Don't get too excited. . .but the Boston Red Sox open the season, 3-1

           If you’re a baseball fan (any team), you know better than to get excited about the results of any single series of games. If you’ve been a Boston Red Sox fan for longer than (say) 10 years, you know better than to get excited about almost anything until (say) mid-September (and even then. . ).

           That said, there’s a lot to cheer about regarding the way the Sox have opened their three-country, two-continent MLB 2008 season (Toronto coming up this weekend), particularly yesterday’s shutout win over the Oakland Athletics. If yesterday’s game had gone the other way, the Sox would be 2-2, Jon Lester would have an 0-2 in his W-L and there might be lingering questions about effects of the Japan trip.

           The final score (5-0) was not indicative of the game; scoreless through 6 complete innings, until Ortiz (off of ex-Sox pitcher Alan Embree) followed a Youkilis double with his first home run and RBI of the season in the top of the 7^th. Lester pitched three-hit ball through the 7^th inning, and didn’t allow a runner to get to second base past the first inning. He gave way to Bryan Corey, when Dustin Pedroia couldn’t quite hang on to a ‘bloop’ hit that went into and out of his glove in shallow right field. Six Sox had two hits apiece (Pedroia, Youkilis, Ortiz, Varitek, Crisp & Cora), with J.D. Drew entering the lineup and adding a hit. Varitek hit his first home run of the season. Without the services of Okajima or Papelbon, Francona turned to Corey for an inning-plus and Manny Delcarmen sealed the deal.

           Offensively, Kevin Youkilis had a double and a run-scoring single, while defensively, he set the MLB record for consecutive errorless games, passing Steve Garvey’s mark of 193, set back in the mid-80s. In a classy move, the Athletics gave him first base, which he then proceeded to have signed by his teammates. His sites are now set on the “successful offensive chances at first base” mark (1,700; he’s 72 away) set by former Red Sox (and Cleveland Indian) first baseman, Stuffy McInnis, back in the early 20s.

           And just to keep things in perspective regarding yesterday's game - in the 8th inning, with the bases loaded, no outs and two runs already in, Ortiz struck out and Manny hit into a double play to squelch a potential huge inning.