Sunday, April 4th (All times eastern)
Boston Red Sox (0-0) at Baltimore Orioles (0-0), 8:05 p.m.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Boston - Pedro Martinez (0-0, 0.00) Baltimore - Sidney Ponson (0-0, 0.00)
(Sports Network) - Last year the Boston Red Sox earned their first playoff berth since 1999. This year new manager Terry Francona hopes his team can kick in the door toward an American League pennant and possibly its first World Series title since 1918. It all starts tonight at Baltimore's Camden Yards, where the Red Sox meet the upgraded Orioles in the season opener for both clubs. This marks the start of a four-game series, which will last five days.
Three-time Cy Young Award winner and six-time All-Star Pedro Martinez will take the mound for Boston. Sidney Ponson, a 17-game winner last year, will counter for the Orioles under new manager Lee Mazzilli.
The 32-year-old Martinez heads into his seventh season with the Red Sox in limbo as he doesn't have a contract after this year, although both sides were said to be working toward a long-term agreement. Last season, Martinez compiled a 14-4 mark with a major league-best 2.22 ERA. During his time in Boston, the hard-throwing righthander has posted an incredible 101-28 record. He holds a career mark of 8-2 against Baltimore and is 5-1 with a 1.05 ERA (7 earned runs, 60 innings) in nine lifetime games at Camden Yards.
Martinez makes his seventh Opening Day start in as many seasons for the Red Sox, tying Roger Clemens (1988-94) for most consecutive season opening starts in club history. Martinez is 3-0 in six career season openers, but has no decisions the last three years. Only Clemens (8) has started more season openers for the Red Sox than Martinez. With a victory tonight, Martinez would become the first Red Sox hurler to earn four Opening Day wins.
Ponson went 14-6 with a 3.77 earned run average in 21 starts before being traded to San Francisco, but he struggled in the Bay Area, going 3-6 with a 3.71 ERA. The Orioles then signed the 27-year-old righthander back as a free agent in the offseason. Ponson has struggled in his career against the Red Sox, going 1-9 with a 6.56 ERA in 12 starts.
In an offseason full of bitterness and fervor, the Red Sox tried to overcome a heartbreaking seventh-game loss in the ALCS to the New York Yankees. Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein worked a trade to get starting pitcher Curt Schilling and inked closer Keith Foulke, hoping to improve a ball club that won 95 games last year and captured the American League wild card spot.
The Red Sox failed in their attempt to lure Alex Rodriguez to Beantown, meaning they will go into this season with slugger Manny Ramirez as their left fielder again. With Ramirez' help (.325 AVG) the Red Sox topped the majors last year in several offensive categories, including batting average (.289), hits (1,667), runs (961), slugging percentage (.491) and on-base percentage (.360).
However, Boston will head into the 2004 season shorthanded. Nomar Garciaparra, the team's All-Star shortstop, has been hampered by an Achilles' tendon injury and will now be sidelined for at least three weeks. The Red Sox also have outfielder Trot Nixon and pitchers Byung-Hyun Kim and Reynaldo Garcia on the 15-day disabled list.
The Orioles also dipped into the free agent market with the signing of 2002 AL MVP Miguel Tejada, All-Star catcher Javy Lopez and Gold Glove first baseman Rafael Palmeiro. Baltimore is trying to overcome a 71-91 record from last year and its sixth consecutive fourth-place finish in the AL East.
Boston has dropped its last three season openers. This will be the eighth time in the last nine years the Red Sox have opened the season on the road.
Baltimore has won three straight season openers. The Orioles will be starting their campaign at home for a ninth consecutive year.
The Red Sox won the season series last year, 10-9, and have not lost a yearly battle to the O's since 1996.
Following tonight's affair, the four-game series resumes Tuesday afternoon.
Boston Red Sox (0-0) at Baltimore Orioles (0-0), 8:05 p.m.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Boston - Pedro Martinez (0-0, 0.00) Baltimore - Sidney Ponson (0-0, 0.00)
(Sports Network) - Last year the Boston Red Sox earned their first playoff berth since 1999. This year new manager Terry Francona hopes his team can kick in the door toward an American League pennant and possibly its first World Series title since 1918. It all starts tonight at Baltimore's Camden Yards, where the Red Sox meet the upgraded Orioles in the season opener for both clubs. This marks the start of a four-game series, which will last five days.
Three-time Cy Young Award winner and six-time All-Star Pedro Martinez will take the mound for Boston. Sidney Ponson, a 17-game winner last year, will counter for the Orioles under new manager Lee Mazzilli.
The 32-year-old Martinez heads into his seventh season with the Red Sox in limbo as he doesn't have a contract after this year, although both sides were said to be working toward a long-term agreement. Last season, Martinez compiled a 14-4 mark with a major league-best 2.22 ERA. During his time in Boston, the hard-throwing righthander has posted an incredible 101-28 record. He holds a career mark of 8-2 against Baltimore and is 5-1 with a 1.05 ERA (7 earned runs, 60 innings) in nine lifetime games at Camden Yards.
Martinez makes his seventh Opening Day start in as many seasons for the Red Sox, tying Roger Clemens (1988-94) for most consecutive season opening starts in club history. Martinez is 3-0 in six career season openers, but has no decisions the last three years. Only Clemens (8) has started more season openers for the Red Sox than Martinez. With a victory tonight, Martinez would become the first Red Sox hurler to earn four Opening Day wins.
Ponson went 14-6 with a 3.77 earned run average in 21 starts before being traded to San Francisco, but he struggled in the Bay Area, going 3-6 with a 3.71 ERA. The Orioles then signed the 27-year-old righthander back as a free agent in the offseason. Ponson has struggled in his career against the Red Sox, going 1-9 with a 6.56 ERA in 12 starts.
In an offseason full of bitterness and fervor, the Red Sox tried to overcome a heartbreaking seventh-game loss in the ALCS to the New York Yankees. Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein worked a trade to get starting pitcher Curt Schilling and inked closer Keith Foulke, hoping to improve a ball club that won 95 games last year and captured the American League wild card spot.
The Red Sox failed in their attempt to lure Alex Rodriguez to Beantown, meaning they will go into this season with slugger Manny Ramirez as their left fielder again. With Ramirez' help (.325 AVG) the Red Sox topped the majors last year in several offensive categories, including batting average (.289), hits (1,667), runs (961), slugging percentage (.491) and on-base percentage (.360).
However, Boston will head into the 2004 season shorthanded. Nomar Garciaparra, the team's All-Star shortstop, has been hampered by an Achilles' tendon injury and will now be sidelined for at least three weeks. The Red Sox also have outfielder Trot Nixon and pitchers Byung-Hyun Kim and Reynaldo Garcia on the 15-day disabled list.
The Orioles also dipped into the free agent market with the signing of 2002 AL MVP Miguel Tejada, All-Star catcher Javy Lopez and Gold Glove first baseman Rafael Palmeiro. Baltimore is trying to overcome a 71-91 record from last year and its sixth consecutive fourth-place finish in the AL East.
Boston has dropped its last three season openers. This will be the eighth time in the last nine years the Red Sox have opened the season on the road.
Baltimore has won three straight season openers. The Orioles will be starting their campaign at home for a ninth consecutive year.
The Red Sox won the season series last year, 10-9, and have not lost a yearly battle to the O's since 1996.
Following tonight's affair, the four-game series resumes Tuesday afternoon.
