What do these two things have in common? Well besides both being Jodie Foster movies, they are two aspects that have characterized the start of the 2011 baseball season. There is always trepidation when a team does poorly at the start of the year, especially when that club is expected to do so well. At the same time, there are always clubs that exceed expectations right off the bat, (pun intended) and bring the offense early. No series encapsulates both sentiments more than the Texas Rangers opening home series versus the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox are not only my pick to win the American League East this year, but just about every professional analysts' choice to win the World Series. With good reason, too. They have a great rotation and a seemingly impenetrable lineup. Meanwhile the Texas Rangers are coming off their best season ever, a World Series trip, and are looking to repeat that success. So this was a wonderful first matchup to treat fans to on Opening Day. Things started off quickly as 9 combined runs were scored in the first four innings. Ian Kinsler led off the season with a solo homerun, while Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli joined Ian with round-trippers. This was the first time ever that Boston pitcher Jon Lester let up three homeruns in one game. The Rangers kept the heat up, added on and won 9-5.
In the second game the Rangers jumped on the Sox even earlier, putting up 9 runs against Boston in the first four innings, and finishing with 15 total runs. Again Kinsler led off the game with a solo shot, which is the first time that has ever happened in MLB history. Nelson Cruz, Yorvit Torrealba, and Adrian Beltre all went deep, as well. Then in the third game, the Rangers kept the antlers to a minimum, but still blasted four more homeruns by David Murphy, and again by Napoli, Kinsler and Cruz. The three homers each for Kinsler and Cruz also marked the first time in MLB history that two teammates each hit a homerun in the first three games of a season.
Things were looking so rough for the Red Sox that manager Terry Francona saw new left-fielder Carl Crawford pressing at the plate, and pushed him down to the 7th hole. In the third game of the season! Alright, let's pump the brakes for a second here people. I'll admit that this is certainly not the way to start a season out, and I should know, I'm a Mets fan. But even I know that while this series stings a little for the Boston pride, it's not the end of the world. If you listen to talk radio at all, though, Boston's season might as well be over. That's because fans, front-office people and even managers panic early and often. Sometimes there are reasons for it, and sometimes there aren't. It is understandable that Boston hit the wall against a spectacular hitting lineup. Few teams can contain the bats in Arlington, TX. However, patient baseball people know that Jon Lester will return to form, as will John Lackey and Clay Buchholz. The Boston Red Sox are still everyone's favorite, because in the end, those patient baseball people know that three games doesn't make up a season.
On the other hand, there is something to be said for a hot-hitting team at the begin of the season. Texas proved a lot of folks, including myself, wrong in doubting the Rangers have the tools to return to the World Series. Again, it's three games, so let's not get nuts. But when one team dominates another from start to finish, with both good pitching and excellent hitting, then that squad deserves a lot of respect. Texas isn't the only club doing it and doing it, and doing it well. The Chicago White Sox also showed off the contact side of our discussion by putting up 23 combined runs in the first two games of the season. Granted, these runs came against the not-too-good Cleveland Indians. You still have to play the games, though, and good teams are supposed to win against those who struggle. The New York Yankees also brought the lumber in their first home series against Detroit, while the Tigers returned the favor in the finale. Even San Francisco popped 10 runs after losing a spectacular pitching duel in game one between Tim Lincecum and Clayton Kershaw.
The runs came in dramatic form as well, in this the first week of 2011 baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies open their season by coming back from 2 runs down in the 9th against the Houston Astros. The Cincinnati Reds also shocked the Milwaukee Brewers by coming back from 3 down, as Ramon Hernandez smacked a 3-run jack to win the game walk-off style. The Brewers, another club that is in a sudden panic mode, haven't won a game yet. The starting pitching hasn't held up, and the bats haven't come alive yet. In another three games, though, things could be complete turned around.
One team that actually has reason to worry is the Tampa Bay Rays. They were swept at home by a much improved Baltimore Orioles team. Getting swept wasn't the worst part, as third-baseman and star player Evan Longoria was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a strained left oblique muscle, and could miss up to three weeks. The already deflated club is missing key members of the 2010 roster, and three weeks without the main cog of the machine is going to hurt the Rays in a profound way. A lot of responsibility will be placed on the shoulders of the young pitching staff to keep opponents' bats silent.
Besides the Orioles starting off well in all aspects of their game, there have been some other pleasant surprises around the league, too. The San Diego Padres took two away from the seemingly superior St. Louis Cardinals. The Cleveland Indians were able to put up a total of 20 runs in three games versus the White Sox. And most surprising and pleasantest of all, the young Pittsburgh Pirates hitters are off to a terrific start, and even showed some chutzpah by coming back to beat the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
In other news around the league, the Philadelphia Phillies' vaulted rotation has been everything it's been promised to be, as have the Atlanta Braves'. Zach Britton had a stellar major league debut by throwing 6 strong innings of 1-run baseball, while striking out six. Matt Garza attained a career-high in Ks with 12, but the Pirates managed their late rally to spoil his evening. And in a feel-good story, Joe Nathan returned to his closer role for the Minnesota Twins to save his first game since 2009. Hey, even my New York Metropolitans had two good games against the Florida Marlins!
So all is right in the world of baseball. The game we love is back in full swing. There has already been some high drama, excellent pitching and a lot of power early on. Mark Teixiera is on pace to hit 162 homeruns for crying out loud! Let's not panic about the record books just yet. Others are wringing their hands as success hasn't come as quickly as they would have liked. It's only been four days, though. This level of concern and admiration goes to show the passion that is involved in this sport and how the fans and those on the field want to win so badly. I'm so glad that baseball is back, and I hope you are too. I mean, you're reading this after all.
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