GAME #1, MARCH 29, 2018, BOSTON RED SOX V TAMPA BAY RAYS

[Bear]

SOX V RAYS

THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2018, 4PM AT TROPICANA FIELD

TV:  NESN

BOSTON, 0-0...TAMPA, 0-0

BOSTON:

CHRIS SALE, LHP, 0-0, -.-- ERA

The lefty ace makes his fourth Opening Day start of his career, but his first for the Red Sox.
Sale is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in his previous openers.  In seven career starts at Tropican Field, Sale
is 3-3 with a 2.31 ERA.

TAMPA:

CHRIS ARCHER, RHP, 0-0, -.--ERA

Archer will make his fourth consecutive Opening Day.  The staff ace has electric stuff and
he's a blue-collar guy, notching 200-plus innings the last three seasons.  But he's posted three-
consecutive losing seasons.

Sale-Archer the main event in Sox-Rays opener

ST. PETERSBURG -- A classic pitching matchup will highlight the Red Sox-Rays opener at Tropicana Field on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET.

Highly regarded aces Chris Sale and Chris Archer will start for the Red Sox and Rays, respectively, in a matchup that almost got derailed late last week.

View Full Game Coverage

Archer made his final Spring Training start Friday in a Minor League game and had to leave after getting hit on his right forearm with a comebacker. Saturday, Sale experienced a similar fate when he got hit in the hip by a line drive.

While both teams received scares about their aces, the Sale-Archer show will go on, as both sustained only minor bruises.

"I don't see anything lingering from this. It looked a lot worse than it actually is," said Sale.

Following suit, Archer noted: "I'm going to be good."

Sale will be making his first Opening Day start for the Red Sox. The left-hander is particularly tough on left-handed hitters, but he's equally tough on righties. Rays first baseman C.J. Cron explained why.

"For starters, he has great stuff," Cron said. "He doesn't fall into any pattern. He can throw any pitch he has any time he wants, and he can usually throw it where he wants to. So there's not really much you can sit on as a hitter in different counts. You just have to be ready for everything and hope he gives you something to hit."

Archer will be making his fourth consecutive Opening Day start for the Rays.

"We don't need him to do anything more than what he's capable of, which is a lot," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "If he goes out and performs, we have a very good pitcher going every fifth day for us."

Thursday's game will mark Alex Cora's first game as manager of the Red Sox, and it will be a big event. Cora's mother will be flying in from Puerto Rico, as well as many other members of his family.

"This is a great opportunity," Cora said of managing the Red Sox. "I know the expectations, I know how people feel, but we have to enjoy it."

Cora's first game will be against a former teammate in Cash, whom he won a World Series championship with in 2007 with Boston.

The last time the Red Sox opened their season at Tropicana Field was March 31, 2003, and they suffered a gutwrenching loss as Carl Crawford smashed a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth against Chad Fox.

Three things to know about this game

• For the first time since 2006, Dustin Pedroia won't be in the starting lineup for the Red Sox on Opening Day. The second baseman is expected to miss the first several weeks of the season as he recovers from left knee surgery. In the Rays' camp, this will be their first Opening Day without Evan Longoria. Tampa Bay traded its veteran third baseman to the Giants in December.

• Among the Red Sox's additions, they will have J.D. Martinez in their lineup. The veteran slugger signed a five-year, $110 million contract in February. New to the Rays is Carlos Gomez, who signed a one-year, $4 million deal with another $500,000 in incentives.

• Thursday will begin the Rays' season-long 20th Anniversary celebration.

Bill Chastain has covered the Rays for MLB.com since 2004.

https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/chris-sale-chris-archer-to-duel-on-opening-day/c-269894428

[Bear]

Alex Cora reveals Red Sox lineup for Opening Day

Jason Mastrodonato

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Red Sox were loud and full of laughter during their workout on Wednesday afternoon, when they sounded as enthusiastic as a high school team a day before the regular season starts.

Just more than 24 hours before their 4:10 p.m. ET Opening Day game against the Tampa Bay Rays was set to begin, manager Alex Cora released his probable lineup against Rays’ right-handed starter Chris Archer:

1. Mookie Betts, RF

2. Andrew Benintendi (L), LF

3. Hanley Ramirez, 1B

4. J.D. Martinez, DH

5. Xander Bogaerts, SS

6. Rafael Devers (L), 3B, OR Eduardo Nunez, 2B

7. Eduardo Nunez, 2B, OR Rafael Devers, 3B,

8. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L), CF

9. Christian Vazquez, C

Cora said he wasn’t sure yet in which order he’d hit Devers and Nunez, but Devers would be in the lineup somewhere, despite his home plate collision on Tuesday that left him with a bruised right knee.

