Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Chris Stynes was placed on the 15 Day Disabled List after getting hurt in Wednesday night's no-hitter by Hideo Nomo. Lou Merloni was called up from Pawtucket to replace him.
Welcome home Boston Red Sox! After starting the season with 2 blown saves in Baltimore, the Sox came home to leave no doubt in their Fenway opener against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Rays jumped out to a 3-0 lead on starter Tomo Ohka but Manny Ramirez hit the first pitch he saw for a 3 run homer to tie the game. After Ohka was gone, Tim Wakefield (1-0, 3.00 ERA), Pete Schourek and Rolando Arrojo held Tampa to just 1 run in 5 innings. The Sox blasted Ryan Rupe of the Rays and romped to an easy 11-4 win at Fenway Park.
The Rays wasted no time getting to Ohka in the top of the first inning as Randy Winn grounded a base hit under the diving glove of Mike Lansing to start. Steve Cox lined a base hit over the head of Ohka and Greg Vaughn dumped a base hit to left to load the bases. Fred McGriff hit a picture perfect double play ball but Jose Offerman's bad throw to Lansing made the relay throw to first look horrible, scoring Winn and allowing Fred to reach first. Ben Grieve doubled to the Monster to score Cox and advance McGriff to third. Vinny Castilla grounded out to short but McGriff scored to increase the lead. Bob Smith flied out to center to end the inning but the Sox were down 3-0.
The Sox responded immediately against Rays starter Ryan Rupe in the bottom of the first. Trot Nixon walked and Jose Offerman slapped a base hit to right, but Carl Everett struck out swinging on a high fastball. Manny Ramirez earned himself a standing ovation when he struck the first pitch he saw into the screen for a 3 run home run to tie the game. Troy O'Leary grounded out to first and Jason Varitek went down swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Old pal John Flaherty led off the top of the second with a bloop opposite field single but Felix Martinez popped up to center. Winn banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the first inning as Shea Hillenbrand made his Fenway debut by striking out swinging. Brian Daubach nearly got hit on the first pitch as Sox analyst Sean McDonough remembered Daubach was Public Enemy Number 2 behind Pedro Martinez in the Pedro 1 hitter game last August. Daubach flied out to right and Mike Lansing grounded out to third to end the inning.
Cox grounded out to first to start the top of the third before Vaughn took strike three. McGriff flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Nixon doubled high off the top of the Monster to begin. Offerman hit a seeing eye single into left to put runners at the corners and Everett beat out a double play ball to score Nixon with another run. Ramirez whiffed but O'Leary drew a walk. Varitek doubled high off the Monster to score both runners. Hillenbrand hit a roller up the middle to put runners at the corner but Daubach struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.
Ohka got Grieve to ground out to second to start the top of the fourth but Castilla walked. Ohka managed to strike out both Smith and Flaherty swinging to end the inning. That was it for Ohka who was done after allowing 3 runs in 4 innings on 86 pitches.
The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Lansing led off with his first Fenway Park home run to increase the lead. Nixon popped up to right and Offerman grounded back to the mound, but Everett hit a line drive home run into the right field stands to chase Rupe from the game. Mike Judd came in and walked Ramirez but struck out O'Leary swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.
Tim Wakefield took the mound in the top of the fifth inning and Martinez went down hacking to start. Winn walked but Nixon leaped over the wall to rob Cox of a home run. Winn swiped second but Vaughn whiffed to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Varitek grounded out to second to start. Hillenbrand popped up to first and Daubach grounded out to short to end the inning.
McGriff and Grieve both grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth but Castilla singled to left. Smith struck out swinging to end the inning. Lansing grounded out to third to start the bottom of the sixth and Nixon popped up to short. Offerman singled up the middle but Everett grounded out to first to end the inning.
The Devil Rays tagged Wakefield in the top of the seventh as Flaherty popped up to second to start. Martinez singled to center but Winn went down swinging at a curveball. Martinez took second on defensive indifference and Everett fell down trying to chase a double into the triangle by Cox, scoring the runner. Vaughn struck out swinging for the third time to end the inning with the Rays down 8-4.
Ramirez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh and O'Leary also went down hacking as well. Varitek flied out to center to end the inning.
Pete Schourek came in for the top of the eighth and McGriff flied out to left to start. Grieve grounded back to the mound and Castilla whiffed to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth as Hillenbrand lashed a base hit to left to start. Daubach hit a routine grounder to McGriff who hit Hillenbrand in the head with the throw, moving Shea to third on the error. Lansing walked to load the bases and Doug Creek was brought in to pour gas on the fire. Nixon walked home Hillenbrand and Offerman drove in Daubach with a sac fly, Lansing moving to third on the play. Everett struck out swinging but Manny singled off the Monster to score Lansing. O'Leary flied out to center to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 11-4.
Rolando Arrojo made his season debut to close out the top of the ninth and Smith grounded out to third to start. Flaherty whiffed and Martinez grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 11-4.
Hero of the Night is Manny Ramirez. His matched Baltimore's entire output by himself with 4 rbis including the game tying 3 run homer.
The Good:
Trot Nixon was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Jose Offerman was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.
Shea Hillenbrand was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Mike Lansing was 1 for 3 with a walk, home run and 2 runs scored.
Pete Schourek pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Rolando Arrojo pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Tomo Ohka allowed 3 runs in just 4 innings of work.
The Ugly:
Carl Everett was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a home run. He drove in 2 runs and scored 2 runs.
Troy O'Leary was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.
Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in 2 runs.
Brian Daubach was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Tim Wakefield got the win by allowing a run in 3 innings of work.
Final Thoughts:
After going life and death with the Baltimore Orioles for three games, it was was nice to come home and smack the Devil Rays around. Manny Ramirez showed why the Sox signed him and it was nice to see Everett pick up where he left off last year with his first home run. If the Sox can get Nomar back, this could be a very dangerous offensive team come the summer. Ohka didn't have much today but the bullpen held the Rays to just 1 run after he left. The Sox could have a sneaky good rotation too if David Cone comes back healthy and either Ohka or Crawford show any kind of potential. The offense should be improved but can the pitching do the same? For one day everything seemed to fall into place for the Sox. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it two in a row against the Devil Rays when Paxton Crawford makes his season debut for Boston. He takes on Travis Harper of the Rays at 6:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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