The Red Sox look to win their first game of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays, in the latter's home opener. Left-hander Felix Doubront takes the mound against Henderson Alvarez, whose name I always want to type in the opposite order.
The 22-year-old Alvarez is something of a control artist, but he's also been incredibly hittable in his professional career. He might be just 22, but he's in his sixth year of pro ball, so that sample is larger than you might think. He's always been successful, but a patient lineup like Boston's that knows when it's time to swing might make him regret his tendency to throw strikes.
At least, we hope so. The Red Sox are 0-3, and that's not a significant deal in the grand scheme of the other 159 games left to play, but we certainly feel like we need a win. Right. Now. Or else who knows what other ideas will come out of panic articles? People might start encouraging Nick Punto to lead off all of the time, and we can't have that.
I'm testing out my new Red Sox hat tonight. And you can't blame it if things go wrong, either, as I didn't wear it over the weekend. Go Sox!