Ten thoughts on the Red Sox opener while looking forward to seeing more of Hirokazu Sawamura …
1. Opening Day sometimes mixes in a curveball, delivering a plot twist that differs from what we might have expected, and doesn’t necessarily foretell what’s ahead. An individual example: Tony Clark going 3 for 5 with a home run on Opening Day 2002. The big first baseman finished his one flop of a season in Boston with 3 homers in 298 plate appearances. A team example: The Red Sox’ 13-2 thumping of the Orioles on Opening Day 2020. The Sox lost eight of their next 10 en route to a 10-22 start and an utterly irrelevant 24-36 season.