Postgame, Rangers 9-5: Jon Lester has had this mantra all spring. He is extremely concerned about lowering his walk total, saying over and over again he would rather give up hits than walk guys.
He only walked one in this game, and continued to echo that theme, although it sounded a bit strange.
"I'd rather give up a solo home run than a walk," he said when asked about the solo shot he allowed to Ian Kinsler in the first.
The logic is understandable. Lester doesn't want guys all over the bases when they didn't do much to earn it. So, he wants to cut down on the free passes. But let's hope he doesn't go too far in the other direction and make himself more hittable than he needs to be.
It's just one start so that's not a prediction. Just something to think about going forward.
With that thought, we say goodbye for No. 1 of 162. Join us for No. 2 on Saturday, when we get set for a John Lackey-Colby Lewis duel. First pitch for that one is 8:05 p.m., but there will be plenty to talk about pregame so log in early.
Thanks for following along today.
Final, Rangers 9-5: It's just one game, people. Don't lose faith yet.
That said, it was a pretty ugly one. Jon Lester never had it working and Daniel Bard was even worse as the Red Sox drop their opener for the first time since 2007.
Of the Rangers' 10 hits, three were home runs and three were doubles. Texas also drew five walks while striking out just once against Boston pitching.
Hard to remember that the Sox led this one 4-2 at one point.
We'll be back to wrap up the blog in a bit. Also, look for more postgame coverage on the site as the night progresses.
End 8th, Rangers 9-5: Tim Wakefield comes on to walk a man on four pitches and then finally get the Red Sox out of the inning with a fly to right.
That will go down as one of the worst outings of Daniel Bard's career. It's the first time he's allowed four runs in an outing in nearly two years.
7:22 p.m.: So, let's rehash here. Matt Albers and Dan Wheeler did their jobs. Jon Lester and Daniel Bard did not.
The Rangers are up once again after Bard gives up a two-run double to pinch hitter David Murphy and a run-scoring double to Elvis Andrus. Josh Hamilton then chased Bard with an RBI single.
Bard's fastball location was not good and his velocity. He broke off a few nice off-speed pitches, but otherwise was very ineffective.
Bard threw 32 pitches. That pretty much rules him out for a couple of days.
Mid 8th, 5-5: David Ortiz's struggles in April and his struggles vs. lefties have been well documented. Well, he takes a good lefty deep in the eighth to tie this one up.
It was a bomb to center off Darren Oliver, against whom Ortiz was 2-for-12 in his career.
Daniel Bard will work the bottom of the eighth for Boston.
End 7th, Rangers 5-4: Dustin Pedroia, as usual, makes a clutch defensive play to finish the seventh.
The Red Sox have Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz due up. Darren Oliver was up and warming and will work the eighth, or at least those first three hitters.
6:45 p.m.: Well, that didn't work. Dennys Reyes walks Josh Hamilton on four pitches and now Dan Wheeler will come on to face Adrian Beltre.
6:41 p.m.: Matt Albers gets the first out of the bottom of the seventh. Dennys Reyes is coming on to face Josh Hamilton.
Mid 7th, Rangers 5-4: It's just one game, but Carl Crawford is really hurting the Red Sox today. He strikes out for the third straight time with a man in scoring position, allowing the Rangers to escape a sticky situation.
Texas, which gave Boston a pair of unearned runs in the first, was dangling another one out there for the Red Sox to take, but they couldn't take advantage.
Arthur Rhodes walked Jacoby Ellsbury in a lefty-lefty matchup, which had to just kill Rangers manager Ron Washington, who knew Ellsbury would be off and running. Rhodes made sure that wasn't an issue by uncorking a wild pitch.
But Dustin Pedroia popped to right and Crawford waved at a breaking ball to end it.
End 6th, Rangers 5-4: It's safe to say that most Red Sox fans didn't want Matt Albers to be the first reliever they saw, but give him credit for wiggling out of the jam.
Albers did issue a two-out walk to load the bases but he gets Ian Kinsler to escape, after what should've been strike three was ruled ball three.
That puts the finishing touches on Jon Lester's line. It looks like this:
5.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 3 HR, 2 HB
By the way, those of you wondering about Lester looking at the mound or having issues with it, that's nothing new. If you watch his starts closely, he looks down at where his plant foot lands several times.
I've personally never heard him say anything about mound conditions, but he seems to show his distaste for it from time to time.
6:17 p.m.: Jon Lester gets one out in the sixth, but then gives up a walk and a single and his day is done. He fails to strike out a batter for the first time since 2008, gives up three home runs for the first time ever and manages to throw just 88 pitches in a disappointing Opening Day start.
