Inside Baseball: Ramirez, Pedroia Highlight Positives In Red Sox Opening Day Win
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston bats came alive as the Red Sox began their 2015 campaign with a convincing 8-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.
Boston clubbed five home runs in the game -- two each off the bats of Hanley Ramirez and Dustin Pedroia and one from Mookie Betts -- and got seven shutout innings from starter Clay Buchholz. WBZ-TV's Dan Roche and 98.5 The Sports Hub's Tony Massarotti broke down the season opening win on Monday night's "Inside Baseball" on the WBZ-TV News at 10 on myTV38.
While Rochie was impressed with Buchholz's outing, Mazz isn't as sold just yet based on the pitcher's long history of injuries and mid-season struggles.
"Seven scoreless and nine strikeouts set the tone for himself and the pitching staff," Roche said of Buchholz. "He said afterwards that everything he had done through Spring Training carried over. Talking to catcher Ryan Hanigan, they mixed it up with four pitches. His curveball and changeup were really good. If he can carry those from start to start, he has ace stuff."
READ: Boston Bats Turn Spring Storylines Into Realities With Emphatic Opening Day Victory
"Honestly, that Philly lineup stinks. It was nice that he dominated and I thought there was good movement [on his pitches], but for me, it's hard to project what he is going to be from this," said Mazz. "It looked good, but I need to see it from him for the long haul to be totally convinced."
For Mazz, it was Ramirez who stood out the most in Monday's victory.
"I think he's a game-changer in the middle of the lineup, a Triple Crown threat," said Mazz. "He can hit all different pitches and is a guy who can change this lineup."
Both agree that Mookie Betts will likely live up to the hype he carried through Spring Training.
"Cole Hamels threw him a fastball in, which was not a bad pitch, and a lot of major league hitters would get tied up. Betts is able to get to that because his hand speed and bat speed is so good," said Mazz. "They're not all going to be homers, but that kind of hit from that kind of player on that kind of pitch is a great, great sign. This kid is the real thing."
PHOTOS: Red Sox Opening Day 2015
"This kid is very mature for a 22-year-old," added Rochie. "We don't see this come around too often, and it leads to believe that yes, he can have success: The athleticism, and his mindset too. Nothing seems to faze this kid."
Watch the video above as Rochie and Mazz also discuss Dustin Pedroia's return to form!Catch "Inside Baseball" every Monday night during the baseball season on the WBZ-TV News at 10 on myTV38.
