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Following the Mets' 11-7 Opening Day win over the Pirates, manager Carlos Mendoza and the players spoke about the game...

Paul Skenes' tough day at CitiField

What was supposed to be a pitcher's duel between Freddy Peralta and Skenes was not to be.

While Peralta gritted his way through five innings, the Mets lineup did not let Skenes get through one.

Although the Mets offense was aided by some defensive mishaps, the lineup did its thing against the reigning NL CY Young winner. Skenes allowed five earned runs on four hits, two walks and a hit batter while picking up just two outs. 

After the game, Skenes could only applaud the Mets for how they handled him on Thursday.

"They did a really good job," Skenes said. "In the moment, maybe a little frustrating, just gotta execute earlier. They did a good job."

Skenes threw just 37 pitches before manager Don Kelly pulled his ace. The Pirates skipper told Skenes that it's too early in the season to push it although the right-hander believed he could have gotten out of the inning, but understood his manager's logic. 

So, what exactly went wrong for Skenes?

"I walked the leadoff guy," Skenes said matter-of-factly. "Didn’t execute with two strikes when I needed a punchout or a double play there. Yea, a few things."

Skenes said he'll just flush the loss moving forward and pointed out how there was a lot of soft contact by Mets hitters in the first inning that ultimately led to runs. 

"You've gotta look at it for what it is, there wasn't a ton of hard contact," Skenes said. "Leadoff walk is not great. Some balls landed, the Polanco groundball. You know, stuff like that. The batting average on balls in play thing was super high today, that'll go down as the season goes on."

He's not wrong.

Two of the four hits had exit velocities lower than 89 mph, while the other two hits were a result of Oneil Cruz's defensive misplays. But still, the Mets lineup made Skenes work with long at-bats, working walks and putting the ball in play, causing the worst start in the youngster's MLB career.

"Just competitive," Bichette said of the at-bats in the first inning. "The goal of our team is to be the most competitive at-bats you see every day. And we did that for sure."

Paul Skenes does not get out of the first inning on Opening Day against the Mets pic.twitter.com/4qaZs9P3uB

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 26, 2026

New positions, no problem

Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco's new positions were a big storyline this offseason, and their defensive abilities were put to the test for the first time on Thursday.

Bichette, starting at third base, and Polanco at first base, started at their respective positions for the first time in a real game and they did well. There were no errors or misplays by either, and in fact, they made it look routine for the most part.

Mendoza was asked about both players' first games in their new positions after the win.

"I thought both were pretty good," he said. "The few chances that they got, that one-hopper to Bo, the way he reacted, got up, set his feet, made a good throw. The one that he came in…threw it on the run, little off line up the line, but it was good for Polanco to come off the base, apply the tag.

"Routine groundballs for Polanco, couple of hard ones. The whole thing, the positioning, the ability to communicate from pitch-to-pitch was good to see."

The additions of Bichette and Polanco were part of president of baseball operations David Stearns' offseason plan to be better defensively. And while on paper, flipping the positions of two starters counters that philosophy, it worked out at least for one game.

Much has been made this preseason about Daniel Susac winning the backup catcher role for the San Francisco Giants. Susac, a northern California native whose older brother, Andrew, won a World Series as Buster Posey’s backup, entered camp as the presumptive favorite due to his Rule 5 status. As a Rule 5 selection, Susac needs to stay on the active roster for the entirety of the year, and cannot be optioned. If the Giants wish to move him off the active roster for any reason other than an injury, he’ll be returned to the Athletics system.

Susac did, indeed, win the job, beating out veteran Eric Haase and contact-maven prospect Jesús Rodríguez. He’ll be the backup catcher for the foreseeable future, and the Giants will surely hope that he can hang onto the role all year, and stay in the system.

But while Susac got the bulk of the attention, he wasn’t the only Rule 5 pick whose fate impacts the Giants. You might remember that San Francisco lost a pair of right-handed pitchers in the Major League portion of the December draft, Spencer Miles and Ryan Watson.

