Pedro took the mound in the top of the first and wasn't himself. Shannon Stewart drew a full count walk before rookie Eric Hinske popped up to a running Manny Ramirez in left. Raul Mondesi flied out to right but Carlos Delgado was plunked. Jose Cruz Jr stroked a double in front of the Monster to score Stewart and advance Delgado to third. Darrin Fletcher doubled into the gap to score both runners as Sox analyst Jerry Remy remarked not only was Pedro's velocity down but his changeup was out of sorts. Vernon Wells grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 3-0 Jays.
The Sox fought back against Blue Jays starter Chris Carpenter although new centerfielder Johnny Damon grounded out to third to begin. Jose Offerman struck the Sox' first home run into the season beyond the bullpen to cut into the lead. Nomar Garciaparra grounded out to short before Manny Ramirez walked. New first basemen Tony Clark grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 3-1 Toronto.
Pedro returned for another beating in the top of the second as Homer Bush hit a blooping double down the right field line to start. Felipe Lopez dropped down a bunt and Pedro dropped it for an error. Stewart blooped a single to center to load the bases before Hinske blooped a single down the right field line to score both Bush and Lopez. Mondesi hit a roller up the middle that crossed up Nomar and Rey Sanchez to score Stewart. Delgado blooped a single to center to score Hinske. Pedro froze Mondesi for strike three on the outside corner before blowing away Fletcher. Pedro turned up the heat to blow away Wells to end the inning with the score now 7-1 Toronto.
The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the second as Trot Nixon launched a solo shot to dead center to cut into the lead. Shea Hillenbrand popped up to center but Jason Varitek in his first at-bat since June of last year launched a home run of his own to right. Sanchez looked at strike three on the outside corner but Damon grounded one up the middle for a base hit. Offerman was rung up on a check swing for strike three to end the inning but it was now 7-3 Jays.
The Blue Jays pounced again in the top of the third although Pedro got Bush to ground out to short to begin. Lopez motored around for a triple into the gap before Stewart was plunked. Hinske hit a warning track fly out to center but Stewart advanced to second and Lopez scored to increase the lead.
The Sox refused to go quietly in the bottom of the third as Nomar led off with a double off the top of the centerfield wall. Ramirez walked and Clark lit up the crowd with a 3 run home run to center to put the Sox back in it. Welcome to Boston Clark! Nixon whiffed but Hillenbrand walked to chase Carpenter. Scott Eyre replaced Chris and Varitek greeted him with a single. Sanchez walked to load the bases but Damon made a huge out by popping up to Hinske in foul territory. Offerman grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 8-6.
Pedro came out for the top of the fourth and Delgado blooped a single to right center to start. Cruz Jr drew a walk and that was it for Pedro. In one of his worst starts in memory, Pedro lasted just 3 innings while giving up a career high 7 earned runs (8 total). Guess he was rusty as hell.
Lefty Darren Oliver, who was supposed to be the fifth starter with John Burkett on the DL, came in to relieve Pedro as Fletcher bunted both men into scoring position. Some yahoo ran out onto the field and went to shake Nomar's hand before alert Fenway security seized the intruder and wrestled him to the ground. When action resumed Oliver got a key out when Wells hit one up the elevator shaft that Varitek snared in an eerily similar play to last June when he broke his elbow. Oliver whiffed Bush to end the inning.
The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fourth although Nomar was rung up for strike three to start. Ramirez walked and Clark batting from the right side this time lined a base hit to center. Nixon walked on four pitched to load the bases and Hillenbrand lined a base hit up the middle to score Manny and reload the bases. Varitek blooped a single into right to score Clark, tie the game and once again reload the bases. Sanchez worked the count full and stroked a base hit to right center to score Nixon and Hillenbrand to give the Sox their first lead of the game. Jays manager Buck Martinez brought in rookie Scott Cassidy making his MLB debut to pitch to Damon only to uncork a wild pitch to advance Sanchez to second. A strange play occured when Wells made a diving catch to rob Damon and Varitek tagged up and scored. Damon didn't think the ball was caught and ran hard to second, confusing Sanchez into running back to the bag. The Jays thought that Sanchez was called out at second and ran off the field. The umpires got together and ruled it was a sac fly to score Varitek and Sanchez was safe at second although the irony was the replays showed Wells didn't actually catch the ball. Things suddenly got hot as the Jays appealled at third that Varitek left early and he clearly didn't. Jays bench coach Cookie Rojas stormed out of the dugout and shouted invectives at third base umpire Andy Fletcher. Fletcher told him to sit down and shut up which caused Cookie to run at him screaming, fists flying. First base umpire Derryl Cousins said that's enough of that and gave Cookie the heave ho. Buck Martinez then flew out of the dugout screaming like a banshee to home plate umpire Joe Brinkman that the first base umpire shouldn't be trying to interject himself while trying to hold back Rojas who had now torn his clothes off in frustration. Martinez hauled Rojas off the field and finally play resumed. Offerman walked to reload the bases but Nomar popped up to center to end the inning After all of that the Sox had scored 5 runs to take an 11-8 lead.
