FLUSHING, NY — Opening Day at Citi Field delivered everything the New York Mets could have asked for—a relentless offensive outburst, a historic rookie debut, and a strong first impression from their new starter in front of a sold crowd of 41,449 die hard Metropolitan fans.
Behind an explosive first inning and a lineup that refused to let up, the Mets defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7 on Thursday afternoon to open the 2026 season at 1-0.
Making his debut in a Mets uniform after spending his first eight years in MLB with Milwaukee, Freddy Peralta settled in after an early jolt to earn the win. The right-hander from Moca, Dominican Republic allowed four earned runs across five innings, striking out seven without issuing a walk. Two of those runs came on a pair of home runs by Pittsburgh’s Brandon Lowe, who provided nearly all of the Pirates’ early offense.
“The energy from the first pitch to the last one, you can feel it,” Peralta said postgame, describing the difference of pitching in Queens compared to his previous stops.
Fans were ready to go hours before Thursday’s first pitch as the Mets opened up their 2026 season and beat the Pirates 11-7 at Citi Field – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
The 29-year-old, winning the National League LatinoMVP Starting Pitcher of the Year Award in 2024, took the mound in front of a significantly larger Dominican fan presence than he experienced during his time in Milwaukee, fully aware of the heightened expectations and pressure that come with pitching in New York.
The Mets quickly erased an early 2-0 deficit in a chaotic first inning that defined the afternoon. Brett Baty delivered the turning point, ripping a bases-clearing triple to center field after Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz misjudged a fly ball in the sun. That swing gave New York a 4-2 lead and sent reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes to an abrupt exit after just two-thirds of an inning—the shortest outing of his career.
From there, the Mets offense applied constant pressure. New York forced Pittsburgh pitching to throw 151 pitches over the first five innings, grinding through at-bats and capitalizing on mistakes. Manager Carlos Mendoza highlighted the approach afterward, pointing to a 13-pitch at-bat by Bo Bichette as a tone-setter despite ending in a strikeout.
“Even though he struck out, you saw what happened right after,” Mendoza said. “It says a lot about our offense.”
The game also featured a piece of Major League Baseball history, as the first successful Automated Ball-Strike challenge resulted in a called strike three against Cruz in the top of the third—a moment that underscored the evolving nature of the sport.
But the biggest storyline belonged to rookie Carson Benge. After beginning his career with two strikeouts, Benge responded emphatically, launching his first major league hit over the right-field wall for a home run.
He later added a walk and scored twice, becoming just the second player in Mets history to homer on Opening Day in his MLB debut, joining Kaz Matsui in 2004.
“Who he is super-consistent,” Mendoza said. “Even after starting 0-for-2, he still felt good about his chances.”
Francisco Álvarez (Guatire, Venezuela) followed Benge’s blast with a home run of his own, pushing the Mets’ lead to 11-5 and electrifying a crowd of more than 41,000 at Citi Field.
Pittsburgh attempted to rally late, cutting the deficit to four runs on a two-run double by Nick Gonzales, but the Mets bullpen held firm to secure the victory.
For New York, the performance marked more than just a win. It was a statement—a new-look roster, an energized clubhouse, and a relentless offensive identity on full display.
Opening Day is only one game, but for the Mets, it offered a glimpse of what could be ahead.
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