Another Opening Day has come and gone in the city of Boston. We couldn’t have asked for a better result as The Red Sox took on the Nationals in their first game at Fenway Since last season but we’ll get to the game later. If you’re apart of Red Sox nation you know that Opening Day at Fenway is pretty much a holiday. Did i forget to mention that it was 70 degrees and you couldn’t ask for a better day? With every Opening Day comes a new beginning at Fenway and you can already tell this Sox Team is going to be fun to watch.
Every year before the game starts we get Orsillo and Castiglione on the field in their suits looking like there are going to the prom. First these 2 two introduce the Nationals (Who have a stacked rotation by the way). The crowd and all of Boston start to get anxious as they await the announcement of the 2015 Red Sox. The long time Red Sox radio announcer Joe Castiglione had the privelage of announcing the sox this season. He started with the behind the scenes guys, and continued on to the players not in todays lineup. The crowd rises to its feet as the manager John Farrell is announced because they know their opening day lineup is up next. Castiglione announce the home opener lineup and the crowd becomes electric ready to start the game. The national anthem is sung and the late great mayor Thomas Menino was recognized.
The first ceremonial first pitch is always a big moment; the Sox always bring in legendary figures in this city to throw out the first pitch. The Red Sox pulled out all the stops today as Jonathan Kraft, Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady walked from behind the monster each one of them holding a Lombardi Trophy. They walk to the mound as the crowd erupts and its finally time for Tom to throw the first pitch. He winds up and throws a fastball in the dirt. Don’t get me wrong we love Tom Brady here but c’mon Tom, you and I both know your better than that.
A great moment that occurred was Ben Cherrington announced that the Red Sox have signed Pete Frates the former BC baseball star who is suffering with AlS to a major league contract. Every year the Eagles from BC take a trip down to Florida to play the Red Sox in spring training. This year that game was a little more special. Last summer Pete launched the ice bucket challenge campaign and brought worldwide awareness to the terrible disease that is ALS. This year both the Eagles and the Red Sox wore Pete Frates jersey. Today before first pitch every single Red Sox player walked out of the dugout and touched Pete with their jerseys a tear jerking moment from Fenway.
Now it’s finally time to start the game. In the top of the first the Nationals got a quick base runner with one out which brought up Bryce Harper who hit a shot to right field and Mookie Betts robbed him of a homer. Watching this at the time we had no idea it was preview of what was to come. He and the Red Sox never turned back from that point on the Sox came out and scored 8 runs in the first 4 innings and never looked back as they only let the Nationals score 4 runs. The Nationals just did not look a major league team as the Red Sox 9-4 pumped them
Mookie Betts had himself a day and went 2-4 with a homerun 4 RBI’s and 2 stolen bases. Rick Porcello picked up the win. One of the main headlines from this game was in 8th inning one of the Sox new sluggers Hanley Ramirez fouled a ball off his toe and came out of the game. In the post game press conference John Farrell said he expects Hanley to be in the lineup tomorrow. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for this year’s sox team.
The Beantown Buzz 