Red Sox Experience a Perfect 2015 Home Opener vs. Nationals Including a 9-4 Win

Even the most negative Red Sox fan (which are few and far between these days) would have a hard time complaining about anything that transpired on Monday afternoon at Fenway Park. Boston (5-2 overall) pounded Washington (2-5 overall, 1-3 away) 9-4 in the 2015 home opener that featured a moving pregame ceremony with my man Pete Frates and Jane Richards among others. Oh and did I mention that it was 70 degrees and sunny without a cloud in the blue sky? The fact that it was my first ever home opener made it extra special too, if I'm smart I should probably never attend another one since I doubt that this one can be topped.

Once the game started, Red Sox rookie center field and leadoff hitter Mookie Betts was the unquestioned star. He robbed Bryce Harper of a possible two-run homer in the first inning, roped a three-run homer (2nd of the season) over the Monster in the second (for a 4-0 Boston lead) and also stole two bases on one play then added an infield single that opened it up to 7-0. Rick Porcello (1-0) picked up his first career win for Boston with an eight-inning effort: four runs (three earned), on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk.

The Nationals have gotten plenty of hype but so far in the very early going of this season, I couldn't tell you why. For some reason, they played like they didn't want to be there. They dropped two pop-ups that would make average Little Leaguers weep. Jordan Zimmermann (1-1) was charged with eight runs (seven earned) in 2.1 disastrous innings. The only real offense that they could mount was a solo homer by Ryan Zimmerman in the fifth inning and Danny Espinosa's homer to right center.

As most expected, the Red Sox lineup looks dangerous and versatile. David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with solo homer and RBI single and Pablo Sandoval was 2 for 4 with a run. Xander Bogaerts continued to be on fire, going 2 for 3 with two runs, RBI and a walk. Finally, Sandy Leon was 3 for 4 with run and RBI against his former club that traded him to Boston a few weeks ago in Spring Training.

It wouldn't be part of the full Hanley Ramirez experience if we didn't worry about an injury barely a week into the regular season. He left in the sixth inning after fouling a ball right off his foot, ouch! We can only hope that it's not too serious since he's been known to miss weeks for numerous injuries in the past few years.

Tomorrow night's game is a weird start time (6:10, NESN) and it features Justin Masterson (1-0) making his return to Fenway vs. Stephen Strasburg (0-1) who hasn't looked right for years.

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So The Washington Nationals Look Legit

Welcome to Major League Baseball in 2012, where the Washington Nationals look like one of the top teams in the National League while the Boston Red Sox are stuck squarely in the middle of the pack of the American League.

Washington (33-23, 15-13 away) opened its Interleague series at Fenway Park tonight with a bang as they beat the Red Sox (29-29, 14-17 home) 7-4, for their first ever win in Boston since the franchise moved from Montreal.

The Nationals two young superstars-Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper-lived up to their billing. Strasburg (7-1) struck out 13 in only six innings and Harper fell a triple shy of a cycle with three RBIs and two runs scored.

Felix Doubront (6-3) picked a bad night to have his worst outing of the season since he needed to be on top of his game to hope to hang with Strasburg (2 earned runs, 4 hits, 2 walks). Doubront lasted four innings, allowing six earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

Washington was up 7-2 before Adrian Gonzalez hit a solo homer, his fifth of the season and 200th of his career, to straightaway center in the eighth and Daniel Nava (2 hits) had an RBI double in the ninth. Nationals closer Tyler Clippard came on for the final two outs, which he nailed down easily (8 pitches) for his sixth save of the season.

Mike Aviles actually gave Boston a 2-0 lead in the second with a two-run double. Strasburg settled down after that and conversely, Doubront unraveled.

Ryan Zimmerman (2 hits) got the Nationals rally started with an RBI single in the third. Ian Desmond (2 hits) followed later that inning with a two-run double. Washington broke it open with three runs in the fourth inning. Danny Espinosa (2 hits, 2 runs, walk, stolen base) had a two-run ground-rule double to right and Harper crushed a two-run bomb to center (425 feet, his 6th of the season).

Harper added an RBI single in the sixth although he was thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double.

Make sure you have plenty of drugs and alcohol (anything to numb the pain) on hand tomorrow afternoon (4:05 p.m., NESN) as Daisuke Matsuzaka makes his 2012 debut against former A's pitcher Gio Gonzalez (7-2). This might be a reverse lock but otherwise I see no possible way that the Red Sox win and/or Dice K makes it past the fifth inning. To make room for Dice on the roster, Marlon Byrd will be designated for assignment.

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DC has a baseball team?

The Red Sox made their first trip to see the Washington Nationals in our nation's capital and game one last night was a complete success. Up 4-3 in the eighth, Boston (43-27) exploded for six runs en route to a comfortable 11-3 win.

As expected, Red Sox fans filled the stands at Nationals Park, accounting for a record sellout. The three-game set is supposed to be the only sold-out series of the season for the hapless Nationals (20-48).

The Sox banged out 17 hits, led by Jason Bay (4-for-6, 3 runs, 3 RBIs), Jacoby Ellsbury (4-for-4 including his first two-triple game with 3 RBIs, a walk and steal), Dustin Pedroia (3 hits, 2 runs) and Kevin Youkilis (2 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBIs).

Boston starter Brad Penny was far from great but it didn't matter. He lasted 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with three runs and six strikeouts.

Manny Delcarmen (2-1) got the win in relief even though he only recorded one out.

Adam Dunn gave Washington a lead in the first with an RBI double which scored Ryan Zimmerman (2 hits, 2 runs).

Bay added to his AL-leading RBI totals with a solo homer in the second to tie it at one.

Ellsbury's first triple, in the fourth, scored Bay to make it 2-1 Red Sox.

Zimmerman scored on a Penny wild pitch in the fourth to tie it at two.

Youkilis' RBI single in the fifth scored Pedroia but a pair of bum ex-Sox tied it up as Willie Harris hit an RBI double in the sixth which plated Josh Bard.

Jason Varitek gave Boston the lead for good with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

The Sox went wild on a bunch of the Nationals terrible relievers in the eighth. Bay began the damage with a two-run single. Varitek added an RBI single and Ellsbury's second triple scored two. Nick Green ended the big inning with an RBI single.

Youkilis made it 11-3 in the ninth with an RBI double.

Jon Lester goes for Boston tonight.