And both of those players made their respective teams’ Opening Day rosters, meaning they won’t be returned to the Giants … not yet, at least.

With respect to Watson, Miles is the notable name of the pair, and was taken by the defending American League champion Toronto Blue Jays. A fourth-round pick in 2022 out of Missouri, talent has never been an issue for Miles … but health has. He pitched 7.1 innings in ‘22 after getting drafted, but missed the entirety of the 2023 season. He pitched 7.1 more innings in 2024 — all at the Complex League — but lost all of 2025. As such, the 25-year old has just 14.2 innings of professional baseball to his name, and none above Low-A. But a fantastic showing in the Arizona Fall League — with mesmerizing metrics to back it up — earned him a look from the Blue Jays.

He ran with it in the spring, striking out 11 batters in 9.2 innings, with a 3.72 ERA. It came down to the wire, but he made the Opening Day roster, and now will become the rare player to appear in the Majors before playing in AAA, AA, or even High-A.

But that’s only the first step. There were warning flags in Miles’ performance: he walked five batters, hit another, and ceded a pair of home runs. And he’s joining a Blue Jays roster that has four pitchers on the 15-Day Injured List, plus another on the 60-Day IL. Making the roster was one thing; sticking on it will be another one entirely.

As for Watson, he was taken by the Athletics and traded to the Boston Red Sox. The 28-year old has had a long career as he prepares for his Major League debut: he was drafted out of high school in the 39th round in 2016 by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but didn’t sign. He chose instead to play at Auburn, and went undrafted in the pandemic-shortened 2020 draft, but signed with the Baltimore Orioles. They traded him to the Giants for cash considerations in late 2024.

Watson didn’t pitch particularly well for the Red Sox this spring, with a 5.56 ERA, a 4.62 FIP, and just seven strikeouts in 11.1 innings. But he impressed his new coaching staff, and gets the excitement of joining a Major League roster.

Miles and Watson will be worth paying attention to in the coming days, weeks, and months. Should the Blue Jays or Red Sox decide they don’t want to keep them, they’ll be placed on waivers. Any team that claims the relievers will have to abide by the same Rule 5 restrictions. If they clear waivers, they’ll be returned to the Giants for a small fee, and they’ll head back to the Minor Leagues, without taking a spot on the 40-man roster.

The Giants were heavily involved in the Rule 5 draft this year, as Miles, Watson, and Susac represent three of the just 13 players who were taken. As for the other 10 (all pitchers), six made the Opening Day roster for their new teams, while three were returned to their original organization. One, RJ Petit of the Colorado Rockies, will open the year on the Injured List.

The Cubs have secured their second baseman for the long haul.

Nico Hoerner and the Cubs agreed to a six-year extension to keep him in Chicago until his age-35 season, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported on Thursday.

Exact details, including the total salary of the contract, are still unknown.

The deal comes as Hoerner, who turns 29 in May, was previously expected to enter free agency following this season.

Hoerner’s signing also comes just days after the Cubs locked up outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong with a six-year deal worth $115 million.

A large part of Chicago’s lineup is now locked up long-term, with shortstop Dansby Swanson under contract until 2029, third baseman Alex Bregman not hitting free agency until 2030 and corner infielder Michael Busch under team control through the 2029 season.

“I love our chances right now, I love that we’re in a place where we have a lot of people that are very consistent and a lot of people that have high upside,” Hoerner told reporters before their 10-4 opening-day loss to the Nationals, according to the Chicago Tribune. “When you combine that with experience, it’s a special thing, and I think our group is in a really strong place.”

Hoerner is coming off a career year with the Cubs, posting a slash line of .297/.345/.394 with 29 doubles and a 6.2 WAR, as he earned his second Gold Glove award.

Even with his impressive numbers last season, Cubs skipper Craig Counsell said he believes Horner can do even better.

“Nico can grow, I think Nico can be better, and I really am optimistic he’s going to be better,” Counsell said Thursday. “Nico still has the ability to drive the ball a little more, and that’s in a good place and really ready to show up.

