“Overture, curtains, lights,
This is it, the night of nights
No more rehearsing and nursing a part
We know every part by heart
Overture, curtains, lights
This is it, you'll hit the heights
And oh what heights we'll hit
On with the show this is it

Tonight what heights we'll hit
On with the show this is it”

Opening Day

Baseball’s back, a time to wax poetic for some, the great renewal of the National Pastime, a time when everything’s shiny and new and hope springs eternal. Having endured a brutal winter, this off-season was interminably long for New Englanders who have patiently awaited this day for so long. The so-called experts have already penciled in the Red Sox for the gonfalon, but we’ve all seen this unbridled optimism wilt under the pressure of the long season so many times in the past. Around here, we take it for what it is, one game at a time. Making post-season predictions is a waste of time and so are big expectations. How many out there actually predicted a Giants-Rangers World Series last year? The front office made bold moves to redefine the lineup and rebuild the bullpen but it’s anyone’s guess how all these changes will work out. “That’s why we watch.” As with any new year, there are more questions than answers regarding the Red Sox. Among the key questions are:

Can the team stay healthy?
Can Beckett turn things around?
Can Lackey pitch better?
What about Daisuke?
Will the bullpen corps improve over last year’s disaster?
Can Papelbon regain his consistency?
How will Crawford and Gonzalez fit into the lineup?
Can Ortiz avoid another bad start?
Can Youkilis make a seamless transition to third?
Can Ellsbury rebound?
Can Saltalamacchia make the grade?

The answers won’t be known in a week or a month but over the course of six grueling months, one game at a time. Last year the team was derailed by injuries, inconsistent starting pitching and a dreadful bullpen. This year, who knows? It’s nice to get off to a flying start but much better to be flying coming down the stretch. The competition in the AL East will be fierce, so any talk of “100 wins” should be regarded as rubbish.

On a miserable day when it rained and snowed in New England, the Red Sox began the 2011 campaign down in sunny and hot Arlington, Texas for a weekend series with the American League Champion Rangers. It’ll be an exciting day for the home team, as the Pennant will be raised and the players will receive their rings.

The day started on a sad note as Red Sox fans were told of the passing of former GM Lou Gorman. Lou was a baseball lifer who came home to New England after a successful career in the Orioles and Mets organizations and built those Red Sox teams that won the Pennant in ’86 and Division titles in ’88 and ’90. He was highly regarded in his trade, but even more highly regarded around baseball as a decent man. Lou was a class act in every respect. Condolences to his family.

Game 1 at Texas (4/1/11):

CJ Wilson (15-8, 3.35 last year, 3-0, 0.86 in three starts against Boston) started against Jon Lester, who has historically been a slow starter in April. The first pitch to Ellsbury came at 4:09 and Ellsbury hit a routine fly to center but Cruz and Borbon collided and Borbon dropped the ball with Ellsbury taking second. Pedroia followed with a long fly to left with Ellsbury tagging up and taking third. With two outs, Youkilis then smacked a long double off the right field wall, scoring Ellsbury. Adrian Gonzalez then singled to right, driving in Youkilis but getting thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double. Lester (19-9, 3.25 last year) took the hill for the Sox and Ian Kinsler took his first pitch over the wall in left. Andrus followed with an infield single but Hamilton grounded into a double play. Nelson Cruz tied the score in the bottom of the second with a solo homer that just cleared the wall in left. Ellsbury doubled with one out in the third and Pedroia followed with a base hit to right. With two outs, Youkilis walked to load the bases and Gonzalez followed with a line drive single, driving in a pair of runs. The Rangers put a pair of runners aboard in the fourth with two outs before Mike Napoli golfed a long three-run homer to left to put Texas ahead, 5-4. That was the first time in Lester’s career that he’d given up three gophers in one game. Borbon and Andrus were both hit by pitches to open the fifth as Lester struggled with his control. After walking Cameron with two outs in the sixth, Wilson was relieved by Mark Lowe. Lester was through after 5 ⅔ and turned things over to Matt Albers. It wasn’t a vintage day for Lester, as he surrendered those three homers, hit two batters and didn’t strike out anyone. Big Papi tied the score with two outs in the eighth with a solo shot over the wall in left-center off of Darren Oliver. Daniel Bard came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth and he walked Napoli and gave up an opposite-field single to Torrealba. David Murphy (continuing to burn his former team) then hit an opposite-field double to left (hitting the chalk, lucky stiff), scoring both runners to put the Rangers ahead, 7-5. With two outs, Andrus doubled to center and Murphy came across to score Texas’ eighth run. Josh Hamilton then ripped a double down the rightfield line, scoring Andrus. That was the afternoon for Bard and it was time for the wily ol’ knuckleballer. The Rangers took no chances, sending closer Neftali Feliz out to slam the door shut. And that he did, striking out two. Oh well, 1 down, 161 to go…

Game 2 at Texas (4/2/11):

