Red Sox Win Home Opener
By Jeff Goldberg, The Hartford Courant, Conn.
Apr. 8–BOSTON — Another opener, another show put on by Daisuke Matsuzaka. For the third time this season, Matsuzaka pitched in a home opener. He did it in Japan last month, in Oakland last week and again Tuesday at Fenway Park.
Save for the first two innings in his homeland, Matsuzaka has treated the ceremonial settings as his personal showcase. No stage was greater than Tuesday at Fenway Park, with Matsuzaka and his teammates receiving their 2007 World Series rings amid grand pomp and pageantry.
Then Matsuzaka kept the good times rolling, pitching 6 2/3 shutout innings as the Red Sox dispatched the surprisingly dismal and winless Detroit Tigers 5-0 before a record home-opening crowd of 36,567. Matsuzaka allowed four hits and walked four while collecting seven strikeouts, one in each inning he pitched.
Only once, in the sixth inning, did the Tigers threaten to score, loading the bases with two out. But Matsuzaka (2-0, 1.47 ERA) got Carlos Guillen to line out to center. Matsuzaka retired the first two batters in the seventh, including his final strikeout against Jacque Jones for the second out. But after walking Brandon Inge on his 108th pitch, manager Terry Francona summoned Manny Delcarmen to get the last out of the inning.
Last Tuesday, Matsuzaka dominated the Athletics in their home opener, allowing one run over 6 2/3 innings. He has not allowed a run over his past 11 1/3 innings, after allowing a homer to Jack Cust leading off the second in Oakland.
The Red Sox scored runs in the second, third and fourth innings against the sloppy Tigers, who committed two key errors leading to runs and dropped to 0-7 for the season.
Manny Ramirez tripled off starter Kenny Rogers (0-2, 3.37) into the triangle leading off the third and scored when second baseman Placido Polanco threw his relay into the Tigers dugout. It was Polanco’s first error since July 1, 2006, a span of 186 games and 911 chances, both major league records for a second baseman.
In the fourth, Miguel Cabrera bobbled Julio Lugo’s grounder, then threw the ball into the camera well by the Red Sox dugout, with Lugo taking second. He eventually scored the third Red Sox run on a Kevin Youkilis sacrifice fly.
The Red Sox added two runs in the sixth, with Lugo scoring from first on Youkilis’ double to left that Jones misplayed, allowing the ball to roll into the corner. With two out and two on, reliever Jason Grilli walked Mike Lowell to load the bases, then walked J.D. Drew to force home the fifth run.
Before the game, the Red Sox received their World Series rings in a 45-minute ceremony. The ceremony was punctuated by Bill Buckner, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Before that, the Boston Symphony Orchestra played in center field as members of Patriots, Celtics and Bruins championship teams delivered the rings to Red Sox ownership, who then handed them out to players, coaches and support staff.
The flags of 62 nations, representing each one that is home to a Red Sox fan, lined the warning track, while a giant 2007 World Series banner draped the Green Monster.
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