There should be no surprises in the lineup, though Vazquez getting the nod at catcher is a stark contrast from last year, when Sandy Leon caught Chris Sale for every one of his starts except one.

“We feel comfortable with Vazquez catching Sale too,” Cora said.

Cora will have most of his family on hand for his first game as manager of the Red Sox, with around 15 people in attendance.

“I told my daughter the other day, she asked me ‘Are you nervous?’” Cora said. “I said, ‘Not really.’ She's like, ‘Dad!’ She's more nervous than me. Obviously tonight is going to be interesting how much sleep I'm going to get.”

Sale is making his first Opening Day start for the Red Sox after Rick Porcello, coming off his Cy Young Award, earned the nod last year.

“It fun, it's exciting, and I've done it a couple times before,” Sale said. “This would be obviously my first one here, which is special. Boston, obviously, is a great city for sports, a great city for baseball, and to be named Opening Day starter for this organization is not something I take lightly and I'm actually really excited about.

“That's part of playing here. We're held to a very high standard by not only ourselves but obviously you guys and our fan base, and rightfully so. This is one of the best places to play sports, and from what I've heard, it's one of the places to win -- the best place to win. So, yeah, I mean, we're all in.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox/clubhouse_insider/2018/03/alex_cora_reveals_red_sox_lineup_for_opening_day

[Bill-806]

Appropriate TIME to THANK BEAR, her assistants, for all the HARD WORK & LOVE that they put in on this BOARD......  ALSO, a good bunch  of RED SOX FANS makes the BOSOXBOARD a good/GREAT place to be....  GO ALEX CORA, and his BOSTON RED SOX in 2018..... MAKE us PROUD !!!  DAD & BILL-806  thumb_u thumb_u thumb_u rofl rofl rofl

[SeaBeachFred]

Appropriate TIME to THANK BEAR, her assistants, for all the HARD WORK & LOVE that they put in on this BOARD......  ALSO, a good bunch  of RED SOX FANS makes the BOSOXBOARD a good/GREAT place to be....  GO ALEX CORA, and his BOSTON RED SOX in 2018..... MAKE us PROUD !!!  DAD & BILL-806  thumb_u thumb_u thumb_u rofl rofl rofl

Bill, on another thread in the ST section which I couldn't download for some reason, you said we have to play the games first despite the fact that the first nine games supposedly favors us, and in relation to that was the story of whether the fans would embrace this team from the start.  I can tell you this......if we come out of it 7-2 or so they will.  If we come back to Fenway with a 4-5 record or worse the wolves will be howling, especially if a couple of suspects who I have been suspicious of from the beginning of ST do their usual job of not hitting a lick or choking in the clutch.  No excuses!!!!!!!  I don't expect to go 9-0 in those first nine games but I sure as hell expect no worse than 6-3 and, better still 7-2.  We did win the AL East last season and to my way of thinking we did win something so the season wasn't a complete washout after our beating at the hands of the Astros, and the year before from Cleveland.  We expect a longer run this season and we had better get it----and within two or three weeks we have to weed out the guys who are not doing the job, like you know who!!!!!

[Bill-806]

Appropriate TIME to THANK BEAR, her assistants, for all the HARD WORK & LOVE that they put in on this BOARD......  ALSO, a good bunch  of RED SOX FANS makes the BOSOXBOARD a good/GREAT place to be....  GO ALEX CORA, and his BOSTON RED SOX in 2018..... MAKE us PROUD !!!  DAD & BILL-806  thumb_u thumb_u thumb_u rofl rofl rofl

Bill, on another thread in the ST section which I couldn't download for some reason, you said we have to play the games first despite the fact that the first nine games supposedly favors us, and in relation to that was the story of whether the fans would embrace this team from the start.  I can tell you this......if we come out of it 7-2 or so they will.  If we come back to Fenway with a 4-5 record or worse the wolves will be howling, especially if a couple of suspects who I have been suspicious of from the beginning of ST do their usual job of not hitting a lick or choking in the clutch.  No excuses!!!!!!!  I don't expect to go 9-0 in those first nine games but I sure as hell expect no worse than 6-3 and, better still 7-2.  We did win the AL East last season and to my way of thinking we did win something so the season wasn't a complete washout after our beating at the hands of the Astros, and the year before from Cleveland.  We expect a longer run this season and we had better get it----and within two or three weeks we have to weed out the guys who are not doing the job, like you know who!!!!!

