The Mets knocked out NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes in the first inning with a five-run inning and continued to add on runs from there, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates, 11-7, on Opening Day at Citi Field.

The Mets are now 42-23 on Opening Day, the best such winning percentage in MLB.

The Mets’ new-look offense was on full display in the season opener as they made contact in key situations, worked many deep counts in critical at-bats, and produced when it counted, going 5-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

Call it an early return on David Stearns’ offseason priority to build an offense with “more competitive at-bats 1-through-9″ compared to seasons past.

With that in mind the Mets scored the first nine runs without a home run, as they had traffic on the bases all day. For the game they produced 11 hits while taking nine walks.

The Yankees opened the season with a 7-0 win over the San Francisco Giants, taking a lead early and coasting from there behind 6 shutout innings from starting pitcher Max Fried. It is New York’s fifth straight Opening Day victory.

Facing Giants ace Logan Webb, the Yankees pounced in the second inning, with six straight hits to take a 5-0 lead. Trent Grisham, playing his first game since returning to the team on a qualifying offer last winter, capped the rally with a triple.

Two more runs followed in the fifth inning, enough to raise Webb’s ERA to 10.80. His six earned runs were more than he allowed in any start in 2025.

Every member of the Yankees’ lineup finished the game with a hit, save for one. Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts, marking the first time since 2024 that he posted that many strikeouts in a game.

One of Michael Jackson’s former residences just hit the market.

Listed for $9.5 million, 2785 S. Monte Cristo Way is where Jackson lived in Las Vegas for about a year starting in 2006. According to The Wall Street Journal, the King of Pop paid $50,000 a month in rent for the spacious pad.

The 17,000-square-foot mansion sits on a one-acre corner lot in the exclusive Lakes neighborhood, just a 15-minute drive from the famous Strip. Less than two miles away there’s plenty of shopping including a Walmart, Petco and Nothing Bundt Cakes – proof Grammy-award-winning artists have to drive by strip malls, too. 

While the home isn’t in a guard-gated community, the property’s 10-foot walls kept out any smooth criminals, peeping toms and paparazzi. The listing agent said the privacy and proximity to everything Vegas has to offer is why MJ picked it. He moved in, sight unseen.

The New York Yankees’ hopes of winning a World Series may fall on the arms of whether or not Gerrit Cole can get back to pitching at an elite level before his Tommy John surgery a year ago.

The former Cy Young Winner continues to make solid progress in his recovery from the major procedure, but it’s unlikely he’s on the Opening Day roster.

During a recent interview, Cole shared what has been the most difficult part of his rehab, and it has nothing to do with pitching itself.

“Just the waiting has been the hardest part. The challenge of trying to take it day by day, not look too far ahead, and just kind of keep an even keel demeanor,” said Cole.

St. John’s is the back-to-back Big East champion after picking up a dominant win in the tournament final over UConn. The Red Storm looked strong in the 72-52 win over the Huskies.

St. John’s went on a 10-0 run to open the game, going up by as many as 17 points in the first half. The Huskies fought back, but they completely failed to score from the field in the final eight minutes of the game. UConn went 1-for-15 down the final stretch.

St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor was absolutely dominant on both sides of the court, putting up 18 points as well as 9 rebounds, 7 blocks and 3 steals. Bryce Hopkins also hit 18 points for the Red Storm, while Tarris Reed Jr. led UConn with 17 points.

The victory likely felt extra sweet for St. John’s, who lost to UConn by 32 points at the end of February as the regular season ramped down. Despite entering the tournament as the No. 1 seed, with UConn as the No. 2, the Red Storm were ranked lower than the Huskies in the AP poll — 13th vs. UConn’s sixth.

Two major additions to the bullpen were in good form, as Luke Weaver and Devin Williams each pitched a scoreless inning in a 6-3  exhibition game win. Weaver struck out one in his inning, while Williams fanned three.

Tough start

Craig Kimbrel allowed a run on three hits. Carlos Mendoza remains impressed with Kimbrel’s stuff, though, as the 37-year-old looks to find a place in the pen on his eighth team in the past six years.

