2015 Archives – Page 15 of 16

Milestones for first 10 games

April 7, 2015 Leave a Comment

We all know the first game of the season doesn’t mean much but it was fun, none the less, watching the Red Sox back in action and flexing their offensive power.

After a 2014 with so little to cheer, the Sox came roaring out of the gate Monday with sterling pitching and the offensive pop we expected—and then some.

As recorded here, the eight Red Sox home runs in that first game of 2015 tied the club’s record for the most HRs in the past 102 Opening Day games (also April 12, 1965 against the Senators). Of the 336 batters that appeared in major league games Monday, however, only two hit two home runs each. Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez became the first Red Sox teammates—and just the 7th in baseball history overall—with multi-HR games on Opening Day.

Powerful? Let this soak in: One game into the season Boston’s 5 home runs are at least as many as they’ve hit in the first ten games of 40 Red Sox seasons since 1914. Three times since at least 1914 the Red Sox have had a home run in 9 of their first 10 games of a season (but never in all 10): 1965, 2002, and 2004.

So what other offensive records lie ahead for the Red Sox in their first 10 games of a season? Let’s have a look.

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Red Sox power as advertised;
Buchholz pitches a gem

April 6, 2015 Leave a Comment

It’s hard to find anything not to like about Opening Day 2015 if you’re a Red Sox fan.

Clay Buchholz

The opener to the 115th Red Sox campaign was a decisive 8-0 shut out of the Philadelphia Phillies behind a solid performance by Clay Buchholz, who became the first Boston starter to allow no runs over 7.0+ innings of work on Opening Day since Pedro Martinez on April 4, 2000 facing the Mariners. It’s the first Boston shut out of an opponent on Opening Day since a 2-0 win over the Mariners on Opening Day 2000.

Buchholz’ 9 strikeouts were the most by a Red Sox pitcher on Opening Day since Josh Beckett struck out 10 in his start against the Rays on Opening Day 2009. Since 1914 only Beckett, Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens, Wes Ferrell, Joe Dobson and now Clay Buchholz have struck out 9 or more batters in the first game of a season.

In all, Buchholz went 7.0 innings with 3 hits (the first coming with 2 outs in the fourth inning), a walk, and those 9 strikeouts.

Buchholz became the first Red Sox to go from the No. 5 starting role a year earlier to the Opening Day starter since Clemens in 1988. Clay and Bob Stanley are the only Red Sox pitchers since 1960 to be 30+ years old at the time of their 1st Opening Day starts.

8 runs via the home run

At the plate the Boston offense was as advertised: powerful. In the 102 Opening Day games since 1914, Monday’s marked the 20th to feature multiple Red Sox home runs. Having 5 Boston home runs made today’s game historical, tying the club record for most HRs in the past 102 Opening Day games (also April 12, 1965 against the Senators).

Setting aside Opening Day records, it was the first time the Red Sox have clubbed 5 home runs in a regular season game since totaling 8 HRs in a 20-4 taming of the Tigers on September 4, 2013.

Dustin Pedroia‘s fist inning home run Monday marked the third time in his career he’s circled the bases on Opening Day, joining Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice as the Red Sox with the 3rd-most Opening Day games with a home run since at least 1914. Pedroia’s second solo shot, coming in the top of the 5th inning, marked the fourth time he’s had multiple home runs in a single game (on June 24, 2010 Pedroia had a career-high 3 HRs in a game against the Rockies).

Besides Pedroia today the only MLB second baseman with multiple home runs on Opening Day is the Diamondbacks Felipe Lopez on April 6, 2000.

Hanley Ramirez

Hanley Ramirez, appearing in his first game for Boston since October 2, 2005, also belted a career-high two home runs for the 17th time in his career: a solo shot in the fifth inning and a majestic grand slam off the left field foul post in the top of the 9th inning. It was the first Red Sox grand slam on Opening Day since Jack Clark‘s in 1991. The only other occasion was Carlton Fisk in 1973.

It was Ramirez’ 6th career grand slam, his first since July 2, 2011 with the Marlins vs the Rangers. Last season the Red Sox tied with the Astro and Athletics for the 2nd-most grand slams in the American League (5 each). The Orioles and Reds led baseball with 6 each.

