For the first time in four years, the Boston Red Sox enjoyed an Opening Day win. Thursday evening the Red Sox squared up against the Seattle Mariners and found their first ticket to success in the regular season.
The last time Boston enjoyed immediate success was their 2020 contest against the Orioles where they earned an unusually high number of runs to finish 13-2.
This year, the contest was a bit closer as Opening Day was the immediate success Boston fans have been waiting for for quite some time.
However, the top of the first had Boston sweating. Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers then Trevor Story went one, two, three in a matter of moments. A routine fly ball and two strike-outs sent the Mariners up to bat.
While the first two innings were a scoreless affair, the second was where things began to pick up.
Enmanuel Valdez, who was drafted to the Red Sox in 2023 got the momentum going with a base hit at the top of the third. After a strike-out from Duran, Devers stepped up to the plate hopeful of earning his first home run of the season. Luckily, that’s just what he did. Silencing the Seattle fans, Devers ran in Valdez to put the Red Sox on the board 2-0.
That battle of the east- and west-coasters started to heat up in the fourth.
A hit from Ceddanne Rafaela with runners on second and third brought in Tyler O’Neill. Rafaela’s throw tapped O’Neill on the head while he slid into home; luckily, this mishap brought in another Boston run.
Seattle finally answered. A home run with a runner on first brought in two for the Mariners.
The fifth and sixth innings plated two more runs for Boston as the Seattle fans sat quietly in the stands trailing 5-2. The seventh brought in two more runs for the Mariners while Boston scored their final point in the eighth.
The 6-4 success was more than Boston fans could have asked for after last season’s drought. Up at bat, Rafaela and Devers were early standouts, leading the team in runs.
Friday’s contest was a dramatic 180 for the running Red Sox as they were shut out 0-1. The only run of the day came in the sixth by J.P. Crawford of the Mariners. Seattle pitcher George Kirby had upwards of six strikeouts and was remarkably dominant on the mound, routinely throwing back-to-back strikeouts. The pitcher had an exceptional season debut.
Saturday’s contest once again had Boston on the edge of their seats. The 3-4 finish favored the Mariners early on.
A bunt from Crawford got him to second and then a base hit from Mitch Haniger ultimately brought Crawford home.
The Red Sox remained 0-1 until a hit from Boston brought Rafaela home for a tied-up scoreboard.
The duo rounded out the ninth inning neck-and-neck and were sent into a tenth.
Despite two runs scored at the top from the Red Sox, Seattle ultimately pulled away by the skin of their teeth for a 4-3 victory. Despite a narrow loss, the defensive capabilities of Story and Rafaela shined through.
Heading into the final game in the series and at a 1-2 deficit, a win was critical for Boston.
The second inning quickly proved to be the only close scoring period of the match.
A fly ball down the leftfield line brought in O’Neill for his second homer of the season. Then, a ground ball from the Mariners snaked through center field and was enough to tie up the scoreboard 1-1.
Soon after, the Mariners went cold and were unable to gain any successful traction. The fourth sealed the deal for Boston as they nailed three runs and then another in the sixth. A shutout that started in the third inning earned Boston a 5-1 victory.
After ending the series in a 2-2 tie, the Red Sox are showing some promise, especially from Rafaela, who has already proven to be an exceptionally diverse player. Devers has also been an anchoring team leader just one weekend into the season.
This week, Boston is scheduled for their second series against the Oakland Athletics and will look to establish an early streak.