“But I want Nico to be himself, and he’s going to be himself and just go take his at-bat and do good things, in the mold of how he does it.”

The Dodger Stadium gates swung open at 2:30 p.m. and chaos quickly ensued.

Droves of fans clad in blue and white raced in, hitting venue entrances with speed.

But for many who arrived at Chavez Ravine with tickets to Los Angeles’ season-opener against the Diamondbacks on Thursday, the first order of business was not to secure a good spot to see Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman or Mookie Betts.

No, it was to get into team merchandise stores.

Fans are ready to show off their Dodgers pride even if it means waiting in long lines to buy new merch on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium. https://t.co/kAKveBKrYtpic.twitter.com/nTISFMdQLA

— California Post Sports (@capostsports) March 26, 2026

Within an hour of the venerable ballpark’s opening, nearly every shop containing Dodgers gear had a line that was hard to see the end of.

One specific one behind right field appeared endless, although for Dodgers diehard Andrew Martinez, it was a wait that was necessary.

The superfan, decked out in a white and gold Kiké Hernández jersey, told The California Post he simply had to have some of the rare Born x Raised Dodgers gear that was released this offseason.

“I tried to go online,” Martinez said, “but it was all sold within five minutes, two minutes. I was only able to get one shirt out of the about 12 things they dropped. So, that’s why we’re in line.”

Martinez said he was specifically eyeing the Clayton Kershaw tee that the brand put out, even if it meant he and his pal had to stand for around 45 minutes to get their hands on it.

“My buddy’s already getting on me, like, ‘Hey let’s go. Let’s go have some fun. Let’s go talk to people,'” Martinez said. “But I’m like, ‘Look, let’s just do this. All right?’”

Other fans told The Post they were patiently waiting for the opportunity to buy collector pins and Hello Kitty-branded items.

For those lucky enough to move in and out of the stores, getting to seats still didn’t appear to be priority.

Food and drink stands seemed to be the next stop for many, with hundreds antsy to get their hands on some of the new Opening Day offerings — which included bone marrow tacos, watermelon habanero margaritas and the $24.99 “Loco Moco Bowl.”

The game eventually got underway around 5:30 p.m. following fireworks, a flyover and a loud rendition of the national anthem.

Fans in the stands all appeared giddy to see the Dodgers start their quest for a third-straight title — especially those who had full bellies and some new merch at their side.

On their way into the clubhouse Thursday, Dodgers players were greeted by the World Series championship trophies they won in 2024 and 2025. In center field, Dodgers fans were greeted by oversize replicas of those trophies, the better for taking a selfie.

On social media, the Dodgers unveiled their opening day hype video. These were the first words: “What’s wrong with being the bad guy?” At Dodger Stadium, the three-peat hype video was a movie trailer with this tagline: “Great sequels build legendary trilogies.”

To the rest of that country, all that winning and all that spending makes the Dodgers the bad guys. For more than a year, the owners of other major league teams have telegraphed their desire to restrain all that spending, preferably through a salary cap.

How does the owner of the Dodgers feel?

Does baseball truly have a problem?

Sit down, Dodgers fans. You might expect the owner of the Colorado Rockies to say that revenue disparity among teams is so great that competitive balance has been destroyed, and he did.

You might not expect Dodgers owner Mark Walter to say this:

”Here’s what the problem is: Money helps us win. We can’t win all the time. We’ve got to have some parity,” Walter told me.

Read more:Dodgers' opening week will celebrate 2025 World Series, but also set the tone for 2026

“So we’ve got to come up with something that will give us some parity.”

Don’t take this the wrong way: Walter will always want to win. But the owners, Walter included, are increasingly united in the belief that revenue disparity is the primary explanation why a small-market team has not won the World Series in 11 years.

The Dodgers are making more money from Uniqlo in naming rights this season than some teams are making from local television rights and the Dodgers also are making 10 times as much on their SportsNet LA deal.

