First and a half innings Update

Top of the first

Leadoff hitter, Dustin Pedroia hit a slow dribbling single up the middle just out of the dive of Bobby Crosby. Kevin Youkilis hit a fielder’s choice to third base, third to first, Pedroia up to second. On the first pitch, David pops out to third, Pedroia stays at second. In his first at bat of the 2008 season, Manny Ramirez hit a long foul ball to right fielder Travis Buck to record the final out of the inning. At the end of a half, Red Sox 0 Oakland coming to bat, one hit and one left on base for the Red Sox.

Bottom of the First

Mark Ellis first homerun of the 2008 season on a 1-0 count from Daisuke Matsuzaka

Matsuzaka got off to a good start getting right fielder Travis Buck to ground out to Dustin Pedroia at second but then allowed a homerun by second baseman Mark Ellis. Walked Daric Barton and hit Jack Cust in the foot putting runners on first and second. Matsuzaka then threw a wild pitch off the glove of Jason Varitek allowing the runners to move up. Walks the bases loaded by walking Emil Brown. Bobby Crosby hit a chopper up the third base line, Matsuzaka field it and threw out Crosby at first going away from the play but Barton crosses the plate on the fielder’s choice, Brown moves up to second and Cust to third. Minimazing the damaging, Matsuzaka strikes out Oakland third baseman Jack Hannahan. At the end of one, it’s Oakland 2 Red Sox 0, one hit and two left on base.

Top of the second

Reigning World Series MVP, Mike Lowell hits a line drive into the centerfield for a single. Brandon Moss, replacing J.D. Drew in the line up with a lower back injury, gets the start in right field. Moss quickly down in the count to Joe Blanton. Moss hits a chopper to short, Crosby to second for the fielder’s choice to record the out on Lowell, Moss safe at first. The Red Sox Captain gets his first at-bat of the 2008 campaign as he steps to the plate and grounds into a Taylor-Made double play shortstop to second to first. At the end of one and a half, it’s Oakland 2 Red Sox 0, one hit and one left on base for the Red Sox.