Matt Albers is on to try to strand the runners in the sixth.
Mid 6th, Rangers 5-4: The 6-9 hitters are now 0-for-10 with three strikeouts and three runners left on base after Jarrod Saltalamacchia grounds out to end the sixth.
How well some of those guys down in the order perform are what will make or break this offense, in my opinion. Not making any judgments on 10 at-bats, but they certainly aren't helping out much today.
6:01 p.m.: C.J. Wilson's 109th pitch of the afternoon is ball four to Mike Cameron and he is subsequently lifted, despite a protest to manager Ron Washington.
A slightly odd outing for Wilson. At times he looked very off his game, but he'll leave having allowed just two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking two. Technically not a quality start, but the Rangers will take it.
This one is shaping up to be a great battle of the bullpens. Texas had one of the best units in all of baseball last year. The Red Sox hope their new additions make theirs the kind that can shut down opponents.
End 5th, Rangers 5-4: Two hit batters do no damage to Jon Lester in the fifth other than to serve as a reminder that he is just not on his game today.
Lester's pitch count is up to 75. Matt Albers was warming after the hit batters, but the Red Sox would love to get another inning or two out of their lefty.
Mid 5th, Rangers 5-4: We've spent so much time talking about how Terry Francona will configure things against left-handers.
One guy who rarely gets mentioned in these discussions is Carl Crawford. This is not a knock on Crawford and he is a true top-of-the-order guy, but he has never been a world-beater vs. lefties.
For his career, Crawford's OPS against left-handed pitchers is .697, compared to .817 vs. righties. Crawford is 0-for-3 in this one with two strikeouts with runners in scoring position.
The first K didn't hurt as much as Adrian Gonzalez drove in a pair of runs later in the inning. This one does as it helps C.J. Wilson strand Jacoby Ellsbury at second. Ellsbury reached for the third time with a leadoff single. Dustin Pedroia struck out for the first out, Crawford for the second (after Ellsbury stole his first bag of the year) and then Kevin Youkilis flied to deep left.
End 4th, Rangers 5-4: Jon Lester was a pitch away from getting out of the fourth. He tried to go off-speed on Mike Napoli, who waited on the pitch and smacked it inside the pole in left with a pair of men on.
All five runs for Texas have come on home runs. It is the first time in Lester's career he has given up three bombs.
Not exactly the great pitching matchup we all expected. Lester has just missed too often, and his April woes seem like they might continue, at least for a start.
Mid 4th, Red Sox 4-2: The general consensus in the never-ending lineup debate is that the Red Sox will score plenty of runs no matter how you configure those first five spots.
Exactly how many they will score is what is up for debate based on each configuration. Well, the first five guys today are 5-for-9 with four RBIs and four runs scored. The bottom four are 0-for-8 with two strikeouts.
C.J. Wilson cruised through the trio of Mike Cameron, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Marco Scutaro in the fourth. Wilson needed that in a big way.
End 3rd, Red Sox 4-2: Given another lead to work with, Jon Lester has his first 1-2-3 inning and finally starts throwing some strikes early in the count.
Perhaps Lester can string together a few good innings here and set it up for the power trio at the end of the bullpen.
Two of Lester's outs in the third were grounders to shortstop. Marco Scutaro, sporting his new No. 10, made the plays without an issue. Scutaro looked like a very different player this spring, now healthy after an offseason program to strengthen his shoulder. He was just fighting it so hard in 2010 and never able to field his position the way he wanted to. Nice to see him looking like the Scutaro of old.
Mid 3rd, Red Sox 4-2: C.J. Wilson dug himself a hole and Adrian Gonzalez just threw him into the pit.
Gonzalez worked a full count with the bases loaded (Jacoby Ellsbury double, Dustin Pedroia single and Kevin Youkilis walk) before lining a single to center to score two runs.
Admittedly the slowest player on the team (he seems to take pride in it!), Gonzalez then swiped second base, his first steal in roughly two years.
Early returns on the big offseason trade are tremendous. Such an incredible weapon.
Wilson was all over the place in that inning. Several of his balls missed by two or three feet and once he lost Youkilis to load the bases you had the feeling he would pay.
End 2nd, 2-2: Not the best of starts for Jon Lester. Nelson Cruz hammers a meaty offering for the second solo shot in as many innings and this one is tied.
Lester fell behind on four of the first five hitters. He did get a first-pitch strike on Cruz, but we know how that turned out.
