Eckersley got the ball in the top of the first inning and Damaso Garcia popped up to shallow center to begin the game. Dave Collins was rung up for strike three and Willie Upshaw flied out to right to end the inning. Stieb got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Wade Boggs grounded out to second to start. Dwight Evans got the first hit of the season with a base hit past the diving Upshaw but Jim Rice whiffed. Tony Armas watched strike three go by to end the inning.
The Jays exploded in the top of the second inning as Cliff Johnson singled off the Monster to start. Jesse Barfield doubled to left and Ernie Whitt cleared the bases with a base hit to left. Eckersley recovered to strike out Lloyd Moseby but Rance Mulliniks homered into the Red Sox bullpen to give the Jays a commanding 4-0 lead. Alfredo Griffin hit a rocket but Evans made a leaping catch at the bullpen wall. Garcia popped up to third to end the inning but it was 4-0 Jays.
The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the second inning as Carl Yastrzemski and Dave Stapleton worked back to back walks. Rich Gedman struck out but Glenn Hoffman poked a single over the head of Griffin to load the bases. The rally died as Julio Valdez whiffed and Boggs grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Jays struck again in the top of the third inning as Collins lined out but Upshaw hit a rocket just over the outstretched glove of Evans into the Jays bullpen for a home run. Johnson flied out to right and Barfield whiffed to end the inning but it was 5-0 Jays.
The Sox once again tried to fight back when Evans walked to open the bottom of the third inning but Rice was out on a bang-bang play at first. The rally ended as Arms popped up to third and Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning.
Eckersley got heated in the top of the fourth inning when Eckersley brushed back Whitt before getting him out on a comebacker. Moseby struck out but Eck intentionally plunked Mullinks. Home plate umpire Larry Barrnett warned Eck and both dugouts to cut the crap. Garcia started barking at Gedman and Gedman got in his face and the Jays started pouring out of their dugout. Things calmed down but Garcia popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox responded by doing nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Stapleton popped up to shallow center to start. Gedman grounded out to second and Hoffman whiffed to end the inning.
The end came quickly for Eck in the top of the fifth inning. Garcia singled and stole second then broke for home on the single to left by Collins. Rice gunned it home and Garcia retreated to third but Collins moved to second. Red Sox manager Ralph Houk came out to pull Eckerseley from the game. Bruce Hurst relieved him and immediately gave up a 2 run single to Upshaw to ice the game. Hurst recovered to get Johnson to ground out, moving Upshaw to second. Barfield grounded out to third and Whitt grounded out to short to end the inning but it was all but over 7-0.
Valdez hit one up the elevator shaft to open the bottom of the fifth inning but Boggs walked. Evans watched strike three go by as the benches emptied again when Rice was plunked and almost got into it with Whitt. When things settled down Boggs beat out a fielder's choice ball hit by Armas to load the bases. With their one last chance to get back in the game....Yaz popped to short to end the inning. What a waste...but the benches clearing was fun.
Hurst returned for the top of the sixth and Moseby greeted him with a single past the diving Valdez. Mulliniks banged into a double play and Hoffman made a great play to rob Griffin of a hit on a bang bang play at first to end the inning. The Sox finally got on the board when Stapleton led off the bottom of the sixth with a home run into the screen in left. That was it for offense as Gedman struck out, Hoffman grounded out to first and Valdez grounded out to second to end the inning but it was now 7-1 Jays.
Hurst returned for the top of the seventh and got Garcia on a tapper in front of the plate. Collins watched strike three go by and Upshaw grounded out to second to end the inning. Roy Lee Jackson replaced Stieb for the bottom of the seventh and got Boggs to fly out to left. Evans popped up to short and Rice struck out to end the inning.
Hurst came back for the top of the eighth and got Johnson to pop up to center to start. Barfield grounded to short and Whitt was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Hurst had tossed 4 scoreless innings, not bad for a guy coming off elbow surgery.
The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the eighth as Armas hit a comebacker, Yaz popped up to center and Stapleton flied out to left to end the inning.
John Henry Johnson got the call to pitch the top of the ninth and nearly got cleaned out on a liner by Moseby but Hoffman was there to field it and throw to first for the out. Mulliniks and Griffin both grounded out to second to end the inning. Jackson returned for the bottom of the ninth but the Sox offense was asleep as Gedman flied out to right to start. Hoffman watched strike three go by but not before 2 kids ran out on the field to chase a foul ball. Sox manager Ralph Houk sent in Reid Nichols to pinch hit for Valdez and struck out on a check swing to end the game. The Sox had 3 hits as a team and lost 7-1, What a lousy Opening Day.
Jackass of the Night is Dennis Eckersley. He was knocked out in the fifth inning after getting tagged for 7 runs on 7 hits. Brutal.....
The Good:
Dwight Evans was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Dave Stapleton was 1 for 3 with a walk and a solo home run.
Bruce Hurst pitched 4 scoreless innings.
John Henry Johnson pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Tony Armas was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Rich Gedman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Julio Valdez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout
Reid Nichols was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Wade Boggs was 0 for 3 but walked.
Jim Rice was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.
Carl Yastrzemski was 0 for 3 but walked.
Glenn Hoffman was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
It sucks Jerry Remy is on the disabled list to start the year but there has to be a way to generate some offense. The Sox loaded the bases two innings in a row and did nothing. Yes Eckersley stunk the joint out but they had their chances to claw back into the game early. By the time Stapleton homered it was too late. The Sox better hope they get better starting pitching because the top of their order besides Boggs strikes out A LOT. The Sox as a team only had THREE hits on the afternoon. Tomorrow afternoon John Tudor makes his season debut for the Sox opposite Luis Leal of the Blue Jays. The game starts at high noon at Fenway Park.
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