As for the game, the Sox didn't start out the 2014 season a high note. The Sox offense that wore out starting pitching last year, went 0-10 with runners in scoring position and leaving 12 total men on base. Jon Lester (0-1, 2.57 ERA) pitched great in defeat but was let down by his offense against the Baltimore Orioles. Chris Tillman and a host of Baltimore relievers held the Sox to just 1 run as the Orioles won their home opener 2-1 at Camden Yards.
Daniel Nava opened the 2014 season by grounding out to Tillman but took 7 pitches to do it. Dustin Pedroia got the first hit of the season on a line drive to right field. Tillman recovered to whiff both David Ortiz and Mike Napoli to end the top of the first. Jon Lester was greeted by Nick Markakis in the bottom of the first who grounded out to third. JJ Hardy got the O's first hit of the season with a single to left field but Lester recovered to get Adam Jones to pop up to short. Lester struck out last year's home run champion Chris Davis swinging to end the inning.
Mike Carp led off the top of the second inning with a base hit over the head of the second basemen. Spring training hero Grady Sizemore hadn't played a game since September 2011 and greeted Tillman with a base hit to right. Xander Bogaerts hit a shot that was caught at the warning track by Nelson Cruz. Former White Sox villain AJ Pierzynski jacked one to deep center but Jones ran it down, allowing Carp to reach third. Will Middlebrooks then literally looked at 3 pitches and sat down to end the inning. So much for that rally. Nelson Cruz walked to begin the bottom of the second and Matt Wieters singled him to third. Delmon Young banged into a double play but Cruz came home to give the O's a 1-0 lead. Ryan Flaherty grounded out but the damage was done.
Nava led off the top of the third with another ground-out to Tillman. Pedroia then grounded out softly to Davis. The Sox tried to rally when Ortiz singled into the shift and Napoli doubled him to third. Unfortunately, Carp whiffed to end the inning but the silver lining was Tillman was up to 61 pitches. Jonathan Schoop led off the bottom of the third with a single to left but Lester got Markakis to pop up to short. Hardy then banged into a double play to end the inning.
Sizemore got the Sox on the board in the top of the fourth with a home run off the top of the right field scoreboard to tie the game. Bogaerts popped up to right but Pierzynski got his first hit of the season with a bloop single to center. Middlebrooks popped up to right on a 2-0 count and Nava flied out to left but the game was tied 1-1 and Tillman had already thrown 79 pitches.
The O's got ANOTHER leadoff baserunner, this time on a single by Jones to begin the bottom of the fourth. Lester got Davis to hit a ground ball to short but he beat out the double play. Cruz popped up to second and Wieters struck out looking to end the inning.
In the top of the 5th, Pedroia hit a 400 foot out to center field and also took 12 pitches to do it. Ortiz then hit one to the track in left center but it was ran down. Napoli bucked the tread of long outs by walking. Carp grounded out to third but Tillman was finished for the day after 104 pitches in just 5 innings. Young led off the bottom of the 5th with a ground out to Middlebrooks. Flaherty flied out to left and Schoop struck out swinging to end the inning.
Lefty Zach Britton took over for Tillman in the top of the 6th. Sizemore grounded out to short but Bogaerts got his first hit of the season on a double to right field. Pierzynski grounded out to third but Bogaerts moved to third base. With the go-ahead run 90 feet away, Middlebrooks grounded out to third to end the inning.
Lester was unaffected by the lack of clutch hitting as he struck out Markakis looking to begin the bottom of the 6th. Hardy grounded out to Middlebrooks but Jones singled to center to keep the inning alive. Lester whiffed Davis to end the inning. That 5 strikeouts for Lester in 6 innings who looked sharp so far.
The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh inning. Nava grounded out to third, Pedroia was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate and Ortiz grounded out to first to end the inning.. Cruz then put the O's on top with a solo shot off Lester to start the bottom of the seventh, shades of the 2011 Sox opener. Lester recovered to punch out Wieters, Young and Flaherty to finish his day with a flourish. On any other day, 7 innings, 2 runs and 8 strikeouts would be a gem. Today he leaves trailing 2-1 going to the 8th.
Evan Meek replaced Britton for the top of the 8th. Napoli worked a lead-off walk and Carp advanced him to second on a ground out....and he would have been have safe at first when Davis AND Meek bobbled the ball but he ran with a load in his pants. Jackie Bradley Jr made his season debut by pinch running for Napoli at second. Sizemore struck out swinging but Bogaerts walked. Baltimore O's manager Buck Showalter pulled Meek for Brian Matusz. With the tying run at second, Pierzynski hit it back to the mound to end the inning. Sox are now 0-8 with runners in scoring position....BAWFUL! Carp moved to first base, Nava moved to left field and Bradley Jr in right as Junichi Tazawa replaced Lester for the bottom of the 8th as Schoop grounded out to short to start. Markakis grounded out to second and Hardy struck out swinging to end the inning. If the Sox were to make a comeback, it would have to be against new closer Tommy Hunter.
Middlebrooks homered off Hunter twice in spring training but got drilled to begin the 9th. That's one way to get the leadoff man on. Nava then won jackass award by popping up to third, capping off his 0 for 5 afternoon. Pedroia did his job by singling to left to put the tying run at second. Ortiz flied out to left without advancing either runner. With the game on the line, Jackie Bradley Jr looked at strike 3 to end it. The Orioles had held on to win Opening Day 2-1.
Jackass of the Night is an easy one. Daniel Nava was 0 for 5, leaving baserunners on in the 4th and the 9th with the game on the line.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5
Mike Napoli was 1 for 2 with 2 walks
Grady Sizemore was 2 for 4 including a solo home run
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.
One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Jon Lester was the hard luck loser. He tossed 7 innings of 2 run ball while striking out 8. Usually that's enough to win.
Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Jackie Bradley Jr struck out to end the ballgame.
The Ugly:
David Ortiz was just 1 for 5.
Mike Carp was just 1 for 4.
AJ Pierzsynski was just 1 for 4.
Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 3 but was drilled in the 9th.
Final Thoughts:
Not the best way to start the season. One of the problems that plagued the Sox in spring training was lack of hitting. Scoring just 1 run on Opening Day after chasing the starter after 5 innings doesn't help. They wasted a great pitching performance by Lester who looked sharp. Not having Jacoby Ellsbury is going to suck if Daniel Nava and Grady Sizemore can't replace him adequately. Its only one game so no sense squawking about it for too long. After an off-day, the Sox are back in action Wednesday night in Baltimore. John Lackey makes his season debut against Ubaldo Jimenez at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.
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