The 2011 season got off on the
wrong foot for the Boston Red Sox. Jon Lester got dropkicked around by the Texas Rangers who knocked him out in the sixth inning after allowing 5 runs. The new look Red Sox offense did manage to score four runs at that point then tied the game with a David Ortiz home run in the top of the eighth. Unfortunately, Daniel Bard faltered in the bottom of the eighth as the AL Champion Texas Rangers took Opening Day 9-5 at Arlington
Park.
CJ Wilson took the mound for Texas in the top of the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury led the game off
by reaching second on an error by centerfielder Nelson Cruz when
Julio Borbon ran into him during a routine fly. Dustin Pedroia moved
Ellsbury over to third with a sac fly bringing up new addition Carl
Crawford who lined out to short. Kevin Youkilis returned from his
torn thumb suffered last August by doubling home Ellsbury. This
brought up slugger Adrian Gonzalez who singled home Youk but was
thrown out at second base trying to advance. Good start for the Sox as they led 2-0.
Jon Lester took the mound for the bottom of the first.
Ian Kinsler led off the inning with a blast to left as the raucous
crowd went wild. Elvis Andrus beat out a bobbled throw by Youkilis
but the Sox recovered when shortstop Marco Scutaro turned a double
play ball hit by Josh Hamilton. This brought up last year's Sox hero
Adrian Beltre who grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rangers down 2-1.
David Ortiz grounded back to the mound to start the top of the second while Mike Cameron and Jared Saltalamacchia both struck out to end the inning. The Rangers struck again in the bottom of the second although Lester got Michael Young to ground out to third to start. Nelson Cruz
made up for his earlier blunder by homering to left to tie the game.
Lester rebounded to get Mike Napoli on interference and Yorrvit
Torrealba on a ground out to third to end the inning but the game was tied 2-2.
The Sox struck back in the top of the third as Marco
Scutaro led off with a groundout to first. Ellsbury reached
second on a double to the right field wall and Pedroia singled him to third.
Crawford then struck out swinging badly but Youkilis worked a walk on Wilson's
50th pitch of the game to load the bases. Gonzalez worked the count full then singled
home Ellsbury and Pedroia (Youk took third). Gonzalez stole second
base but Ortiz grounded out to end the rally. The Sox had taken the lead 4-2.
Lester made the Rangers beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Borbon grounded back to the mound to start. Kinsler and Andrus both grounded out to short to end the inning.
Wilson
cruised in the top of the fourth as Cameron grounded out to second to start. Saltalamacchia flied out to deep center and Scutaro grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Rangers fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Hamilton popped up to left to start. Beltre singled to left but Young flied out to right. Cruz sliced a single to right and Napoli cleared the bases with a 3 run bomb to Central America to give the Rangers the lead. Torrealba hit a squibber in front of the mound to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 5-4.
Ellsbury led off the top of the fifth with a base hit to right but Pedroia
struck out swinging. Ellsbury stole second but Crawford again whiffed badly.
Youkilis hit a shot to left but Hamilton ran it down to end the inning.
Lester hit Borbon to start the bottom of the fifth but Julio was
out at second on a force by Kinsler. Lester then hit Andrus but got
Hamilton to fly out to center. Beltre flied out to right with no
damage done to end the inning.
Gonzalez
grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth and Ortiz struck out swinging. Cameron walked as
Rangers manager Frank Washington lifted Wilson for Mark Lowe.
Saltalamacchia grounded out meekly to the pitcher to end the frame. Lester opened the bottom of the sixth by getting Young to ground out
but Cruz walked. Napoli singled to right to send Lester to the showers. Matt
Albers (who won the final pitching job with a brilliant spring training) relieved
Lester and got Torrealba to ground into a fielder's choice. Borbon
walked to load the bases but Albers got Kinsler to ground out to end
the threat. Lester lasted just 5 1/3 innings and allowed 5 runs, not his best stuff.
Arthur
Rhodes took the mound for the top of the seventh and got Scutaro to
ground out to short. Ellsbiry walked and took second on a passed ball, but Pedroia popped up to right. Crawford struck out swinging for the
third time in the game to end the frame. Albers returned for the
bottom of the seventh briefly to get Andrus to ground out to second but was lifted
for the portly Dennys Reyes. Reyes walked Hamilton on 4 straight
pitches and Terry Francona took him out for ex Tampa Bay Ray Dan
Wheeler. Wheeler got Beltre to fly out to right and Pedroia made a diving
catch on Michael Young to save a base hit as Wheeler escaped the
inning.
Old friend Darren
Oliver replaced Rhodes for the top of the eighth and got Youkilis to ground out to short to start. Gonzalez grounded out to second but Ortiz blasted a home run to dead center to tie the game. Cameron flied out to center to end the inning but the game was tied 5-5
Daniel Bard took the mound for the bottom of the eighth and took a beating. Cruz flied out to Cameron but Napoli walked and Torrealba singled to right. Former Sox outfielder David
Murphy pinch hit for Julio Borbon and doubled home Napoli and
Torrealba. Bard bounced back to whiff Kinsler but allowed Andrus to
double home Murphy to put the game on ice. Beltre doubled in Andrus
to ice the game as Sox manager Terry Francona finally lifted Bard for Tim Wakefield. Beltre walked but Young flied out to right to end the inning with the Rangers up 9-5.
Neftali Feliz came in to pitch the top of the ninth and the Sox went quietly. Saltalamacchia swung at air to start before Scutaro grounded out to first. Ellsbury swung and missed at strike three to end the game. The Rangers had won Opening Day 9-5.
Jackass of the Night is Daniel Bard. He turned a tie game into a four run deficit in just 2/3 of an inning.
The Good:
Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.
Kevin Youkilis was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.
Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis.
Matt Albers tossed a full scoreless inning.
Dan Wheeler got the final 2 outs of the seventh inning.
Tim Wakefield got the final out of the eighth inning.
The Bad:
Carl Crawford was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Marco Scutaro was 0 for 4.
Jon Lester got rocked for 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings without striking out anyone.
Dennys Reyes walked the only guy he faced.
The Ugly:
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.
Mike Cameron was 0 for 3 but walked.
Final Thoughts:
The Rangers are the defending AL Champs and showed why today. Their offense was relentless and knocked around two pretty good pitchers in Lester and Bard. Adrian Gonzalez looked good in his Sox debut while Carl Crawford looked like dog poo. Hopefully it was just April jitters for Crawford because if he can hit like he did in Tampa, the Sox have a 1-6 better than anyone, including the New York Yankees and Rangers. Jacoby Ellsbury staying healthy would be nice too. The bullpen didn't look too impressive either but that can be fixed during the season. The Rangers are a damn good team and if they're the standard on what a team should be, the Sox have some work to do to catch up with them talent wise. The Sox look
to bounce back tomorrow night as John Lackey makes his season debut for the Sox against Colby Lewis of Texas. The game begins at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Arlington Park.
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