Manny, Moss power Sox to Opening Day victory

Boston 6, Oakland 5 (10 inns)
WP: Okajima (1-0)
LP: Street (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (1)
HRs: Bos- Moss (1); Oak: Ellis (1), Hannahan (1)

Superstar(s) of the Game: Manny & Moss 4-9, 2R, 2 2Bs, HR, 6BI
Ramirez knocked in 4 of the 6 Sox runs with a pair of two-run doubles, including the game winners in the 10th, and Brandon Moss, a late fill in for J.D. Drew, knocked in the other two with an RBI single in the 6th and the game-tying solo shot in the 9th, his 1st career home run.

The Biggest Loser: Huston Street 1.2IP, 3H 3ER, BB, 2K, HR, BS, L
The stellar young As closer blew the save when he allowed Moss' shot in the 9th, then got torched for 2 more runs on 2 hits and a walk in the 10th to take the loss. No sushi for you!

RECAP:
At times it wasn't pretty.

Other times it was downright terrific.

All of the time it was damn early.

But either way you look at it the end result was Boston stole a victory in the Land of the Rising Sun in a game that began just after sunrise on the East Coast, squeaking out an extra-inning win over a bunch of relatively unknown baby As after a shaky performance by starter Daisuke Matsuzaka and reliever Kyle Snyder.

Matsuzaka (5IP, 2H, 2ER, 5BB, 6K, HR, HBP), making his first start in his homeland since defecting to Boston prior to last season, pitched 5 innings of topsy-turvy ball, allowing 2 runs on 60 pitches through the first two innings before settling down and holding the As at bay, allowing his teammates a chance to climb back in it with their potent offense.

Except that offense was being stymied by the bend-but-don't-break attack of Joe Blanton (5.2IP, 7H, 3ER, BB, 3K), who despite getting into mini-jams in each of the first 3 innings inning held the Sox scoreless through the first five of this early bird special.

The game began with Dustin Pedroia ripping a single up the middle at just after 6:10 EST this morning (7:00PM tonight Japan time) and ended when Jonathan Papelbon got Kurt Suzuki to ground out to Youk just before 10:00 Eastern, and in between the game featured a little bit of everything, including helmeted waitresses in the stands, geisha girls dancing on the field before the game, Hub-centric tunes like "Shipping off to Boston" and "Sweet Caroline" playing on the LOUDspeakers, and raucous ovations for Boston's two Japanese imports, Dice-K and Hideki Okajima.

Too bad once the game actually got started the hospitality and goodwill Boston had been receiving throughout the entire trip came to a sudden and screeching halt.

First came the news that J.D. Drew, who had homered in each of the two prior exhibition games vs. Japanese League teams over here, was a game-time scratch due to a back spasm of some sort, forcing the green Moss (sorry) into the starting lineup just 3 minutes prior to game time.

Pedroia then promptly sparked what appeared to be an early rally for the away team with his solid single to center and after Youk's fielder's choice got him into scoring position it was up to the big boys to get the early run in. Except Papi (0-4,BB, R) popped out to third on the first pitch he saw and Ramirez fouled out to right 4 pitches later, and suddenly it was time for Matsuzaka to make his Tokyo Dome re-debut.

Unfortunately what followed was a lesson of how not to pitch when you are being welcomed back to the place your career began as Dice-K looked like a Little Leaguer on the hill for the biggest game of his life. Matsuzaka got Travis Buck to ground out on the first pitch he threw, then proceeded to serve up a gopher ball to Mark Ellis two pitches later to give Oakland an early (literally) 1-0 lead.

It didn't get much better from there as Dice walked unknown Daric Barton, hit Jack w/ a 'K' Cust on the foot on a 2-2 count, then after wild pitching the runners over, loaded the bases on another free pass to the feeble Emil Brown. Only a slow roller to the mound by plummeting Bobby Crosby that plated one and a strikeout (on a 3-2 count) to Jack Hannahan, who was replacing the injured Eric Chavez, prevented the A's from blowing the game open before the first Sapporo of the evening was downed.