Caught my eye

Mark Vientos was back at third base, this time for Team Nicaragua, as they prepare for the WBC.

Vientos has mostly been working at first base this spring, as the Mets look to use him, Brett Baty and newly signed Jorge Polanco there this year.

Facing the Mets on Tuesday, Vientos went 1-for-3.

Get ready to experience Pizza Hut like never before! The iconic pizza giant has just unveiled its flashiest and most innovative restaurant design concept yet, with the pilot store now open in Plano, Texas. This isn’t just your typical pizza joint—it’s a tech-powered paradise for pizza lovers that promises to deliver an elevated dining experience like no other.

Located at 8605 Ohio Drive, this cutting-edge restaurant is packed with features designed to make grabbing your favorite pizza faster, easier, and way more fun. Think self-service kiosks for quick orders, high-tech cabinets for effortless, contactless pick-up, and a guest-facing pizza-making station where you can watch the magic happen. 

From its physical layout to its modern design and digital-forward capabilities, this new restaurant showcases Pizza Hut’s legacy of innovation. Beyond just serving delicious pizza, which they do very well, it’s equally as critical that guests enjoy a seamless experience.

In nearly 2,000 Pizza Huts worldwide, we’ve seen how restaurant design brings the brand to life with a distinctive, modern exterior, an effortless blend of physical and digital touchpoints and increased human interaction around the joy of pizza.

Wendy’s gave more details on plans to close hundreds of restaurants in the U.S. in an effort to focus on value and boost low sales.

The fast food giant previously reported sales declining 11.3% domestically and confirmed plans to close many locations. The plan is part of Wendy’s ‘Project Fresh’ which was “designed to revitalize the brand, reignite growth, and accelerate profitability.”

Wendy’s will make improvements to some of the struggling stores, which may vary between the addition of new technology and equipment, a transfer of ownership or shutting down the stores entirely. 

Numerous fast food chains have struggled to attract consumers.

Team USA Wins First Men’s Hockey Gold Since 1980

The All-Star break traditionally marks the proverbial halfway point of the season. That means it’s time to dish out midterm grades for the New York Knicks.

Jalen Brunson: A

50 GP, 34.6. MPG, 27.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 6.1 APG, 37.4 3P%

The captain is once again an All-Star, has upped his defense in recent games and New York is blessed to have him. He could do a better job at times, though, of steering the group towards more ball movement.

Mitchell Robinson: A-

39 GP, 19.6. MPG, 5.0 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.0 APG, 40.8 FT** %

The forever Knick has missed a few games due to his injury management program, but he’s a game changer when he’s on the court and is in the best shape we’ve seen since his early freak-of-nature days. 

Miles McBride: A-

35 GP, 38.0 MPG, 12.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 42.0 3P%

“Deuce” underwent surgery for a core muscle injury last week and will be out for six-to-eight weeks. He will possibly miss the rest of the season and it’s a big blow. The two-way guard has been great on both sides of the ball and is on the biggest bargain contract in the NBA. 

Josh Hart: B+

43 GP, 30.6. MPG, 12.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 5.2 APG, 40.7 3P%

Like a Swiss army knife, Hart does it all and continues to show why he’s been the heart and soul of this group since coming over from Portland three years ago. Despite having a heavily bandaged ring finger on his shooting hand, the 9-year pro is making teams pay for leaving him open. 

Landry Shamet: B+

30 GP, 21.9. MPG, 9.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.5 APG, 42.2 3P%

Despite missing 25 games with a flare up in his already damaged right shoulder, the sharpshooting guard hasn’t missed a beat and been a key cog off the bench.

OG Anunoby: B

41 GP, 33.0 MPG, 16.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 37.0 3P%

We’ve seen the six-foot-seven menace wreck games with his defensive ability. He does goes MIA on occasion and plays so hard on both ends that he’s sometimes visibly exhausted. When he’s at his best, the Knicks are at their best.

Mikal Bridges: B-

55 GP, 34.5 MPG, 15.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, 38.6 3P%

The NBA’s iron man has had his moments of invisibility, but availability is the best ability and nobody is better in the sport in that regard.