The Mets’ season started on the wrong foot Thursday. But it wasn’t their doing.
“Hamilton” actor Christopher Jackson messed up the National Anthem before the Mets’ Opening Day clash with the Pirates.
Jackson got to the line, “O’er the ramparts we watched,” paused and began singing, “What so proudly we hailed,” from earlier in the anthem.
He later got back on track and finished the song.
The flub was surprising, considering Jackson performed the anthem for the Yankees last August and aced it.
Jackson’s mistake Thursday garnered numerous reactions on social media.
“Leave it to the Mets to mess up the national anthem on opening day,” one user wrote.
“What!!! @mets season is over before it started,” another said.
“How does George Washington mess up singing the anthem. Uh oh. Might be a long season in Queens. Let’s go Mets,” WFAN’s Craig Carton added.
Jackson’s slip-up clearly didn’t affect the Mets.
The Pirates jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on the game’s first two batters after Freddy Peralta gave up a two-run homer to Brandon Lowe.
The Mets — facing reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, a seemingly daunting task — responded in style with a five-run inning.
Bo Bichette skied a sac fly to start the scoring, then Brett Baty cleared the bases on a double when Pittsburgh center fielder Oneil Cruz misjudged the ball.
Cruz made another gaffe on the next batter when he lost a fly ball in the sun, resulting in the Mets’ fifth run.
The Mets are looking to rebound from a season where they missed the playoffs after finishing 83-79, while faltering down the stretch. The disappointing result followed a resurgent year where the Mets stormed to the NLCS and came two wins away from making the World Series.
But Jackson’s anthem performance could already be a poor omen in that quest.