Lester may have received a break when Mike Napoli was called out for running too far in fair territory as he went up the first-base line and was struck by Lester's toss.
That's a tough call to make. Technically, Napoli was in fair territory, but it was by an inch or so on each step.
Mid 2nd, Red Sox 2-1: The first inning was filled with all kinds of action. Perhaps it'll take a bit for some of these guys to settle down.
C.J. Wilson certainly looked to find his groove in the second. David Ortiz's 12-foot dribbler was the only contact of the frame. Wilson fanned Mike Cameron and Jarrod Saltalamacchia to post his first 1-2-3 inning of the year.
The three guys coming up against Jon Lester to start the bottom of the second are a combined 16-for-39 against him.
End 1st, Red Sox 2-1: Well, you might as well get them out of the way early.
Jon Lester's second pitch of his first Opening Day start is lined to left for a home run by Ian Kinsler.
Kinsler was actually one of the few guys in this lineup against whom Lester has enjoyed success, but a ball right down the middle was not missed this time.
Good point by the great Jerry Remy. Seems to be some nerves out there early for several players. After the Rangers committed a moronic error in the first that led to two unearned runs, Lester served one up and then Kevin Youkilis committed his first error of the season when he was unable to get the ball out of his glove on an Elvis Andrus chopper.
Andrus was erased on a double play and Dustin Pedroia retired old pal Adrian Beltre on a nice play up the middle.
Mid 1st, Red Sox 2-0: This is not an offense that is going to need much help, but the Red Sox take advantage of an early gift to plate a pair of runs in the first. Kevin Youkilis and Adrian Gonzalez get the RBIs. An assist goes to the Rangers defense.
On a routine fly to right by Jacoby Ellsbury, right fielder Nelson Cruz and center fielder Julio Borbon bumped, even though Cruz had been camped under for several seconds. Borbon had four errors in 2010, and gets his first literally two minutes into the new season.
Ellsbury reached second on the play and moved to third on a long fly to left off the bat of Dustin Pedroia. Ellsbury manages to avoid a collision with Adrian Beltre as he coasts into third, critical in his mission to play more than 18 games this year.
C.J. Wilson then got a fastball in on the hands of Carl Crawford, who lofted a weak little liner to shortstop. But Youkilis rocketed a double into the corner in right to score Ellsbury and Gonzalez singled to right to plate Youkilis.
Sox on pace for 18 runs a game, or thereabouts.
4:08 p.m.: C.J. Wilson's first pitch of the game is a ball outside to Jacoby Ellsbury and we are underway.
3:59 p.m.: You heard Don Orsillo say it, and if you didn't get goosebumps, well, you need to get some. "The season starts now!" Orsillo just said, and we are ready for action.
So many storylines in this one, from the new players making their debuts to the injured players making their regular season returns. My focus will primarily be on Jon Lester, the unquestioned leader on the mound but someone who has struggled in April, as we all know.
If he can get off to a better start in 2011, and limit his walks (the one issue he had in 2010), we will be watching something special, dare I say Pedro-esque. I would never compare the two, but in terms of the ability to dominate like Martinez did, Lester might have it. Here is a big test in that pursuit of the next level.
3:55 p.m.: Those of you concerned with having Jonathan Papelbon as your closer ought to take a look at what's happening in Philadelphia.
Former Red Sox reliever Brandon Lyon just coughed it up for Houston, giving up three runs in the bottom of the ninth as the Phillies won 5-4.
This comes a day after John Axford blew a save for Milwaukee and Ryan Franklin did the same for St. Louis.
3:51 p.m.: Good ole W standing at attention as the Star Spangled Banner is sung and we get our requisite flyover.
First pitch for this one is set for 4:08 p.m. as there is still plenty to go in this pregame ceremony. Nobody does pomp and circumstance like baseball on Opening Day, and since we're in Texas, it's just that much bigger.
3:17 p.m.: Although C.J. Wilson has just one full season as a starter under his belt, this is a fantastic matchup on the mound. We noted Wilson's numbers against the Red Sox (3-0, 0.86 ERA last year), but Jon Lester was no slouch vs. Texas.
In a pair of starts in what could become a nice little rivalry this year, Lester allowed just three earned runs in 16 innings, good for a 1.69 ERA. He and Wilson locked horns in a great game at Fenway Park on July 18 of last year.
Interestingly enough, one of the two runs Wilson gave up against the Red Sox last year came on an Adrian Beltre RBI double in the second inning of that one. Beltre, of course, is the Rangers new third baseman and will be batting fourth against Lester.
