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April 2, 2007
Good pitching. Airtight defense. Timely, two-out hitting. It all came together this afternoon at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City.
Just not for the Red Sox.
In a reversal of roles, the Royals looked like the World Series contenders and the Sox like the perennial American League doormats as Kansas City romped to a 7-1 victory in the season opener on a beautiful, sun-splashed day. You name the element of the game, and it was an element in which the Royals dominated the Sox.
Like pitching. Gil Meche was the much-ridiculed signing this winter; the consensus was the Royals grossly overpaid for the former Mariner mediocrity. But he baffled the Sox all afternoon, allowing only six hits and one run in 7 1/3 innings, with one walk and six strikeouts.
By contrast, his high-profile counterpart, Curt Schilling, was gone by the fifth inning, having been touched for eight hits and five runs. It was the first Opening Day loss of his brilliant career.
Like hitting. Veteran infielder Mark Grudzielanek had three hits and three RBI, and Mark Teahan, Mike Sweeney, John Buck and Tony Pena Jr. added three hits. The Sox, meanwhile, were held to eight hits -- six singles and two doubles.
And like fielding. Pena was particularly brilliant at shortstop, making several eye-popping plays.
But, in reality, it was merely a resurrection of a Boston tradition. They won their first game handily in Texas last year, but prior to that the Sox had lost five consecutive openers, some by humiliating scores. Like 9-2 in New York against the Yankees in 2005. And 7-2 against the Orioles in Baltimore in 2004.
In that light, today didn't seem so bad. Besides: The Sox made the playoffs in both those seasons . . . and won a World Series in '04.
What do you think? Was today a fluke, or a sign of bad things to come?
Posted by Art Martone 
at 6:46 PM | Permalink
Tim Daloisio | April 2, 2007 7:28 PM link
Ernie | April 2, 2007 8:49 PM link
Momma said there'd by days like this. Still not fun when it happens though. The Sox will be fine. Schill will be fine. Opening day isn't worth any more than any other game. Even if it feels that way.