Detroit 0
Boston 5

After a quick and painful sweep at the hands of the division rival Toronto Blue Jays, yesterday’s home opener could not have been scripted any better. Between weather, the aforementioned Buckner appearance, the rings, and of course, the final result of the ballgame, there was absolutely nothing to complain about (always a poignant moment for Red Sox fans).

Before this season began, the Las Vegas odds had Detroit Tigers as a decent bet to win their first championship since 1984. It’s safe to say that those odds have since been recalibrated, as the Tigers are now 0-7. The odds of a catastrophic riot occurring in Detroit this summer, however, is now somewhat high.

As of right now, while the season is still in its embryonic stage, there are three guys on the Red Sox who have been drawing rave reviews after slightly disappointing 2007 campaigns. Please keep in mind that these are very small samples, though they are encouraging.

J.D. Drew: The big money signing of 2007 had become a whipping post for the casual Red Sox fan after a slow start. Drew ended the year on a very strong note (including some post-season heroics), but the majority of fans are still quite wary of his weaknesses. This was only exacerbated after Drew missed a week in March, but he has since been the most productive hitter on the team. The outfielder is hitting .368/.400/.787.

Jason Varitek: When Tek was is the prime of his career, he was usually quick out of the gate, so his strong start shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. With a terrible hitter as his backup, it is only critical that Varitek stay healthy. Any above-average offensive production is pure gravy. Tek is hitting .296/.345/.556, and while he still looks terrible while swinging at certain pitches, he doesn’t seem to have lost much pop at his advanced age.

Daisuke Matsuzaka: The most glaring performance on the pitching staff has been Daisuke. His fastball appeared to have a bit more life against the tough Detroit lineup yesterday, hovering around 95 MPH, and he has been utilizing his arsenal much better in his three 2008 starts. The walks are still coming in droves, but Daisuke has had success in getting hitters to chase his stuff out of the zone. Thus far, he has given up only 8 hits in 18.1 innings while striking out 22.

Tonight, in the first 2008 game I will actually be attending, Jon Lester (3.38 ERA) takes on Jeremy Bonderman (5.68 ERA).

Comments are closed