Give the Jays credit for coming right back in the top of the fifth inning although Lopez grounded out to short to start. Stewart hit a routine grounder to Nomar who threw the ball straight in the air and caught it in his hat for an error to advance Shannon to second before Hinske singled off the leg of Oliver to put runners at the corners. Mondesi lined out to a running Damon to score Stewart to cut the lead. Delgado was plunked and Cruz Jr singled in Hinske. Fletcher blooped a single to center to tie game and chase Oliver. Rolando Arrojo made his season debut by getting Wells to ground out to short to end the inning with the game tied 11-11.
Arrojo came back for the top of the 6th and plunked Bush to start. Lopez advanced him to second on a bang bang play at first before Arrojo froze Stewart on a check swing strike three. Hinske walked and Sox pitching coach Tony Cloninger went to the mound to inform Rolando a new episode of Friends was on that night. Arrojo got so excited he got Mondesi to ground into a force to end the inning. Felix Heredia was brought in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Damon flied out to right to start. Offerman grounded out to first and Nomar lined out to third to end the inning.
Casey Fossum was brought in to pitch the top of the seventh and he walked Delgado to start. Cruz Jr flied out to left before Fletcher flied out to deep right. Wells grounded out to third to end the inning. Ramirez led off the bottom of the seventh by striking out swinging before Clark was robbed of extra bases by Cruz making a diving catch. Nixon walked and Hillenbrand blooped a single to no man's land in left before a wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position. Varitek walked to load the bases and Cruz made an even better diving catch to rob Sanchez of a bloop single to end the inning.
"El Guapo" Rich Garces came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and got Bush to line out to right to start. Lopez flied out to left before Stewart grounded back to the agile Garces to end the inning. Dan Plesac came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Damon took ball four to start. The boo's rained down when Offerman popped up the bunt to first. That was it for Plesac as Buck Martinez brought in closer Kelvim Escobar. Damon was thrown out at second trying to steal and Nomar whiffed to end the inning.
Sox closer Ugueth Urbina took the mound in the top of the ninth and got Hinske to fly out to right to begin. Mondesi walked and Delgado singled to right before they executed a double steal. Cruz Jr was intentionally walked to set up the double play but Fletcher scored Mondesi with a sac fly to give the Jays the lead. Wells whiffed to end the inning but the Jays took the lead 12-11.
The Sox had one last chance to rally in the bottom of the ninth but Ramirez whiffed to start. Clark singled to right and the legendary Rickey Henderson pinch ran for Tony. Nixon popped up to Lopez in foul territory and Hillenbrand grounded into a force to end the game. The Jays had survived the slugfest and had won it 12-11.
Jackass of the Night is Ugueth Urbina. Yes Pedro Martinez stunk the joint out and Darren Oliver gave up the lead but it was Urbina who blew the game in the top of the ninth.
The Good:
Manny Ramirez walked 4 times and scored 2 runs.
Tony Clark was 3 for 5 with a walk, 2 total runs scored and a 3 run home run.
Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 5 with a walk, rbi and run scored.
Jason Varitek was 3 for 3 with 2 walks, 2 total rbis, 2 total runs scored including a home run.
Rolando Arrojo pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings
Casey Fossum pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Rich Garces pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
The Bad:
Pedro Martinez was terrible in 3 plus innings of work allowing 8 runs, 7 earned.
Darren Oliver was trusted with a 3 run lead and gave all 3 runs back.
The Ugly:
Johnny Damon was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.
Jose Offerman was just 1 for 5 with a walk but the one hit was a solo home run.
Nomar Garciaparra was just 1 for 6.
Trot Nixon was just 1 for 4 but walked twice, scored two total runs including a home run.
Rey Sanchez was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in 2 runs.
Honorable Mention:
Ricky Henderson pinch ran for Clark in the bottom of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
Well that was a very interesting opening day even if the Sox didn't win. The offense looked damn good and they can build on a lot of what happened today. Pedro Martinez was rusty and he probably won't give up 8 runs in a start the rest of the year. A normal Pedro start and the Sox would have won this game in a rout. Urbina is supposed to be their answer to Mariano Rivera and he sure didn't look it today. Still if Clark can be the hitter he was in Detroit then this will be the offense they invisioned last year with Nomar healthy. Still, a loss at home sucks and this one hurt. After an off-day the Sox are back in action Wednesday night against the Blue Jays as Dustin Hermanson makes his Red Sox debut opposite Luke Prokopec. The game starts at 6 PM at Fenway Park.
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