The bats came alive for the Red Sox in their first game of the season at Fenway Park, a 9-4 victory over the Washington Nationals.
Boston scored eight runs (seven earned) in the first three innings, knocking starter Jordan Zimmermann out of the game after he recorded just seven outs. Zimmermann got rocked for a walk and nine hits, including a three-run homer to Mookie Betts, who knocked in four Monday.
Meanwhile, Rick Porcello saved the Red Sox' bullpen after a short outing from Clay Buchholz Sunday and a 19-inning marathon on Friday. The righty went eight innings, striking out six, walking one and allowing just four hits. One of those hits was a homer, however, and Porcello gave up four runs (three of them earned).
Hanley Ramirez, surprisingly, was one of two Red Sox in the starting lineup without a hit (Shane Victorino was the other). Ramirez did walk twice and score a run before fouling a ball off his foot and leaving the game.
Former Nats catcher Sandy Leon, whom the Red Sox acquired for cash after Christian Vazquez underwent season-ending surgery, went 3-4 with a run and an RBI.
The Nationals have what most consider to be the best starting rotation in baseball, with Zimmermann pitching alongside Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Doug Fister. Boston will see Strasburg and Gonzalez this series.
The Red Sox were certainly glad to open their first homestand with a big win, as the team traveled back from a 14-4 loss to the Yankees in New York. That game wrapped up after 11 p.m. Sunday with Monday's starting just after 3 p.m.
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And for Red Sox fans- forgotten are the 91 losses, the fifth place finish in the AL East, and all that cold and snow.
