So far, so good, as Boston played a complete game in Cincinnati.
Garrett Crochet throws a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds on Opening Day. Andy Lyons/Getty Images
In the sixth inning of Thursday’s season opener, Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet was in danger of letting everything he worked for all game slip away.
The Reds, who had just one hit entering the inning, quickly loaded the bases with one out and put pressure on the dominant left-hander. Crochet responded convincingly, striking out Eugenio Suárez and Spencer Steer with lethal cutters to keep the game scoreless.
In the top of the seventh, the Red Sox – who made life difficult for Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott all night but couldn’t break through initially – capitalized on the momentum to pull ahead. Pinch hitter Marcelo Mayer lofted a leadoff double to left-center, Carlos Narváez moved him to third on a beautiful bunt, and No. 9 hitter Ceddanne Rafaela brought Mayer home with a sharp single up the middle.
“You’ve got to stay ready,” Mayer told reporters. “My job when I don’t start is to make sure that I’m ready to come in whenever he needs me to. I was able to come through.”
At a crucial juncture, where they could have unraveled, the Red Sox grew stronger and resembled a team with a killer instinct. Boston’s bullpen did its job from there and the Red Sox added two runs in the ninth, cementing a promising 3-0 road victory that they really had to earn.
Here are five takeaways:
Garrett guarantee
Crochet picked up where he left off last year, allowing just three hits and walking two in six strong innings. Fifty-two of his 80 pitches were strikes and he fanned eight, doing some of his best work in the middle innings.
He has firmly established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball, and at this point, it’s more surprising when he doesn’t dominate an opponent than when he does.
Justin Slaten had the seventh, Garrett Whitlock the eighth, and Aroldis Chapman the ninth for his first save of the season, helping Boston secure its third consecutive season-opening win.
“I believe we have a good offense and will score more, but we will pitch,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters.
It was a particularly gratifying inning for Whitlock, who got some revenge on Suárez after surrendering the winning hit to him in the World Baseball Classic.
Red Sox pitchers were outstanding as a whole, needing just 126 pitches (81 strikes) to dispatch the Reds for their first Opening Day shutout since 2015.
“Our pitching staff is unbelievable,” Roman Anthony said on NESN. “We expected that, and we saw it today.”
Fire from Mayer
Mayer didn’t get the start Thursday, but he still made his presence felt. His double changed the trajectory of the game, then he slapped a single to left in the ninth as well to help provide the finishing touches.
“The pinch hit there, it was huge,” Cora told reporters.
A successful Anthony challenge on a strikeout-turned-walk paved the way for a Trevor Story single that scored Mayer. Jarren Duran drove in Anthony to make it 3-0, and Chapman took care of the rest, as he so often does.
It was a significant season debut for Mayer, who is trying to establish himself as a consistent presence on a team that needs him to produce. It was just one game, but this was a major step in the right direction for a guy who hit just .228 with a .272 on-base percentage last year.
“First Opening Day is special,” Mayer told reporters. “Had a cup of coffee last year.”
Ants go marching, one by one
Mayer wasn’t the only young player to influence the outcome of this one.
Many are expecting Anthony to make the leap from emerging star to superstar this season, and so far, he appears poised to take that next step.
“Last year, I learned very fast that this kid is good,” Cora told reporters.
Anthony (3 for 4) singled on his first three at-bats in the opener, displaying his usual excellent plate discipline and keeping his approach simple and steady.
He hit the first pitch of the season 112 miles per hour up the middle, added a sharp single to left-center in the third, then lined one 110 mph that ricocheted off first baseman Sal Stewart’s left wrist.
“I just wanted to be on time, attack, and get the boys going,” Anthony said on NESN.
Anthony, who led the majors last year with a hard-hit rate of 60 percent, sprayed the ball all over the field. He then showed his maturity once again by challenging a pivotal pitch to keep momentum on Boston’s side.
“One, I was pretty sure,” Anthony said on NESN afterward. “I feel like I know the zone pretty well. But two, I think that’s one of those instances where you’re willing to gamble right there given the situation.”
At age 21, Anthony is the youngest outfielder to start Opening Day for the Red Sox since Dwight Evans in 1973.
Patience and persistence
The Red Sox had runners in scoring position in three of the first five innings against Abbott, and under different circumstances, they could have already built a lead before Rafaela’s hit.
“We had our chances early on,” Cora told reporters. “It didn’t happen, but that’s a good baseball team over there.”
But nothing materialized early and the Reds hung around. The Red Sox deserve credit for continuing to come at Cincinnati and ultimately meeting the moment.
The Red Sox racked up 12 hits, compared to four for the Reds, so the offensive effort was perhaps a bit better than the final score indicates. At the same time, it’s imperative moving forward to bring those runners home and build an early lead. Crochet only pitches once every five games.
Challenge accepted
In the bottom of the fourth, after a Crochet pitch was called a ball, Narváez successfully challenged the call and helped Crochet wrap up another efficient inning.
In the seventh, Narváez challenged again and was wrong this time, then Tyler Stephenson challenged the ensuing ball and was right.
Anthony’s eye then dictated the action and gave Boston some breathing room. When used properly, challenges can be a weapon for offenses looking to get back in a game or extend their lead.
The automated ball-strike challenge system is efficient, simple, and helpful, and it doesn’t disrupt the flow of the game. It’s here to stay and adds another layer of strategy to the sport.
“It feels normal because it worked for us,” Cora told reporters. “That’s the reality of it.”
Trevor Hass is a sports producer for Boston.com, where he writes and edits stories about Boston’s professional teams, among other tasks.
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