Sox Open Season with 6-5 Win Over Oakland

By KC Downey in Red Sox ⋅ March 25, 2008 at 12:39pm ⋅ Post a comment

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Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless ninth inning and earned the win as the Sox bats woke up in extra innings. In the 10th, Manny Ramirez doubled home David Ortiz and Julio Lugo after Big Papi was intentionally walked before him. Papelbon was shaky in the bottom of that inning, allowing three hits and 1 ER, but escaped with the save in a 6-5 win.

Rookie RF Brandon Moss, a late addition for an injured J.D. Drew, hit a game-tying home run in the ninth off of Huston Street to knot the game at 4-4.

Japan native Daisuke Matsuzaka started and looked shaky early on against the A’s, allowing 2 runs in the first, but he settled down to go 5 innings. He did not get the win after Kyle Snyder failed to hold the lead in the sixth inning.

Manny Ramirez finished with 4 RBI’s and Moss produced the other two runs as the Red Sox won in the earliest Opening Day in major league history.

Jacoby Ellsbury finished 1-4 with a single but his big play was a highlight-reel catch in the eighth inning. He leaped up against the wall and fell to the ground backwards with the ball in hand.