The Dodgers generated an estimated $850 million in revenue last season, according to Forbes. Their opening day opponent, the Arizona Diamondbacks, generated an estimated $324 million.

If Walter were to support the pursuit of a salary cap, the owners could be unanimously in favor. For now, negotiations with the players’ union have not started, and owners have not considered the language of whatever bargaining proposal they might make, so there is nothing for Walter to approve or reject.

“We’ll have to see what it is,” Walter said.

The players’ union does not dispute the revenue disparity. The union believes the owners should solve that issue among themselves, by sharing more revenue and adding incentives for lower-revenue teams that win. The union also believes “competitive balance” is a fig leaf for “cost control that increases owner profits.”

In the NFL, which has a salary cap, either the Kansas City Chiefs or the New England Patriots has played in the AFC championship in each of the last 15 years.

Read more:Shaikin: The signs say Uniqlo Field. You will continue to say Dodger Stadium

And, even if the Dodgers are the bad guys, they are not bad for business. The Dodgers hold five of the top 12 spots on baseball’s list of best-selling jerseys: Shohei Ohtani at No. 1, Yoshinobu Yamamoto at No. 2, Mookie Betts at No. 5, Freddie Freeman at No. 7 and Kiké Hernandez at No. 12.

The last two World Series, in which the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, juiced television ratings across the country and around the world. The World Baseball Classic dominated headlines and social media content at what is usually a sleepy time for baseball.

All of that momentum would be at risk if owners shut down the sport in “salary cap or bust” collective bargaining, crossing their fingers that players would surrender as soon as they started missing paychecks next spring.

It is against that backdrop that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts encouraged fans to appreciate this season opener. With potential armageddon looming in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, who knows when the next season might actually open?

“I understand that,” Roberts said Thursday, “in the sense of, this is where the CBA is at, as far as the expiration. And I do agree: Enjoy it, because nothing is guaranteed. It’s going to be a great year and I hope everyone pours their spirits and their joy into this season, because it’s going to be a great one. We’ll just figure out where it goes after that.”

And, if it goes haywire after that, the Dodgers inevitably will be blamed.

“That,” Roberts said with a laugh, “seems like it’s always been the case recently.”

What would Walter tell Dodgers fans concerned that what might be in the best interest of baseball might not be in the best interest of the Dodgers?

“I don’t want to hurt us,” Walter said. “We’ll be fine.”

With whatever happens?

“Yeah,” he said. “We’ll be good.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mets Opening Day included a fitting baseball circle-of-life moment.

Rookie outfielder Carson Benge, making his Mets regular season debut, brought Citi Field to its feet when he blasted a solo home run in the sixth inning, the first of his major league career, as the Amazin’s rolled to an 11-7 win over the Pirates in a Thursday matinee.

On the call for Audacy Mets Radio was none other than Howie Rose, who is calling his final Opening Day after he announced just days before the season that it would be his last in the broadcasting booth.

Benge, facing Pirates reliever Justin Lawrence, clobbered a first-pitch sweeper, sending it over the right-center field wall on a 105.3 mph line drive.

Rose was on the play-by-play duties in the bottom of the frame and had the call. He didn’t miss a beat.

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“First pitch, Benge hits it in the air to right field, fairly deep, [Ryan] O’Hearn back, at the wall and it’s gone!” Rose said. “He hit it off the canopy in the right field bullpen. Carson Benge makes his first major league hit a home run. Congratulations to Carson Benge as he gets an enthusiastic pat on the back from third base coach Tim Leiper, an aggressive fist bump from Francisco Alvarez and they’re waiting to congratulate the kid in the dugout.

“Carson Benge, his first major league knock and homer, and the Mets take a 10-5 lead.”

Benge, the top Mets position player prospect, finished the day by reaching base three times — drawing two walks — and scoring two runs. He also stole his first big league base in the eighth inning.

Rose, who said last week that he “did not arrive at this decision to retire easily,” got to use his signature “Put it in the books!” call in the top of the ninth when reliever Luis Garcia fanned Oneil Cruz for the game’s final out.