Orioles Opening Day game thread: at Red Sox, 2:10

The last place Boston Red Sox took the coward’s way out of playing their originally scheduled Opening Day game against the Orioles. Pleading rain in the forecast where there was no rain in the forecast, they pushed back the first game into what would have been an off day. Why they were so afraid of a thumping at the hands of the O’s that they felt the need to do this is a mystery to me, as is why MLB rules and policies allow a team to do this.

Elsewhere in MLB on Thursday, the Tigers and Cleveland played a game where snow was falling minutes prior to first pitch, and continued play even while snow was coming down so heavily that Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera hit a home run that ricocheted back into the playing field and slid into second base in the middle of his home run trot because he had no idea he hit a home run. Those teams played in those conditions. Boston gave itself the day off. It’s a joke.

Ultimately, it’s not likely that the extra day will matter all that much for the actual players. Fan-fired barbs aside, both teams will be just as ready to play today as yesterday. The season will begin later than expected, but not that much later. The Orioles, certainly, are better off than their southern neighbors the Nationals, whose entire opening series against the Mets is postponed due to multiple Nationals players with positive COVID tests.

The big story for the Orioles heading into this game is that it marks Trey Mancini’s return to action. He has been a popular player with national media through spring training as he gets back into games following his cancer treatments that caused him to miss last season. If he celebrates his return with some clutch hits, I won’t mind.

The Orioles get things started with this lineup:

1. Cedric Mullins - CF
2. Trey Mancini - 1B
3. Anthony Santander - RF
4. Ryan Mountcastle - DH
5. Rio Ruiz - 2B
6. Austin Hays - LF
7. Maikel Franco - 3B
8. Freddy Galvis - SS
9. Pedro Severino - C

It’s John Means getting the nod on Opening Day. He also was the announced Opening Day starter last year, though he didn’t get to make that start. I will be glad for him if he can get the 2021 season off to a good start.

The Red Sox Opening Day lineup consists of the following jabronis:

1. Enrique Hernández - 2B
2. Alex Verdugo - CF
3. J.D. Martinez - DH
4. Xander Bogaerts - SS
5. Rafael Devers - 3B
6. Hunter Renfroe - RF
7. Marwin Gonzalez - LF
8. Christian Vázquez - C
9. Bobby Dalbec - 1B

Nathan Eovaldi makes the start for the Red Sox. He’s coming off of a 3.72 ERA in the nine starts he made in 2020. That performance was a follow-up to a 5.99 ERA from the last full season in 2019.