Red Sox Puke All Over Themselves on Opening Day
The day started off promising. Spring is around the corner. The weather is getting nicer. The Boston Red Sox were ready to open up their title defense in 2019. But, the Red Sox ended up puking all over themselves on Opening day.
Let's do this (again). #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/V6AFE10MWi
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) March 28, 2019
#RedSox fall to Mariners.
đź”—: https://t.co/lNzH4HLjG9 pic.twitter.com/BxZPoS2pcy
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) March 29, 2019
What a 360 that turned out to be! But, here were a few opening day observations I gathered after the game unfolded.
Chris Sale Was Not Himself
There were probably fans last night that were saying, “Something is still wrong with Chris Sale”, “Chris Sale wasn’t worth that extension!” etc. Relax! It’s game one of a long 162 game season. Sale went three innings, while giving up 7 earned runs on 6 hits, while allowing 2 walks and 3 homeruns given up. He also had 4 strikeouts in the loss. This is NOT the Chris Sale we are used to seeing. Everyone has a bad start here and there. Do NOT start overreacting to one bad start by the Red Sox ace.
J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts Picked Up Right Where They Left Off in 2018
The tandem of J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts spent little time picking up where they left off last season. Betts finished the game going 3 for 5 while Martinez finished 2 for 5 with an RBI single in the first inning.
Miss us?@JDMartinez14 knocks in @mookiebetts with an RBI-single! pic.twitter.com/DO43PbhzHA
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) March 28, 2019
Off to a solid start! đź‘Ź pic.twitter.com/fGw0cvcaTc
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) March 28, 2019
The Bullpen Will Be Fun (*Gulp) To Watch This Season
The bullpen was the talk all off-season as the reason of why the Red Sox will not repeat as World Series champions in 2019. This game, they get a pass because most of the damage was done by Sale. The bullpen didn’t help too much either. Between four relievers, they combined to give up 5 runs, 4 earned, on 6 hits in 6 innings. Heath Hembree and Brian Johnson didn’t give up any of the 5 runs as all of them were let up by Hector Velazquez and Tyler Thornburg. But at the end of the day, the bullpen gets linked all together. This bullpen will be a lot of “fun” this season if this is what we can normally expect of them.
In Conclusion
Again, it’s game one. There is no reason to say the sky is falling. The Red Sox have 161 more games to play this season. Oh and by the way, remember what happened last season?
You know how it went last Opening Day… and the rest of the season…
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) March 29, 2019
Oh and here’s one last statistic for you all. The Red Sox teams in 2004, 2007, and 2018 all lost on Opening day. So keep calm, please?
-Alan Nahigian (BigAl2793)