Coming off a scorching Spring Training, 22-year old Mookie Betts added to the Red Sox offense with a third inning solo home run. Betts joins Tom Winsett and Tony Conigliaro as the only Red Sox aged 22 or younger to have Opening Day home runs. Betts distinguished himself further as the Sox’ youngest Opening Day lead off hitter since Rico Petrocelli in 1965 (age 21) and the club’s youngest Opening Day center fielder since Conigliaro in 1964 (age 19).

The Red Sox have the day off Tuesday before facing the Phillies in Game 2 of the opening series on Wednesday night, 7:05 ET/4:05 PT. ESPN 2 is broadcasting the game nationally.

It’s finally here!

April 4, 2015 Leave a Comment

A MLB Opening Day fter a long, hard winter—harder for some than for others—the day we’ve longed for is just about upon us.

Monday’s Opening Day kicks off the Red Sox 2015 campaign with a bunch of new faces in a revamped lineup that’s sure to provide plenty of offense and plenty to talk about on the mound.

April 6th is the latest Red Sox Opening Day since the April 7th start in 2009, a 5-3 win over the Rays. It’s just the 3rd time that the Red Sox have started a season on or after April 6 since the strike shortened season of 1995, which opened on April 26.

The Red Sox are 55-58-1 in Opening Day games for all-time, going 5-5 in their last 10, and 2-3 for their last five starting sets.

The Red Sox face the Phillies Monday, Wednesday and Thursday before heading to New York for a weekend series of 3 games against the Yankees Friday to Sunday. Sunday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. The Phillies will face Boston again this season September 4-6 at Fenway.

It’s the fifth straight Opening Day on the road for Boston, the 75th time overall. The last time the Red Sox opened the season at Fenway was on an unseasonably warm April 4, 2010 vs the Yankees, when game time temperature was 67º F. Since 2000 the Red Sox have opened the season at home just three times: 2002, 2009, and 2010. Boston is 32-41-1 in road openers for all time.

A little history

1915 World Series program Monday’s game marks the first time the Red Sox have opened a season against a National League team, but not the first time they’ve opened the season in Philly. The last time came in 1954, a 6-4 loss to the Philadelphia Athletics. That was the last year the City of Brotherly Love had an American League team, which switched to become the Kansas City Athletics the following season.

In a sense, it’s particularly fitting for the Red Sox to open the season in Philadelphia this year. 2015 marks the 100th anniversary of Boston’s World Championship over the 1915 Phillies. In that year the Red Sox Opening Day game was a 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Athletics and their last game of the season was the World Series clincher on October 13, 1915 vs the Phillies at Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl. This Thursday, in the last game of this opening series, the two clubs will wear throwback caps similar to their 1915 designs.

Player milestones

Clay Buchholz, last year’s No. 5 starter, will be the Opening Day starter for the first time in his career. The last time that happened for the Red Sox was with Roger Clemens, who started Game 5 of the 1987 season just before opening the next 7 straight seasons. In all, Clemens holds the club record for the most Opening Day starts by a Red Sox pitcher (8).

David Ortiz will be making his 11th Opening Day start with the Red Sox, tying him with Harry Hooper 7th-most in club history. Carl Yastrzemski holds the club record with 22 such starts followed by Dwight Evans (17), Jim Rice (14), Bobby Doerr and Ted Williams (13 each), and Rico Petrocelli (12).

Red Sox with the most Opening Day starts by position are Jason Varitek at catcher (10), George Scott and Mo Vaughn at first (7 each), Doerr at second (13), Wade Boggs at third (10), Everett Scott at shortstop (8), Yastrzemski in left (15), Dom DiMaggio in center (9), and Evans in right (14). Ortiz has the most Opening Day starts as Red Sox DH (10).

Opening Day records

Yastrzemski hit a club-best 6 home runs on Opening Days of his career. Dwight Evans had 5, Jim Rice and Ted Williams each have hit 3. David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and nine other Red Sox batters have hit 2. In all, Big Papi has 4 Opening Day home runs in his career, the most among active players.

The most Red Sox team home runs in an Opening Day game is 4. It happened three times: April 12, 1965 against the Senators, April 7, 1986 against the Tigers, and April 1, 2002 against the Blue Jays.

