The Boston Red Sox opened their 2022 Major League Baseball season with a 6-5 loss to the New York Yankees in 11 innings on Friday at Yankee Stadium.
Boston is 0-1 while New York begins the campaign 1-0.
You can check out the full box score here.
ONE (OR TWO) BIG TAKEAWAYS
Capitalizing with runners in scoring position still seems to be an area of issue for the Red Sox.
So many times last season, and even during spring training, Boston easily could have put away a game by scoring an extra run or two when a man was on base. That was the case Friday afternoon leaving seven stranded and going just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
The biggest opportunity came in the top of the sixth when the Red Sox loaded the bases to bring Christian Vázquez to the plate. But the catcher struck out to end the inning and the threat of Boston breaking this game wide open.
The Red Sox have a good and deep offensive lineup. They’re too good to be standing runners in crucial opportunities. But at least it’s only Game 1 of 162, right?
The bullpen also still has plenty of questions surrounding it. We knew this going into spring training, but it was highlighted in the later innings of Friday’s game, and the lack of trust in Matt Barnes is incredibly glaring with manager Alex Cora electing to use Jake Diekman, Matt Strahm, Ryan Brasier and even Kutter Crawford over Barnes in a game-saving situation. While Brasier ultimately got out of the jam after giving up the game-tying run in the 10th, there is no set closer for this team…and it’s a bit concerning.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Nathan Eovaldi looked good in his first start of 2022. The right-hander, making his third consecutive Opening Day start, lasted five innings as he gave up three earned runs and struck out seven. He also limited the Yankees to just one walk and his splitter was on point all afternoon.
Eovaldi hit 100-mph, attacked the plate and was able to get out of some fifth-inning trouble when he carved up Stanton on a splitter and a little help from a diving catch by Alex Verdugo to end the inning.
— Rafael Devers wasted no time getting his first home run of the season when he drove in two runs in the first inning. Gerrit Cole issued a four-pitch walk to Kiké Hernández, which paved the way for Devers to hit a no-doubter to right field.
The third baseman also made a little history with the round-tripper.
— Verdugo had himself a nice little Opening Day. The outfielder came up big for the Red Sox with his run-saving catch then put Boston in the lead once again in the sixth with an RBI-single.
The left fielder again made it look easy in the seventh when Josh Donaldson hit a liner that looked like it could drop but Verdugo slid to make the catch and keep Donaldson off the basepath. Verdugo finished the day going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
— Donaldson ended the game in the 11th with a single to score the ghost runner.
— Garrett Whitlock deserves an honorable mention for essentially picking up where he left off in 2021. The relief pitcher entered the game in the sixth and struck out three and had six swings and misses in that inning. Whitlock ran into trouble in the eighth but ended his afternoon going 2 1/3 with one earned run and four strikeouts. He looked poised, confident and like he did not miss a beat. He did give up the game-tying home run, but there is no reason to panic about Whitlock.
WAGER WATCH
The Yankees were the -150 favorites going into Friday’s game, according to DraftKings. It may have taken extras, but New York came away with the W.
Cole was -2000 to record a win. Hopefully you didn’t take that because he was done after four innings and a tie game and was tagged with the no-decision.
NEXT ON NESN
The Red Sox and Yankees play the second of their three-game set Saturday with Nick Pivetta slated to take the hill for Boston. First pitch from Yankee Stadium is set for 4:05 p.m. ET.