The 2nd inning brought more of the same as Boston wasted a leadoff single by Mike Lowell only to see Matsuzaka get himself in another predicament thanks to his inability to throw a breaking ball for a strike, resulting in a bases-loaded situation courtesy of two walks and a single by Suzuki in the bottom of the frame.

This time only a strikeout of Kust prevented an As uprising as Matsuzaka escaped the inning unscathed to keep the deficit at 2-0, but by this time it looked as though Dice would be gone from the game before the last wisps of darkness faded from the morning sky here in the States.

Things settled won from there, with the teams trading 1-2-3 innings for a bit until the Sox finally broke through against Blanton in the top of the 6th.

Pedroia (2-4) began the uprising with a ringing double off the wall in right center that was misplayed by Buck, and after Youk drew a 4-pitch walk, Papi had another chance to do some damage and slice into the As lead. But he fouled out to third.

Luckily Manny brought his hitting shoes in the first game of his contract year -is it any wonder why he's so focused & prepared this early in the season?- as he laced the first pitch he saw from Blanton down the third base line and deep into the corner for a 2-run double that tied the score and brought the fans from both nations (of course RSN was well represented for this ultimate roadie) to their feet for the first time since the beginning of the game.

After Lowell fanned, Mos began his rise to cult status and started the murmurs of "play him instead of the oft-injured Drew" when he ripped 1B to RF to score Manny, and the Sox had the lead at 3-2 and a potential win for Matsuzaka, who gutted it out despite his early struggles and deserved a W here.

Too bad Kyle Snyder didn't follow the script, as he allowed a single to Crosby and a homer to Hannahan 5 pitches into the bottom of the 6th, and now Boston would have to play catch up again.

The next few innings featured a parade of relievers, including a couple of familiar faces on the Oakland side in Lenny DiNardo and old friend Keith the Burger King Foulke, who threw a 1-2-3 8th that included a whiff of Manny to end the frame, and then the Sox were down to their final at bats.

Thankfully Huston Street was willing to play the role of goodwill ambassador today.

Moss spanked Street's 1-out, 2-2 offering into the stands in right for a game-tying solo shot that sent the crowd into a frenzy, and even though he retired the next two batters, you could sense the momentum had definitely shifted to the home-away-from home team.

Sure enough after Oki, who received a louder greeting from the fans than fellow countryman Matsuzaka, set the As down in the bottom of the 9th, Boston quickly went to work on ending this thing in the 10th when Lugo reached on an infield single to lead off, and then after an intentional walk to Papi, Ramirez roped a double high off the right field wall that scored both runners and effectively sent the fans home happy.

Sure Papelbon struggled in the bottom of the 10th, letting in a run on three hits, but by that time everyone was either too spent to worry about it or had already left for work assuming that Boston had lost in regulation.

But on this day (night? morning?) the Sox would prove to be just as resilient as they were 5 months ago, when no deficit was too large and no game was unimportant enough to brush aside.

Especially one where the psyche of two nations was resting on their shoulders.

Hey, whadda ya say we all do it again tomorrow morning?

See ya at 6:00.

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Hours away from Opening Day

Boston Red Sox (0-0) vs. Oakland A's (0-0)
GM 1 Tue 6am EST ESPN2: Matsuzaka (NR) vs. Joe Blanton (NR)
GM 2 Wed 6am EST ESPN2: Lester (NR) vs.0 Harden (NR)

As most of the country sleeps, two nations will be awake with the giddy anticipation that the new baseball season always brings. Or bleary-eyed and groggy while watching our national pastime kick off the 2008 season 7,000 miles away from home at an hour reserved for pre-dawn pee trips and nauseating early birds.

But definitely one or the other.

The Boston Red Sox begin their title defense in the land of the rising sun at about the time the sun is rising in the West, which is why it will feel so odd when the first game between the Sox and A's starts at approximately 6:07 a.m. EST. After all, there are still Grapefruit and Cactus league games being played stateside, and after this 2 game set is complete, Boston will play three additional "preseason" games against the Dodgers this weekend in LA.

