Apr 22, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Hanley Ramirez (13) is congratulated after he scored a run during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Across the Diamond
The Red Sox haven’t gotten to 10-9 with dominant starting pitching, so that’s something that the Blue Jays will need to expose early and often. It was an offseason of great change for the Boston rotation, and their performances are sure to level out shortly, but Toronto’s lineup of right-handed hitters will be aiming high to left field.
Offensively, Boston has been led by the newly acquired Hanley Ramirez, who has smacked 8 home runs for 17 RBI already in the young season, including two deep flies last night. Pablo Sandoval got off to an underwhelming start after coming over from San Francisco, but hit his first home run with the Red Sox last night, as well, moving his slash line on the season to .273 / .377 / 348.
Past the two newcomers, along with Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts, the Red Sox lineup has seen some struggles. David Ortiz is still waiting for his bat to awaken as he sits with a .194 average, while fellow power threat Mike Napoli enters play at .169. Mookie Betts, Allen Craig and Daniel Nava all sit below the .200 mark, as well, so the Toronto Blue Jays will be hoping that those cold streaks extend a few games longer.
Next: Game 1 preview: Can Sanchez shine?