Paul Skenes explains why his Opening Day start turned ugly
New York Post • • sports
Key Points:
- Paul Skenes struggled in his Opening Day start for the Pirates, lasting only two-thirds of an inning while giving up five earned runs and matching his career high in runs allowed.
- Despite the poor outing, Skenes noted that he did not allow much hard contact, but his unusually high batting average on balls in play (.800 BABIP) contributed to the quick collapse.
- Pirates manager Don Kelly pulled Skenes after 37 pitches to protect his health, citing concerns over the pitch count early in the game.
- The Pirates’ early struggles were compounded by center fielder Oneil Cruz misplaying two fly balls, which extended the Mets’ rally in the first inning.
- Skenes remained relatively composed about the performance, calling it an abnormal outing and expressing confidence that the BABIP will normalize as the season progresses.
