Playing nine innings while being disappointed that Nate Eovaldi’s brief switch to a No. 7 jersey was not a long overdue tribute to J.D. Drew …
- Well, that was fun. Weird, and expectedly so, but fun. The Red Sox opened the 2020 season Friday night – all together now: finally! – with a 13-2 rout of the Orioles that was pretty much the best-case scenario of what we might have expected. Nate Eovaldi, the ace by default, was steady and sometimes electric on the mound, and the Red Sox offense, which should still be one of the better lineups in the game, took all suspense out of it early, scoring 10 runs before the fourth inning was complete. Yeah, there was weirdness that is going to come from playing in empty ballpark – it was downright jarring to see Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander nearly topple into the empty stands while chasing a J.D. Martinez double; usually the right fielder has to contend with a sea of fans when he ventures into the corner. It was just so unfamiliar. But there was some comfort to be found in the familiar, too. The Red Sox reminded us that they can still knock the ball around the park, even minus that Mookie fella. And the Orioles, who for some reason bat Jose Iglesias third, still should be relegated to the International League. The scene was different, sure. But it was good to have baseball back. I don’t think I realized how much I missed it – and how much I missed Fenway – until we got to see it come to life again on the field, if not yet everywhere else in the old yard.
- Two of Chaim Bloom’s unheralded and inexpensive veteran pickups had impressive Boston debuts. Kevin Pillar, a Gold Glove-caliber defender, made a fine catch on the first batter of the game and also contributed three hits and three RBIs. (Bet you didn’t know that Pillar finished 22d in the NL MVP voting last year.) And second baseman Jose Peraza, who hit .288 with 14 homers for the Reds two years ago, rapped four hits from the No. 9 spot in the order. If the Red Sox are going to exceed expectations – and expectations are that they’ll be around .500 – they’ll need quality contributions from midlevel players like Pillar and Peraza. I always thought that was Theo Epstein’s greatest skill, filling out the middle of the roster with often unsung quality players. Perhaps Bloom will do that well, too.
- Jackie Bradley ripped a couple of opposite-field doubles, including one that plated a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Wouldn’t it be something if the valuable but inconsistent Bradley’s annual torrid hot streak occurred during this 60-game sprint? Fangraphs.com has a terrific new tool in which you can search for the best (and worst) 60-game stretches of a player’s career. Bradley’s best 60-game run occurred from April 18-June 26, 2016, when in 250 plate appearances he produced at a .313/.412/.621 with 13 home runs. In an abbreviated season such as this, those would be MVP-type numbers. Not saying he’ll do that, or even come close to it – one of his frigid streaks is always possible too. But there are going to be some strange outliers this year. I’m here for it.
- Not exactly a flamin’ hot take here, but J.D. Martinez is going to have a monster season – I’m thinking massive numbers, something like 15 homers and 55 RBIs. (Hey, that’s going to be a lot this year, you know. And it wasn’t that long ago that Tom Brunansky led the 1992 Red Sox with 15 homers. OK, it was kind of long ago.) Martinez, who had three hits and three RBIs last night, seemed frustrated after each hit that he didn’t crush the ball even harder. That’s midseason form for him. Martinez has had to make some changes to his meticulous routine – the COVID-19 protocols prevent players from using the video room during a game. He’s also adjusting to hitting second in the order. But he sure looks like the same old prolific hitting machine. He’s going to make a great designated hitter for the Dodgers next year.
- I know, I suppose we should try to set aside the annoyance – to put it gently and without expletives – with the reality that Mookie Betts is a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers for now and the foreseeable future. Move on, enjoy this quasi-season, yada yada. I get it. But it was tough to do that Friday night, for two reasons. 1) His absence is going to take some getting used to, especially when the Sox are playing the Orioles. It’s common knowledge Mookie always tore up Baltimore, hitting 20 homers against them, more than he has against any other club. 2) Red Sox chairman Tom Werner took the less-than-gracious approach of questioning the Dodgers’ contractual commitment to Betts, further confirmation as far as I am concerned that the Red Sox never had any intention of paying him what he’s worth.
- Nate Eovaldi’s first career Opening Day start went as smoothly as anyone could have hoped. He got through six innings on 89 pitches, allowing 5 hits, a walk and a run while striking out 4. He touched 100 miles per hour on the radar gun in the first inning, and looked like a guy that worked extremely hard on his own to be ready for this moment. He’s been too injury-plagued and inconsistent in his career to fully trust as a front-of-the-rotation starter, but his ability is obvious when he’s healthy, and his effort should never be questioned. Actually, his effort is even more obvious now, with no fans in the stands – we can hear him grunt when he unleashes his triple-digit fastball, much like Nolan Ryan used to do.
- That 60-game span tool really is amazing, though – and reveals some amazing feats. Giancarlo Stanton hit 33 homers over a 60-game span in 2017. Johnny Damon hit .425 from July 9-Sept. 12 in 2000. George Brett batted .469 in a 60-game stretch during his legendary run at .400 in 1980. (He finished at .390). Mike Trout had 15 homers and 28 steals from May 25-August 6, 2012. And Nomar Garciaparra hit .421 from May 5-August 6, 2000. On the other end of the spectrum, poor Xander Bogaerts hit .143 with a .395 OPS in 235 plate appearances from June 8-August 30, 2014. He seems to have put that behind him, I’d say.
- Have I missed something, or is Michael Chavis sort of an afterthought entering the season? He had an electrifying start to his big league career last season, hitting 10 homers in his first 106 at-bats. But those savvy veteran pitchers soon discovered that he struggled to resist or catch up to high fastballs, and he slumped, hitting .243 with 8 homers over his final 241 at-bats, beginning the day after his 10th homer. He was in the lineup last night, going 0 for 4 with a walk from the No. 8 spot. I’m not sure what to expect, but in a short season, the Red Sox can’t afford to be as patient as they might be over a full 162 games.
- One game in, and I already have no choice but to issue a moratorium on two things. 1. Not-so-wry jokes on the NESN broadcast about the “roar of the crowd” after something goes well for the Red Sox. That is a one-time-and-one-time-only joke, no exceptions. 2. The obnoxious “your cousin from Boston” Sam Adams commercials. Not even Nomar can save them.
