Red Sox Opener and Notes from Opening Day.

After tripling to drive in the game-tying run in the top of the 9^th and deliver the Big Potato, Jose Velvarde his first blown save of 2012 and the first since 2010, Ryan Sweeney was in line to be the hero on Thursday. Sadly, that only lasted for about 20 minutes as the Boston bullpen went on to give up the walk off to Austin Jackson in the next half inning. It was unlikely that the Red Sox were going to get to see the bottom of the 9^th because Justin Verlander delivered one of the most dominating opening day performances that I have ever seen. He pitched 8 innings of 2 hit ball and looked very strong. Jon Lester was great as well, going 7 innings and giving up just one run on 6 hits.

The story of the game for me was how Bobby Valentine handled the bullpen in the 9^th inning. After not giving the now open closer job to the most experienced man in his bullpen, Mark Melancon, Valentine brought him in to start the 9^th. Melancon recorded the first out and then gave up two opposite field singles, neither of which was hit hard at all. Valentine then pulled Melancon with the 9 hole hitter up for his “closer”, Alfredo Aceves. Aceves hit the next batter and gave up the walk off single to Austin Jackson. But regardless of the outcome, it was Melancon’s mess and he should have been left to clean it up. Melancon is the guy the Sox traded for and put him in line to be their closer before acquiring Andrew Bailey, and after not naming him your closer following the Bailey injury, I highly doubt that he thinks that Valentine has much confidence in him.

Valentine

Notes from around the league-

It was a day of pitching around the majors on Thursday. The Pirates came up with two hits in their first two at bats but that was all they could do against Roy Halladay as they fell to the Phillies 1-0.

The Cubs lost to the Nationals 2-1 in a game that Stephen Strasburg and Ryan Dempster combined to pitch 14.2 innings and give up just 7 hits. The loss marked the fourth year in a row that the Cubs lost in their home opener.

Johnny Cueto worked over the Marlins and handed them their second loss in about 20 hours going 7 innings and giving up just 3 hits. He allowed just one batter to reach second base when Gaby Sanchez doubled in the 7^th.

Johan Santana pitched five scoreless innings in his first start since September 2^nd, 2010 as the Mets beat the Braves 1-0.

The best game of the day so far (Dodgers and Padres play tonight in San Diego) took place in Cleveland where the Blue Jays beat the Indians 7-4 in a game that took 16 innings to finish. The difference was a JP Arencibia 3 run homer in the top of the 16^th. Chris Perez blew the save for the Indians and Jose Bautista hit his first HR of 2012 after hitting 43 in 2011. The Benches cleared in the bottom of the 15^th after Luis Perez threw high and tight to Shin-Soo Choo. 

Opening Night

Wednesday was a night of many “official” firsts for the Miami Marlins and it was as colorful as the language of Ozzie Guillen. New uniforms, new manager, new players, new fans, and of course an immaculate new ball park. The only problem was that their first house-guests, the Cardinals, were ungrateful and all but took a dump right in the middle of center field where Wednesday, many balls went to die.

“The Greatest” Muhammad Ali highlighted the pre game festivities by delivering the game ball. Josh Johnson then took that ball and delivered it for a strike to Rafeal Furcal to officially open the baseball season, stateside. 

Johnson went on to give up 3 hits and two runs in that first inning. Both runs came on a double by the legend of last October, David Freese. Johnson only allowed one more run in his six innings of work but gave up a total of 10 hits and 12 base runners while never really being in control.

In control is how I would describe how Kyle Loshe looked on Wednesday. Through 6 he faced the minimum and took a no-hitter into the 7^th inning. He was effective but by no means dominating. The Marlins just did not seem interested in swinging at hittable pitches.

The Hanley Ramirez at third experiment gave us our first “LOL” or maybe “WTF” moment. On a soft ground ball to the five and a half hole by Carlos Beltran in the second, Ramirez simply watched the ball trickle by. Jose Reyes did not make the play either and the ball ended up in left field, but the play was obviously the third baseman’s to make. Josh Johnson got out of the inning on the next pitch but could be seen shaking his head as he went to cover third on that miss play by Ramirez. The next inning, Ramirez did make a great play to double up Freese at first on a liner by Yadier Molina.

I hope the new park does not affect Hanley, Giancarlo Stanton and other Marlin power hitters like Citi field did David Wright and Jason Bay. Stanton hit 2 balls to center/right center that would of gone out of most parks in the majors, but both were caught. I will have to wait and see how that park plays over the next few months before I give my final impressions of it. But I will say this, it aint no Yankee Stadium.

All night I kept saying that I wanted to see “the thingy” and was disappointed that I did not get to see the new home run structure in center field go off. Other than that it was good opening night. I would of loved to see the first opening day no hitter since 1940 when Bob Feller pitched one, but hey, we have to be realistic. 

Thingy

The Marlins travel to Cincinnati to play the Reds tomorrow while the Cardinals will be in Milwaukee for the Brewers home opener on Friday. 

Opening Series

For the first time since 2008 the Major League Baseball season opened in the Tokyo Dome in front of the respectful and very well depressed Japanese fans. Here are some things that stood out to me from the season’s first two games:

When the Athletics took the field on Wednesday, Brandon McCarthy did not join them. I had never before that seen a team take the field to start a game without their pitcher. Turns out the bullpens in the Tokyo Dome are underneath the dugouts and McCarthy did not realize that it was time to take the field. Later, cameras showed us into those bullpens, those pens could handle triple barrel action, and they are fully stocked with couches, televisions and fridges. That is a pretty sweet deal for relievers if you ask me. 

Ichiro had by far his worst season this side of the pacific in 2011; mainly because he was not getting his infield hits. Usually Ichiro comes up with 50 to 60 infield hits per year (53 in 2010), but in 2011, he only totaled 37, a big reason why he hit .272. Wednesday, Ichiro went 4-5 with 2 infield hits and looks to be on pace to return to life in the .300s.

Forever, Johan Santana was known for having the best changeup in baseball. With his recent injuries, that title moved on to Cole Hammels, or even Tim Lincecum. But I have to say that after watching 8 innings of Felix Hernandez on Wednesday that his change up, no pun intended, is king.

The Athletics showed off their new weapons on Thursday. Bartolo Colon seems to be getting better as his waist size gets larger. On Thursday he went 8 innings while giving up just one run, 3 hits and a walk and he did it on only 86 pitches. The one run came on a Justin Smoak homer that in my opinion he could not repeat, and in Oakland would ok been an easy fly to left. He worked the changeup and his 2-seam fastball made many lefties look bad. 

Colon as Justin Smoak rounds second after a 7th inning homer.

Three newcomers to the outfield provided the Oakland offense. Josh Reddick (former Red Sox), Jonny Gomes and the 36 million dollar man Yoenis Cespedes each hit one. Cespedes reminds me Jason Bay in that he will get fooled by the breaking ball down and away (although his homer came on a breaking ball) and Adrian Beltre in that he almost goes down to his knees when trying to power a pitch.

Overall, it was a good series. I just dislike that both teams have to now go back to Arizona for more spring training games; the M’s for instant play 5 more spring games. I like the idea, but have this series next week and give both teams 2 days off before playing again. It is also odd to me that these two teams will play each other 5 more times before Jackie Robinson Day. Seven of the first eleven games of any team should never come versus any one opponent.