Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Two Touchdowns

It couldn't have been a more perfect day for the Red Sox on Tuesday afternoon.

The 1967 AL Champions were honored before the game, on the 40th anniversary of that incredible season, and they collectively threw out the first game balls. Nice to see so many of them together again. Robert Goulet was even there to sing, "The Impossible Dream," to honor the team and he did a nice job with it.

On a 43 degree day that would have been a better fit for the Patriots, the Red Sox scored early and often against Jeff Weaver, and the game was laugher after just two innings. Weaver couldn't find home plate, threw 70 pitches in two innings and was gone. It was 7-0, and it just got better for the Red Sox, and they coasted to a 14-3 win.

Julio Lugo reached four times in the first four innings, and J.D. Drew hit a home run to dead center that was simply amazing, the distance he hit with what looked like simple swing (the look on Weaver's face was simply priceless when he saw it go out).

Jason Varitek busted out with three hits, and Josh Beckett was masterful. In seven innings he allowed just one run on two hits. He threw just 84 pitches in dominating the Mariners, including striking out Ichiro Suzuki three times.

As the game was ending, there was some fireworks. After Brendan Donnelly struck out Jose Guillen to start the eighth, they started jawing at each other, and Guillen pointed the bat at him and made a move toward the mound. Cooler heads prevailed as Guillen was tossed from the game. Donnelly and Guillen have a bad history between them. Guillen, a known hothead and troublemaker, and Donnelly were teammates on the Angels in 2004 and didn't get along at all. That was also the year Guillen was sent home in September by Mike Scioscia in the middle of the pennant race for conduct detrimental to the club, despite having a fine year at the plate. He never returned to the Angels that year and was later traded. In 2005, while with Washington, Guillen had the umpires check Donnelly's glove in a game against the Angels that led to a an onfield confrontation between Scioscia and Frank Robinson that nearly got really ugly.

Donnelly then hit Kenji Johjima, the next batter, with a pitch and he was ejected. Donnelly later said that he didn't intentionally hit him. Well, no matter who you believe, don't invite Guillen and Donnelly to the same party.

Mike Timlin made his first appearance and wasn't sharp, gave up two runs to end the game at 14-3. It was a memorable Opening Day at Fenway, as it usually is.

And now the hype really gets going, as Daisuke Matsuzaka makes his Fenway debut tonight.

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