That's more like it

With a day to think about the Opening Day embarrassment, the Sox came out swinging tonight. With 3 runs in the 1st, thanks to a J.D. Drew double to knock in Ortiz, and a Mike Lowell double to knock in Manny and Drew, the Sox took a 3-0 lead that they would not relinquish. It was good to see Drew and Lowell get it done, as the 5-6 spot of the Sox lineup is going to be key this year. We all know Ortiz and Manny can get it done, but the problem last year was what happened after them. If Drew stays healthy he could easily wind up with 110+ RBI. Him staying healthy is far from a sure thing however.

Josh Beckett also looked solid in his 1st start of the season. I can't complain about 5 IP with 1 ER, however I can complain about 4 BB. When you walk batters, you get into jams. When you get into jams, you give up runs. Luckily Beckett was able to get out of jams for the most part, but in the long run giving guys free passes will always bite you. Not only do walks lead to runs, but they lead to higher pitch counts. Beckett reached 94 pitches after just 5 IP. Being able to go deep into games over the course of the year is very important in keeping the bullpen fresh. Obviously one 5 inning start is nothing to get worried about, but it just goes to show how much walks really hurt. As for something positive, Beckett didn't give up any HR for a change. If he can keep the HR rate down and the K/BB ratio up Beckett could very easily wind up being the true ace of the staff this year, no matter what number he is in the rotation.

Tomorrow Daisuke Matsuzaka will make his MLB debut vs. Zach Grienke in the rubber game of the series.