OPENING DAY 2015

Dustin Pedroia will start off the season on a good note.

Woohoo...Opening Day for the Red Sox has arrived. This morning I was thinking about how odd it was that we were starting off the season with interleague play.  I assume the Red Sox/Phillies draw might have had something to do with the speculation from last year that Cole Hamels would be pitching for the Red Sox this season.

After looking at today's lineup it hit me that Buchholz has to hit and Ortiz can't DH.  While having Buch hit and Ortiz at first might concern other people, I'm more bummed that Mike Napoli has to come out of the lineup. Obviously, I'd much rather see nine bats in the lineup than have to see a pitcher hacking away at pitches.  Fortunately for the players and fans, the weather at gametime looks to be 70 and sunny. 

My outlook for the game is that Buchholz will have one bad inning.  How quickly his teammates can get him out of that inning will determine his line for the day and the outcome of the game.  In my opinion, Buch is only as good as his catcher and defense let him be.  If they struggle, then he struggles.  Hopefully, the Vasquez injury and shuffling of the catchers this season doesn't cause the trouble it did last year.  

Offensively, I'm predicting a solid day for Dustin Pedroia and some guys left on base for Pablo Sandoval. 

Today's Lineup for the Red Sox:

1-Betts CF
2-Pedroia 2nd
3- Ortiz 1st
4- Ramirez LF
5- Sandoval 3rd
6- Victorino RF
7- Bogaerts SS
8- Hanigan C
9- Buchholz

Follow @BOSsportschick on twitter
https://twitter.com/BOSsportschick