I am looking for a QUICK 6-0 coming out of Florida..... After all the SNOW, baseball will be good for all of us..... thumb_u rofl rofl rofl

[SeaBeachFred]

Appropriate TIME to THANK BEAR, her assistants, for all the HARD WORK & LOVE that they put in on this BOARD......  ALSO, a good bunch  of RED SOX FANS makes the BOSOXBOARD a good/GREAT place to be....  GO ALEX CORA, and his BOSTON RED SOX in 2018..... MAKE us PROUD !!!  DAD & BILL-806  thumb_u thumb_u thumb_u rofl rofl rofl

Bill, on another thread in the ST section which I couldn't download for some reason, you said we have to play the games first despite the fact that the first nine games supposedly favors us, and in relation to that was the story of whether the fans would embrace this team from the start.  I can tell you this......if we come out of it 7-2 or so they will.  If we come back to Fenway with a 4-5 record or worse the wolves will be howling, especially if a couple of suspects who I have been suspicious of from the beginning of ST do their usual job of not hitting a lick or choking in the clutch.  No excuses!!!!!!!  I don't expect to go 9-0 in those first nine games but I sure as hell expect no worse than 6-3 and, better still 7-2.  We did win the AL East last season and to my way of thinking we did win something so the season wasn't a complete washout after our beating at the hands of the Astros, and the year before from Cleveland.  We expect a longer run this season and we had better get it----and within two or three weeks we have to weed out the guys who are not doing the job, like you know who!!!!!

I am looking for a QUICK 6-0 coming out of Florida..... After all the SNOW, baseball will be good for all of us..... thumb_u rofl rofl rofl

Already I'm getting angry at looking at our starting lineup for tomorrow.  Why the hell is Jackie Bradley and his 152 average in the lineup.  He has played his way out of it and should not only not be in the lineup but sent down to work on his hitting.  If the Red Sox are going to go with "experience" over talent we could get in real trouble very quickly.  I really think this sucks.

[Bill-806]

Appropriate TIME to THANK BEAR, her assistants, for all the HARD WORK & LOVE that they put in on this BOARD......  ALSO, a good bunch  of RED SOX FANS makes the BOSOXBOARD a good/GREAT place to be....  GO ALEX CORA, and his BOSTON RED SOX in 2018..... MAKE us PROUD !!!  DAD & BILL-806  thumb_u thumb_u thumb_u rofl rofl rofl

Bill, on another thread in the ST section which I couldn't download for some reason, you said we have to play the games first despite the fact that the first nine games supposedly favors us, and in relation to that was the story of whether the fans would embrace this team from the start.  I can tell you this......if we come out of it 7-2 or so they will.  If we come back to Fenway with a 4-5 record or worse the wolves will be howling, especially if a couple of suspects who I have been suspicious of from the beginning of ST do their usual job of not hitting a lick or choking in the clutch.  No excuses!!!!!!!  I don't expect to go 9-0 in those first nine games but I sure as hell expect no worse than 6-3 and, better still 7-2.  We did win the AL East last season and to my way of thinking we did win something so the season wasn't a complete washout after our beating at the hands of the Astros, and the year before from Cleveland.  We expect a longer run this season and we had better get it----and within two or three weeks we have to weed out the guys who are not doing the job, like you know who!!!!!

I am looking for a QUICK 6-0 coming out of Florida..... After all the SNOW, baseball will be good for all of us..... thumb_u rofl rofl rofl

Already I'm getting angry at looking at our starting lineup for tomorrow.  Why the hell is Jackie Bradley and his 152 average in the lineup.  He has played his way out of it and should not only not be in the lineup but sent down to work on his hitting.  If the Red Sox are going to go with "experience" over talent we could get in real trouble very quickly.  I really think this sucks.

Hang in there FRED, being the first game,  J B J deserves an opportunity to "start hot" or play his way into a TRADE.... Will see, soooon  !! thumb_u thumb_u rofl rofl iono iono

[Rob from Mass]

Pete Abraham
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Verified account

Mookie Betts hit Opening Day home runs in each of the last two seasons. He has four career home runs against Rays starter Chris Archer including one leading off the game last July 9.

[Rob from Mass]

Alex Cora reveals Red Sox lineup for Opening Day

Jason Mastrodonato

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Red Sox were loud and full of laughter during their workout on Wednesday afternoon, when they sounded as enthusiastic as a high school team a day before the regular season starts.

