Red Sox at Phillies
Hanley Ramirez indirectly helped Boston win the 2007 World Series, but if the Red Sox this season are to win their fourth title in 12 years, it will likely involve a major contribution from their left fielder. Ramirez belted two home runs and drove in five runs in Monday's 8-0 season-opening victory and tries to keep impressing his new and old employer when the Red Sox visit the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday in the middle contest of their three-game series.
Ramirez was a hot prospect in the Boston organization when he was traded to Florida on Thanksgiving Day 2005 in a blockbuster deal involving right-hander Josh Beckett, a key figure when the Red Sox won the World Series two seasons later. Fast forward 10 years, and Ramirez - a 31-year-old converted shortstop - finds himself in the cleanup spot of a lineup which is expected to have little trouble scoring runs. The same cannot be said for Philadelphia, which mustered only three hits Monday and appears destined for its third straight losing season after finishing .500 or better in the previous 10 years. Rick Porcello makes his Red Sox debut after going 76-63 with Detroit in his first six major-league seasons and opposes Aaron Harang, who dealt with back issues in spring training.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN2, NESN (Boston), TCN (Philadelphia)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (2014: 15-13, 3.43 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Aaron Harang (2014: 12-12, 3.57)
Boston made it clear that Porcello is also in its future plans by signing him Monday to a four-year contract extension, which begins in 2016 and is worth a handsome $82.5 million. The 26-year-old New Jersey native had an excellent spring, allowing four earned runs and striking out 11 in 14 innings covering four outings. Porcello is 11-6 with a 4.49 ERA in 24 interleague outings, including a 12-4 victory over Philadelphia on July 28, 2013 when he yielded three runs in six innings as a member of the Detroit Tigers.
Harang, who allowed eight earned runs and 19 hits in 15 innings over four spring starts, begins his 14th major league season with his eighth team. The 6-7, 261-pound Californian made 33 starts with Atlanta last season while lowering his career ERA to 4.21 after going 5-12 in 26 turns with Seattle and the New York Mets in 2013. Harang is 14-12 with a 3.09 ERA in 36 interleague outings, including 2-2, 5.08 in five turns covering 28 1/3 innings against the Red Sox.
WALK-OFFS
1. Ramirez is 10-for-29 with five home runs against Harang.
2. Boston on Monday hit five home runs - including two by Dustin Pedroia - after not hitting five or more in a game last season.
3. CF Odubel Herrera on Monday went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts while becoming the second rookie to make the Phillies Opening Day roster since 1970 (Freddy Galvis in 2012), when Larry Bowa and Denny Boyle broke camp with the team.