Opening Day didn’t just mark the start of a new season for the Boston Red Sox (1-0) – it offered a glimpse of how this version of the roster might actually win games.
Not with fireworks. Not with overwhelming offense.
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But with pitching, patience, and a few timely swings.
Behind a dominant performance from Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox opened their 2026 campaign with a 3-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds (0-1) at Great American Ball Park, leaning on their ace to set the tone from the first inning on.
Crochet looked nothing like the pitcher who labored through spring training.
His fastball had more life, his command was sharper, and when the moment demanded it, he had another gear.
After the Reds loaded the bases in the sixth inning, Crochet responded by striking out Eugenio Suarez and Spencer Steer on back-to-back swings, punctuating six scoreless innings with 8 strikeouts.
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It was the kind of outing that reestablished him as the clear tone-setter for Boston’s rotation.
Mar 26, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning at Great American Ball Park. (Katie Stratman/Imagn Images)
For much of the afternoon, though, runs were hard to come by.
Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott matched Crochet early, working through six scoreless innings of his own despite allowing traffic on the bases. Boston collected hits – 7 in total – but struggled to turn them into anything meaningful, with several coming on infield singles that never fully broke the game open.
That changed late.
The Red Sox finally broke through in the seventh inning, sparked by Marcelo Mayer off the bench.
His leadoff double set the table, and Ceddanne Rafaela delivered the first run of the season with a line-drive single to center.
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From there, the offense found just enough.
Mayer again ignited things in the eighth, and Boston capitalized with RBI hits from Trevor Story and Jarren Duran to create separation.
And in between, the Red Sox young superstar showed up the same way he did all World Baseball Classic.
Roman Anthony reached base four times, including a pivotal late walk that came after successfully challenging a called strike using MLB’s new automated ball-strike system – a moment that extended the inning and led directly to insurance runs.
It wasn’t flashy.
But it was effective.
For a team built on balance more than star power, it felt like a fitting way to begin the 2026 season.
Mar 26, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Roman Anthony (19) scores on a RBI single hit by designated hitter Jarren Duran (not pictured) in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. (Katie Stratman/Imagn Images)
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He’s a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.