back after you make a bad defensive play
44:00no no Cruz got a face hit in that first inning and
44:03put together a good professional at bat right here
44:06guy that Homer do up next
44:09Neil Cruz has gone to a full count in each of his plate appearances against
44:13Freddy Peralta here so far
44:24Peralta's mowed down seven in a row since that Lyle Homer before and he loses
44:29O'Neal Cruz who we got it got a cap we got a cap touch a challenge challenge in
44:34a call to the ball and it came from Peralta
44:43every manager we've talked to in spring training and to begin the season is
44:47reluctant to give their pitchers the green light to challenge calls
44:52but
44:53freddie knew he had the zone there
44:56big one man you know what it's I know why managers don't want the pitchers to do it
45:01first of all it's emotional but if you watch his delivery
45:03his head stays on it enough and if you look where Alvarez was setting up
45:07I said it came from Peralta but also Alvarez went right to it
45:10it looked like he reached across the plate
45:13but because he was setting up away it got obviously enough of the plate we just saw it
45:17and that's a pitch in the past I mean that would never get called right
45:23I mean that's when you use it right when it's the difference between ball four and a punch out
45:29wow with another high drive to right field bench back turns his back to the infield
45:34and Brandon Lau's doing nothing but hit homers as a pirate
45:41another moonshot the first one in inning number one 103 off the bat sky high
45:47I think this was probably arguably higher than that one
45:50this one did not want to come down Brandon Lau
45:54welcome to Pittsburgh
45:58he's got pop guys I know he had you know 31 home runs last year but
46:03I don't know whether it's just a smooth swing with barrel all through it
46:09it's it's crazy Al watching him work in the cage and watching him work on batting practice
46:15as you see the helmet it doesn't make sense to you
46:19it's not the body type that you would expect of somebody that hit 30 plus home runs
46:23he's not a big guy that's a mistake
46:26yeah he was able to get leverage on it
46:28you know he probably hit this 100 plus miles an hour as well as he did the one in the
46:33first inning he just understands how to get leverage which is so impressive for a guy his size
46:42look Ben Ogilvie hit 40 homers with the Brewers back in the 70s and he was about 165 pounds soaking
46:49wet
46:49it can be done
46:54Brian Reynolds with a gapper into left center field he'll be satisfied with a single
47:01so a homer and a two-out base hit and the Pirates are in business against Peralta here in the
47:06third
47:08that's a nice piece of hitting right there guys I mean watch him stay inside this baseball almost
47:12shoots it toward that left center field gap to get to the wall gets cut off by Juan Soto
47:19Brian Reynolds important important piece to the puzzle that is the Pirates offense
47:24that is the Pirates offense so now Marcelo
47:24that is the Pirates offense so now Marcelo
47:24that is the Pirates offense so now Marcelo
47:25that is the Pirates offense so now Marcelo
47:26that is the Pirates offense so now Marcelo
47:27that is the Pirates offense so now Marcelo
47:27that is the Pirates offense so now Marcelo
47:27that is the Pirates offense so now Marcelo that is the Pirates offense so now Marcelo
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