Four Red Sox batters have hit a club-best 2 home runs in an Opening Day game: Carlton Fisk (1973), Carl Yastrzemski (1968), Lenny Green (1965), and Ted Lepcio (1955).

Remarkably consistent, Pedroia has hit safely in all 8 career openers, going 13-for-33 (.394) in such games. His 1-for-3 record in each of his 8 opening games is the longest Opening Day hitting streak by a Red Sox player since Yastrzemski had 13 such hits from 1968-1980.

Eleven Red Sox players have a club-best 4 hits in an Opening Day game, most recently Jose Offerman in a 5-3 win over the Royals on April 5, 1999.

The Red Sox hold the record, since at least 1914, for the most walks drawn in an Opening Day game. It came on April 1, 2002 against the Blue Jays. Despite drawing an MLB-record 13 free passes, Boston lost that game 11-12. The Sox also hold baseball’s 3rd-best mark for most hits in an Opening Day game during that same span, amassing 20 in a 15-5 win over the Yankees on April 6, 1973. Since 1914 the most hits in an opener was 23 by the Cubs over the Diamondbacks in 2005.

The road ahead

The Red Sox will come home for the Fenway opener versus Nationals on Monday, April 13—15. The home opener will mark just the 10th time these two club have played each other and the 1st time since June 10, 2012.

Boston will complete their first homestand with 4 games against the Orioles April 17—20.

MLB Commissioner suspends former Red Sox

March 23, 2015 Leave a Comment

Free agent Minor League catcher Dusty Brown received a 50-game suspension today from the MLB Commissioner’s Office following a second positive test for a banned drug.

Brown, 32, was drafted by the Red Sox on June 5, 2000 in the 35th round of the 2000 amateur draft. From 2009 to 2010 Brown appeared in 13 Red Sox games at catcher. He also pitched 1.0 innings, allowing 2 hits and a run in one game of 2009.

After his stint with Boston, Brown played in 11 games with the Pirates in 2011 before playing exclusively in the Minor Leagues in the systems of the Rangers, Indians, and Athletics.

The suspension of Brown, who is currently unsigned, goes into effect immediately upon his signing with any another Major League organization.

Red Sox coming milestones

March 21, 2015 Leave a Comment

Here are some upcoming milestones Red Sox players will close in on in the 2015 season:

1 putout to the 2,000th of Dustin Pedroia‘s career.
2 doubles ties David Ortiz with Chipper Jones at #27 on MLB’s all-time doubles list (549).
4 RBI ties Ortiz with Joe DiMaggio and Harry Heilmann at #45 on MLB’s all-time RBI list (1,537).
6 games to Koji Uehara‘s 300th.
7 strikeouts from Mike Napoli‘s 1,000th.
9 home runs from Hanley Ramirez‘s 200th.
14 home runs from Napoli’s 200th.
15 games from Napoli’s 1,000th.
15 strikeouts ties Clay Buchholz with Earl Wilson at No. 19 on club’s all-time strikeout list (714).
20 starts from Rick Porcello‘s 200th.
21 walks ties Ortiz with Brian Giles at #66 on MLB Career Walks Leaders (1,183).
25 intentional walks ties Ortiz with Carl Yastrzemski at No. 1 on club’s all-time IBB list with 190.
27 walks from Pedroia’s 500th.
28 walks ties Ortiz with Wade Boggs at No. 4 on club’s all-time BB list with 2,098.
29 doubles from Napoli’s 200th.
30 doubles ties Pedroia with Yastrzemski and Ted Williams for 3rd-most seasons of 30+ doubles in club history (8).
34 walks from Napoli’s 500th.
39 times on base from Ramirez’ 2,000.
44 home runs ties Ortiz with Yastrzemski at #2 on club’s all-time home run list (452).
45 strikeouts from Justin Masterson‘s 1,000th (Jon Lester is 43 from his 1,500th).
51 RBI ties Ortiz with Dwight Evans at No. 4 on club’s all-time RBI list with 1,346.
56 batters faced from Masterson’s 5,000th.
97 hits to Ramirez 1,500th.
100 RBI for Ortiz to tie Williams for most seasons of 100+ RBI in club history (9).

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