Paul Skenes had a nightmare start to his 2026 season, throwing 37 pitches and recording 26 strikes against the New York Mets before being pulled. The Pirates pitcher's disappointment was evident as the camera panned to him on the bench.
Pittsburgh fans brought up his long-time girlfriend Olivia Dunne in their reactions, with some noting that she would be 'utterly disappointed' by his performance.
The Pirates' Opening Day quickly unraveled, with poor defense contributing to their struggles. Center fielder Oneil Cruz misjudged a fly ball, allowing three runs to score, highlighting concerns about Pittsburgh's defensive setup.
Skenes struggled to settle into a rhythm, walking two batters and recording just one strikeout. He failed to escape the first inning, throwing 37 pitches before being pulled with the Pirates trailing 5-2.
Before Opening Day, Skenes expressed his team's goals, stating that they want to win the division and make the playoffs, but refused to put a number of games out there, saying it would be 'putting a ceiling on us.'