In another twist involving Beltre, his error in the fourth inning of that meeting allowed Texas to take the lead for good.
A double steal by the Rangers (Julio Borbon took home, Elvis Andrus swiped second) made it 3-1 Texas in the fifth and they finished with a 4-2 win. Mike Cameron's solo homer off Rangers closer Neftali Feliz gave the Sox a run in the ninth.
Lester got his revenge with eight shutout innings at Texas in August. That made him 3-1 with a 2.94 ERA vs. the Rangers in his career.
Amazingly, several of the Texas hitters have very good numbers against Lester. Elvis Andrus, Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre, Michael Young, Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli, the 2-7 hitters in today's lineup, are a combined 29-for-78 (.372) vs. Lester.
3:06 p.m.: Please tune to NESN now for all the pregame content you can handle. Currently, the fellas are offering some great insight on the late, great Lou Gorman, who is in the hearts of many in the game today.
2:31 p.m.: By now you may have heard of the passing of former Red Sox GM Lou Gorman, a sad note on this normally joyous day.
Gorman spent decades in the game and will be remembered fondly across the baseball landscape.
The closing line of the Red Sox statement on Gorman's passing says it all: "Lou Gorman leaves behind his loved ones and a baseball industry full of dear friends."
In their effort to win one for the former leader, the Red Sox will be tackling a defending American League champ for the third straight season. They knocked off Tampa Bay to begin the 2009 season and defeated New York to start off 2010.
If they can make it three straight over defending champs on Opening Day, the Sox will even their mark in their first game of the season at 55-55-1. They are also looking for their first four-game winning streak on Opening Day since 1997-2000.
Boston has opened the season on the road in 13 of the last 16 seasons. It is 6-6 in the previous 12 of those contests.
That gives you a few numbers to think about. But those aren't what is generating debate in Boston today.
Much of it has to do with Terry Francona's decision to sit J.D. Drew against a lefty but play David Ortiz, a curious maneuver in the eyes of some.
Not me. I would not suggest that a flat-out platoon in right field is the way to go, but Mike Cameron has to be a big part of this thing going forward. His success against lefties has lasted throughout the course of a long career, so there is no ambiguity when throwing him out there against a guy like C.J. Wilson. Francona knows he will get some good at-bats out of Cameron.
As for Ortiz, the best-case scenario is him establishing some degree of normalcy when facing southpaws. Sure, his production in such matchups has declined for a handful of years, but his bat is so critical to this lineup that Francona has to see if his DH can get it going in that department. He just has to give him the chance.
Also, the "backup plan" if Ortiz falls apart against left-handers would probably be Cameron or Jed Lowrie. But that robs the bench of a critical piece that can be used later in games. Ortiz, if he is sat, can really only be utilized as a pinch hitter. Lowrie, if he is on the bench, can come into the game and get moved all over the infield and Cameron can do the same in the outfield. But Francona's bench is severely limited if one of them serves as the DH, or if one of them plays a position and someone like Kevin Youkilis DHs.
The Red Sox are one of the few teams still employing a full-time DH. That's the way they intend on keeping it, and getting Ortiz in there against guys like Wilson is the only way to see if it is possible.
1:13 p.m.: Here is the lineup that will face Jon Lester in about three hours:
Ian Kinsler, 2B
Elvis Andrus, SS
Josh Hamilton, LF
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Michael Young, DH
Nelson Cruz, RF
Mike Napoli, 1B
Yorvit Torrealba, C
Julio Borbon, CF
11:42 a.m.: In case you missed the actual lineup posting yesterday, below is the order that Terry Francona will use to get things started. Also, look for a more complete look at the matchups and reasoning behind some of the decisions in a separate story on the site.
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Cameron, RF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Marco Scutaro, SS
7:40 a.m.: As snow falls in Boston, the Red Sox begin perhaps the most anticipated season in their 111-year history on Friday in the heat of Texas, where they will take on defending American League champion Rangers.
The long-awaited opener features a magnificent matchup of left-handers. Jon Lester, coming off a 19-9 campaign for Boston, opposes C.J. Wilson, who was 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA against the Red Sox in 2010.
Lester, 27, will be making his first Opening Day start.
Boston manager Terry Francona already announced his lineup for the contest. It features Mike Cameron starting in place of J.D. Drew in right field, and Adrian Gonzalez batting fifth behind Kevin Youkilis.
The Red Sox finished their spring training slate with a 14-19-2 record after a 10-0 win at Houston on Wednesday.
First pitch for the opener is 4:05 p.m.
