Game 1 out of 162 always feels a little different than the rest.

Opening Day is special. It feels like a sign of spring and of hope. And that's where the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves on Thursday afternoon when they match up in a game televised nationally on NBC.

Hope springs eternal on Opening Day. Anything is possible, even for a team like the Mets that collapsed down the stretch last season, or a team like the Pirates that hasn't done nearly enough winning lately.

Much of the optimism will stem for both teams from the guys on the mound on Thursday.

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The Pirates send reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes to the hill.

The Mets counter with Freddy Peralta, their new ace acquired in an offseason trade from the Milwaukee Brewers.

It's just one game, but Opening Day is so much more, and had live updates for you below.

Mets vs. Pirates final score

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Live score
Pirates	2	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	2	7
Mets	5	0	0	1	3	2	0	0	x	11

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Mets vs. Pirates updates, highlights

Ninth inning

- Luis Garcia came on for the Mets. Ryan O'Hearn led off with a single, then Jared Triolo doubled, and the Pirates weren't going quietly.

- Nick Gonzales delivered a two-run double. Pirates cut into the deficit. Mets lead 11-7 with one out in the ninth.

- Garcia prevented further damage. The Mets are 1-0.

Eighth inning

- Tobias Myers worked a scoreless top of the eighth, three up and three down.

- Carson Benge worked a two-out walk, then stole second base. But that was all, and the Mets take a six-run lead to the ninth.

Seventh inning

- Nothing doing for the Pirates in the top of the seventh. Time to stretch.

- And it's a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh for the Mets.

Sixth inning

- Ryan O'Hearn hits an opposite field home run to left field over the head of Juan Soto. A solo shot. Mets lead 9-5.

- Mets reliever Tobias Myers, who entered at the start of the inning, gets three outs around the O'Hearn homer.

- Carson Benge has his first MLB hit, and it's a home run. The lefty hitter pulled it to right field. Mets lead 10-5.

- Back to back. Francisco Alvarez, goodbye baseball, deep to left. Mets lead 11-5.

- Juan Soto just missed one of his own, flying out to end the sixth.

Fifth inning

- Nick Gonzales singles, then on the next pitch, Henry Davis hits an RBI double into the left field corner. Mets lead trimmed to 6-4.

- Freddy Peralta snapped off a good curveball for a strikeout to strand a runner at third and escape further damage. Likely his last pitch of the game.

- In his MLB debut, Carson Benge reaches base on a walk after striking out his first two times.

- The Mets loaded the bases, and Juan Soto singled to left to bring in a run. They remain loaded, and Mets lead 7-4.

- Jorge Polanco walks with the bases loaded on four pitches. Mets lead 8-4.

- Luis Robert Jr. hit a check-swing infield single for an RBI. Mets lead 9-4.

- Brett Baty flies out to stop the damage from going further and end the fifth inning.

Fourth inning

- A 1-2-3 top of the fourth worked by Freddy Peralta, who has been just fine when not facing Brandon Lowe.

- Two runners reached with two outs, and then Luis Robert Jr. came through. The new centerfielder yanked a single through the left side to bring home Francisco Lindor. 6-3 Mets.

- Brett Baty takes a called strike three on a breaking ball to end the chance of further damage in the fourth.

Third inning

- Brandon Lowe homered, again. This one was crushed to right-center with two outs and no one. Mets lead reduced to 5-3.

- A nice catch in center by Luis Robert Jr. ends top three.

- Marcus Semien reached on an infield dribbler, but that was it in bottom three, a scoreless frame for the Mets.

Second inning

- A 1-2-3 top of the second, capped off with a great play by catcher Francisco Alvarez on a dribbler to get the out at first.

- Pirates work around a two-out walk for a scoreless frame.

First inning

- Oneil Cruz leads off the game with a single, reaching out for an offspeed pitch almost in the dirt to toss it into shallow centerfield.

- On the first pitch Brandon Lowe sees as a Pirate, he leaves the yard. Two-run home run to right field. 2-0 Pirates.

FIRST HOMER OF THE SEASON GOES TO BRANDON LOWE! pic.twitter.com/JoA4yn1Bss

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 26, 2026

- Freddy Peralta strikes out the side after the home run.

- Francisco Lindor leads off bottom one with a walk. Juan Soto follows with a single. Bo Bichette hits a sac fly to right field. 2-1 Pirates as Mets get one back.

- The Mets have now loaded the bases with one out. Skenes has already thrown 29 pitches.

- Brett Baty crushes a bases-clearing triple to centerfield. Oneil Cruz started in, and the ball then beat him to the fence. 4-2 Mets.

- On the very next pitch, Oneil Cruz lost a ball in the sun. Marcus Semien's popup dropped, Baty scored. 5-2 Mets.

- Skenes hit Francisco Alvarez with two outs and has been pulled after 37 pitches with two on and two outs.

- Lindor flew out to end the first.

Pregame

- Lineups are out for both teams. The Pirates go with Oneil Cruz, Brandon Lowe, Bryan Reynolds, Marcell Ozuna, Ryan O'Hearn, Jared Triolo, Spencer Horwitz, Nick Gonzales and Henry Davis. The Mets counter with Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr., Brett Baty, Marcus Semien, Carson Benge and Francisco Alvarez.

- It's an MLB debut for Carson Benge, the Mets' talented outfielder who will start in right field.

- The Mets made news away from the field this morning, signing veteran Tommy Pham to a minor league contract.

- The Mets are making history by starting Bo Bichette at third base and Jorge Polanco at first base. You can read more here about something not done since Jackie Robinson.

- It's worth noting that the game may not start right on time. Opening Day festivities are always a wild card.

- The lineups have been introduced. It's almost time for baseball.

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