Preseason games. After the season has officially started.

And baseball fans thought Bud Selig fucked up with the All Star Game tie.

But no matter. When the game starts it will be all about Dice K receiving a hero's welcome in his homeland, Jacoby Ellsbury continuing his quest to be the home-grown folk hero Judas Demon never was, and Big Papi attempting to put his sub-par (by his standards) 2007 season behind him by winning that elusive MVP he so rightfully deserves.

The Sox tuned up for this odd goodwill mission that is a marriage of horsehide and greenbacks by taking a pair of exhibition games from Japanese League teams the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers, a surefire way to prepare for 'real' MLB teams like the San Fran Giants and Detroit Tigers if there ever was one.

The only major news to come from the trip to Japan was the sore neck incurred by backup 1B Sean The Mayor Casey, as the combination of the 17-hour flight and a poor sleeping position proved debilitating for the aging vet, and proved the Sox brass were quite wise to keep rehabbing ace Josh Beckett back home for some fine tuning on his injured back.

Beckett was officially placed on the DL before the trip, but he pitched a couple innings against scrub minor leaguers yesterday and is progressing nicely with his injury and should be ready for the Sox first real series back home next week sometime.

In the meantime his mates will try to win a couple of games in a foreign land at an odd hour with a pair of Nations glued to the sets to see what this opening series will bring.

If the Sox take a pir and come away with no major maladies, food poisoning or super strain of jet lag, all should be well.

But god forbid Boston drops a pair, Dice-K gets a hold of some bad sushi from a disgruntled Seibu Lions fan, and JD Drew goes 0-8 with 3 Ks and four groundouts.

Then the real grumbling will begin.

I can hear the mid-summer mantra now: "if only they didn't have to start the fucking season in fucking Japan..."

Play Ball and Go Sox!!!

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Sox start season with a thud

Score: Kansas City 7, Sox 1
WP: Gil Meche (1-0)
LP: Schill (0-1)
HRs: KC-John Buck (1)

It was a beautiful day for baseball at packed Kauffman Stadium

KEY MOMENT: 2-1 KC, bot. of the 4th

With the score still tight Schilling allowed a two-out, two-run double to Mark Eye Chart Grudzielanek that made the score 4-1, and when Mark Tehan followed with an RBI single it was lights out for the boys from Boston.

HERO: Grudzielanek

The gritty, veteran second baseman torched Bosox pitching for 3 hits and 3 RBIs in 5 at bats, plus scored 2 runs and provided a spark from the two hole that carried throughout the rest of the lineup.

GOAT: Schilling

Eight hits, five earned runs and only four innings of work equals a horrendous opening day start; it was Schill's shortest start in a decade and his 4th consecutive loss to the Royals.

SUMMARY:
Big Papi did what he was supposed to do- give Curt Schilling a lead to work with- when he drove in Youk with a deep double in the first inning. Unfortunately for the Sox Schill didn't fulfill his end of the deal as he gave the run right back in the bottom of the frame on a based loaded walk, then went on to allow four more runs in four innings of erratic, sporadic opening day ball.

By the time Schill gave way to Javier Lopez in the 5th he had allowed 8 hits including two doubles & a triple, walked 2, struck out five and threw 89 pitches, 55 for strikes. Let's call that less than impressive, especially from a guy who is supposed to be the team's ace, who wants a new contract, and who is going to be counted on for stability in the rotation this year.

Lopez stopped the bleeding in the 5th, but Japanese rookie reliever Hideki Okijima allowed a lead off home run to catcher John Buck on his first major league pitch, and just for good measure Joel I am not a closer Pineiro allowed a run on Tona Pena Jr's (yes, that Tony Pena, Sox fans) second triple of the game in his Boston debut in the 8th.