Just more than 24 hours before their 4:10 p.m. ET Opening Day game against the Tampa Bay Rays was set to begin, manager Alex Cora released his probable lineup against Rays’ right-handed starter Chris Archer:

1. Mookie Betts, RF

2. Andrew Benintendi (L), LF

3. Hanley Ramirez, 1B

4. J.D. Martinez, DH

5. Xander Bogaerts, SS

6. Rafael Devers (L), 3B, OR Eduardo Nunez, 2B

7. Eduardo Nunez, 2B, OR Rafael Devers, 3B,

8. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L), CF

9. Christian Vazquez, C

Cora said he wasn’t sure yet in which order he’d hit Devers and Nunez, but Devers would be in the lineup somewhere, despite his home plate collision on Tuesday that left him with a bruised right knee.

There should be no surprises in the lineup, though Vazquez getting the nod at catcher is a stark contrast from last year, when Sandy Leon caught Chris Sale for every one of his starts except one.

“We feel comfortable with Vazquez catching Sale too,” Cora said.

Cora will have most of his family on hand for his first game as manager of the Red Sox, with around 15 people in attendance.

“I told my daughter the other day, she asked me ‘Are you nervous?’” Cora said. “I said, ‘Not really.’ She's like, ‘Dad!’ She's more nervous than me. Obviously tonight is going to be interesting how much sleep I'm going to get.”

Sale is making his first Opening Day start for the Red Sox after Rick Porcello, coming off his Cy Young Award, earned the nod last year.

“It fun, it's exciting, and I've done it a couple times before,” Sale said. “This would be obviously my first one here, which is special. Boston, obviously, is a great city for sports, a great city for baseball, and to be named Opening Day starter for this organization is not something I take lightly and I'm actually really excited about.

“That's part of playing here. We're held to a very high standard by not only ourselves but obviously you guys and our fan base, and rightfully so. This is one of the best places to play sports, and from what I've heard, it's one of the places to win -- the best place to win. So, yeah, I mean, we're all in.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox/clubhouse_insider/2018/03/alex_cora_reveals_red_sox_lineup_for_opening_day

BOS
4:10 PM ET
In Domed Stadium
TB Boston Red Sox
@ Tampa Bay Rays
         
RFMookie Betts (R)
LFA. Benintendi (L)
1BHanley Ramirez (R)
DHJ.D. Martinez (R)
SSXander Bogaerts (R)
3BRafael Devers (L)
2BEduardo Nunez (R)
CFJackie Bradley (L)
CC. Vazquez (R)
BOS: Chris Sale (L)  (0-0, 0.00)

3B Matt Duffy (R)
CF Kevin Kiermaier (L)
RF Carlos Gomez (R)
1B C.J. Cron (R)
C Wilson Ramos (R)
LF Denard Span (L)
SS A. Hechavarria (R)
2B D. Robertson (R)
DH Rob Refsnyder (R)
TB: Chris Archer (R)  (0-0, 0.00)

[SeaBeachFred]

Rob---I am trying to be as optimistic as I can be but I do NOT like that batting order one bit.  We have guys in it batting in the wrong spot and one player who shouldn't be in there at all save for the fact that he is somebody's favorite in the front office.  We need to win six or seven games on this nine game trip.  Coming home 5-4 or 4-5 or worse against two or the supposed weaker teams in the game bodes ill will for the team----games we may never get to make up for.  I'm very disappointed in Alex Cora for putting out this batting order and for the roster he constructed.  I hope I will feel better in five or six hours.

[Rob from Mass]

Rob---I am trying to be as optimistic as I can be but I do NOT like that batting order one bit.  We have guys in it batting in the wrong spot and one player who shouldn't be in there at all save for the fact that he is somebody's favorite in the front office.  We need to win six or seven games on this nine game trip.  Coming home 5-4 or 4-5 or worse against two or the supposed weaker teams in the game bodes ill will for the team----games we may never get to make up for.  I'm very disappointed in Alex Cora for putting out this batting order and for the roster he constructed.  I hope I will feel better in five or six hours.

I think Cora is going to tinker a bit until he sees how it goes. I don`t know if this will ever happen but I like Nunez leading off and Mookie 3 or 4.

[Rob from Mass]

2 Ks 13 pitches for Sale and the hip appears fine.

[Rob from Mass]

Nice AB by Bogey.Hard hit liner base of LF wall.JD who walked on 3rd.

[Rob from Mass]

Raffy IFGO scores JD and XB to 3rd. Nuney with an inside the parker on a blooper to the gap between the 2 fielders.

3 zip

[Rob from Mass]

The best part of Nuneys HR was that the leg  held up just fine.