The Boston Red Sox opened the 2023 MLB season against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on Thursday, March 30th. The game was marked by a late comeback attempt by the Red Sox, which ultimately fell just short in a 10-9 loss. Despite the loss, the Red Sox came into the season with a sense of optimism, with Manager Alex Cora noting that “today’s Day 1,” and that the team had done a lot of work in spring training that they hoped would translate to the regular season.
Unfortunately, the game did not start well for the Red Sox. In the first five innings alone, Boston pitchers issued eight walks, two wild pitches, and a hit batter while allowing four stolen bases. The pitching struggles continued throughout the game, with the Red Sox walking a total of nine batters and allowing the Orioles to tie a team record for the most walks on opening day.
Cora acknowledged that there was a lot of work to be done after the game, noting that “overall there’s a lot of stuff that we saw today that we didn’t do in Spring Training, and we’ve got to be better.” The hope for the Red Sox is that they can improve quickly, with their next game scheduled for Saturday against the Orioles.
One of the key areas the Red Sox are hoping to improve upon this season is their pitching staff’s ability to throw strikes. The team acquired veteran Corey Kluber for this very reason, as his control is typically pinpoint. However, Kluber struggled in his first start for the Red Sox, lasting just 3 1/3 innings while allowing five runs on six hits and four walks on 80 pitches (48 strikes).
Kluber’s struggles were compounded by those of Zack Kelly and Ryan Brasier, who also struggled with their command during the game. Despite these struggles, the Red Sox made a valiant effort to come back in the later innings of the game. Down 10-4 after seven innings, they scored three runs in the eighth and two in the ninth, with new acquisition Masataka Yoshida leading the way with two hits, including an RBI single.
Yoshida had a chance to be the hero in the ninth inning, coming up with two on and one out and a chance to be the walk-off hero in what would have been an Opening Day comeback for the ages. Although he hit a ground ball that looked like it would result in a game-ending double play, the Orioles gave the Red Sox a reprieve when shortstop Jorge Mateo made a throwing error to first, allowing Alex Verdugo to score to make it a one-run game.
The Red Sox had one more chance to tie the game or take the lead, with Adam Duvall coming up to bat with two outs in the ninth. However, he went down on three nasty pitches by Orioles closer Felíx Bautista, ending the game in a 10-9 loss for the Red Sox.
Despite the loss, there were some positive signs for the Red Sox. Their revamped lineup showed a lot of energy and fight, with new acquisitions like Yoshida and Duvall making an impact. Justin Turner, another veteran making his Boston debut, noted that he was “proud of what we did,” and that the team “just fell a little short.”
While it’s still early in the season, the Red Sox will need to improve quickly if they hope to compete in the American League East. With Chris Sale set to make his first start of the season on Saturday, the team will look to bounce back and get their first win of the season.
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