Basically the loss came down to KC getting timely hitting (5 of the 7 runs scored came with 2 outs) and quality pitching from Seattle castoff Gil Meche. The poster boy for the off season free agent splurging MLB indulged in, especially on pitchers, Meche took his 55 career wins, $55 million contract while wearing #55 and not only out-pitched Schill but held the vaunted Sox lineup in check for 7.1 innings. The righty gave up only 6 hits and the single run while striking out six, including new Boston SS/lead off man Julio Lugo three times; Sox batters Kd 10 times on the day.

There were some positives for the Bosox: new RF J.D. Drew had a single & walk in his debut, Youk had two hits and scored a run from the #2 slot, and Dustin Pedroia went 2-3 from the 9th position. But for every positive there were at least 2 negatives, like the pair of base runners (Pedroia & Tek) gunned down after foolishly attempting to take extra bases that weren't there, the two measly extra base hits produced by this prodigious lineup, and the pair of runs given up by two new members of the pen.

All in all not the way you want to ring in opening day. But that's part of the beauty of the sport-lose the first game and there's still 161 more to follow.

BOX SCORE

RECORD: 0-1

UP NEXT: @ KC, WED 8PM Beckett vs. Perez

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Opening Day 2007: Sox at Royals 4 PM EST

Boston (0-0) at. Kansas City (0-0)
Curt Schilling (0-0, 0.00) vs. Gil Meche (0-0, 0.00)

This is where it all starts-opening day, when every team in the league thinks it has a chance to go all the way and before the inevitable steroid scandal has seeped into the fan's consciousness.

Curt Schilling will take the mound for the Sox as they begin their quest for another ring in appropriately the Show Me state against the young & perennially rebuilding Royals. Although KC did go out and splurge (i.e. overspend) on today's mediocre starter Gil Meche, the core of the team is still youth and development.

In that department young 3B Alex Gordon could be the cream of a crowded rookie crop. He is already being compared to his idol, former Royals icon George Brett, and is believed to be one of the most baseball-ready prospect in the major leagues.

Here are the projected lineups:
BOSTON:
1-SS Julio Lugo
2-1B Kevin Youkilis
3-DH David Ortiz
4-LF Manny Ramirez
5-RF J.D. Drew
6-3B Mike Lowell
7-C Jason Varitek
8-CF Coco Crisp
9-2B Dustin Pedroia
P- Curt Schilling

KANSAS CITY:
1-CF David DeJesus
2-2B Mark Grudzielanek
3-RF Mark Teahen
4-DH Mark Sweeney
5-3B Alex Gordon
6-1B Ryan Shealy
7-LF Ross Gload
8-C John Buck
9- Tony Pena
P- Gil Meche

Boston will look for plenty of offense today and a solid 6-7 innings from Schill before giving way to Donnelly, Pineiro and Papelbon for the first win of the 2007 campaign.

Let the run to the title begin!

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Let's Play Ball!!

The season officially opens tonight in St. Louis, but the Sox' drive to another championship begins tomorrow afternoon in Kansas City.

Despite my efforts to ignore the fact that those damned fools at Sports Illustrated had to go and put Matsuzaka on the cover of their baseball preview issue, the Cover Jinx Curse may have struck again.

On the eve of Opening Day 07 and on April Fools Day no less, word came from the team that after throwing 82 pitches in a sloppy final spring start against Philly, Dice-K is suffering from some "arm fatigue" according to pitching coach John Farrell. This is common for many pitchers after the month long grind of the spring, but for a guy who never uses pitch counts, throws every day and who never ices his million dollar right arm, this comes as shocking and unsettling news to all of Red Sox Nation.

I know right now as I type there are literally millions of Nation members praying at some makeshift Bosox altar, probably containing odd paraphernalia like old pictures of you and the gang at Fenway, a coke mirror autographed by Butch Hobson, a Jerry Remy Topps card and a home made bloody sock, and hoping that this bad omen is not, well, a bad omen.

Damn you, Sports Illustrated! May your Swimsuit Edition lose its cache more and more very year!

Let the season begin!

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