After Friday’s eighth inning meltdown, the Sox looked to rebound on Saturday night against the Rangers. John Lackey (14-11, 4.40 last year) took the hill for the Sox and was looking to start the year off on the right foot. For all of his whining about being among the League leaders in “quality starts” last year, he also led the AL in gopher balls as well. Someone should’ve gently whispered in his ear that the Boston fan does not like whiners or prevaricators. Just shut up and pitch the (adjectival) ball. He was hired to be a bulldog on the hill. Carl Crawford went 0-4 in his Red Sox debut yesterday and admitted to “pressing” on Opening Day. All he faced was lefthanders, so it was no surprise that he struggled. The Yanks have gotten off to a rousing start, easily defeating the Tigers in their first two games, as it’s never too early to check out the opposition. The Jays have started quickly as well with two straight wins over Minnesota.

Righty Colby Lewis (12-13, 3.72 last year) started for the Rangers and walked Ellsbury to start the ballgame. Pedroia then grounded into a 4-6-3 twin killing and Crawford grounded out to second. As was the case yesterday, Ian Kinsler homered to center leading off to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. After Gonzalez singled leading off the second, Big Papi hit a two-run bomb to right to put the Sox ahead, 2-1. Kinsler doubled with one out in the third and Andrus followed with a triple to right to tie the score. Josh Hamilton then lined a base hit up the middle and Andrus came in with the go-ahead run. Gonzalez led off the fourth with a single and moved to third on Youkilis’ double. Ortiz then grounded to first, bringing in Gonzalez with the tying run. In the bottom of the fourth, Torrealba hit a long double to the gap in right-center that Ellsbury nearly tracked down (the ball popped out of his glove), it would’ve been a “web gem” if he had made the catch. Julio Borbon then tripled down the line in right and Torrealba came in with the Rangers’ fourth run. Lackey then walked Kinsler and Andrus doubled to the left-center gap, scoring Borbon as the Rangers’ hitters were teeing off on Lackey. After Hamilton received an intentional pass, Beltre hit a grand slam to center on a pitch right down the heart of the plate, it was a majestic bomb. Michael Young then singled and that was the night for Lackey. His line was just putrid: 3⅔, 10 H, 9ER, 2BB, 3K. (The early returns on the decision to let Beltre walk aren’t too good). Dan Wheeler was sent in to clean up the mess and he didn’t fare much better as he served up a two-run meatball that Torrealba clocked over the wall in left to make it 11-3. After Borbon and Andrus singled, the manager came out with the hook for Wheeler. It was time for the wily ol’ knuckleballer to appear in mop up time. Nelson Cruz made it 12-3 with one out in the sixth when he tattooed a knuckleball over the centerfield wall. Lewis was through after six and Mason Tobin came on in relief. Ellsbury hit a long two-run homer to right with one out in the seventh to “tighten” the score at 12-5. Dennys Reyes came on in the bottom of the seventh and recorded the first 1-2-3 inning for the Sox tonight.

Game 3 at Texas (4/3/11):

Clay Buchholz took the hill in an attempt to salvage what has been a lost series so far for the Sox. Having been outscored 21-10 in the first two games somebody had to step up to stop the bleeding. The manager shook up the lineup, moving Crawford down to seventh in the order and moving Gonzalez up to third. Lowrie also started at short in place of Scutaro and McDonald started in right with the lefty pitching for Texas. Matt Harrison started for the Rangers and gave up singles to Ortiz and Crawford in the second inning but also struck out four. Murphy then hit a solo homer to right in the bottom of the second to give the Rangers an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the third with two outs, Kinsler did it again, taking a fastball deep to left and out of the yard. Unbelievable. That’s three in three days for Kinsler. Napoli hit a solo homer in the fifth with one out to make it 3-0 Rangers. In the seventh (after Youkilis walked and Ortiz singled), Carl Crawford knocked in his first run of the year with a base hit to center. A wild pitch brought Lowrie and Crawford into scoring position and McDonald walked to load the bases (prompting a hue and cry from the Rangers’ dugout). But Ellsbury struck out swinging to kill that threat. Nelson Cruz made it 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh when he sent a long drive into the upper deck in right. Of the five hits that Buchholz allowed, four of them were solo homers. Dennys Reyes then entered in relief of Buchholz and Murphy promptly singled (but was CS 1-3-4). Reyes then struck out Moreland to end the inning. Papelbon entered in the bottom of the eighth, presumably to get some work. Andres Blanco doubled down the line in right leading off and Kinsler was hit in the back by a pitch. Michael Young then doubled off the wall in left, scoring Blanco. After Hamilton was given a free pass, Papelbon struck out Beltre, Cruz and Murphy (looking like the Pap of old). The Rangers then trotted out Neftali Feliz (in a non-save situation) and Ortiz hit a long drive to center that died on the warning track for the first out. After Lowrie flew out, Crawford grounded out 3-1 and the Rangers swept the series.

It wasn’t as ugly as the first two games, but a loss is still a loss. On to Cleveland where hopefully the Sox’ fortunes will change.