GAME 2: RED SOX vs. ROYALS

I headed out in the rain for the short walk to Ebeneezer Choo's, a local dive, to watch the 2nd game of the season with Josh Becket pitching for the Red Sox. The bar was mostly empty, 2 other men at the bar not interested in the game. I ordered a Guinness and asked the bartender to put the Red Sox on the big TV. The Red Sox jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first with 2 outs when Ortiz walked then Manny singled and was driven in by Drew who smacked a double to right. Lowell came up and also smacked a double to right scoring Ortiz and Drew. Becket was a little rusty at first but got out of several jams including Lowell making 2 errors in the third thanks to a great catch by Drew in right-center to end the inning without any runs scoring.

I left the bar and walked home through the rain after the Red Sox batted in the top of the fourth and did the dishes before heading out to the freezing Red Sox porch and crawling into my sleeping bag at the top of the 5th. The Royals had scored a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 4th and Becket left after 5 innings with a 3-1 lead having allowed only 2 hits but walked four to up his pitch count. The Red Sox added a run in the top of the 6th, another 2 in the 7th when Youkilis hit a two run homer and another in the 7th on a RBI single from Lugo. The bullpen pitched great; 4 scoreless innings including a solid 1.1 innings from former Royal Kyle Snyder. Lopez and Romero pitched in the 6th and 7th and Pinero closed out the game in the 9th it not being a save situation that called for Paplebon. I listened through to the end out on the chilly porch, everyone else long gone to bed by the time the game ended at 11:30pm for the 1st victory of the season for the Red Sox.

Red Sox 7 Royals 1