Recap - Long balls help Buch, Sox past Phillies on Opening Day

Jim Monaghan
Contributing Writer

Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez each hit two home runs, Mookie Betts added another and Clay Buchholz tossed seven very strong innings as the Boston Red Sox topped the Phillies 8-0 on Opening Day at Citizen's Bank Park.

Photo courtesy Boston.com
Pedroia (pictured) put the Sox on the board in the top of the first inning with a solo home run off Phillies starter Cole Hamels who was rumored to be the subject of much trade talk between the Sox and Philadelphia this past off-season.

Betts went deep off Hamels in the third followed by a pair of fifth-inning solo shots by Pedroia and Ramirez.

Ramirez completed Boston's scoring with a bases-loaded blast off Philadelphia reliever Jake Diekman in the top of the ninth inning to put the game away.

Buchholz was outstanding allowing one hit in the fourth after two were out and not allowing another hit until the bottom of the seventh inning. He was economical, throwing 65 of his 94 pitches for strikes. He struck out nine and allowed just three hits and one walk, showing strong command of all his pitches throughout the afternoon.

Junichi Tazawa pitched the eighth for the Red Sox followed by Tommy Layne in the ninth.

Following an off day on Tuesday, the Red Sox will play the Phillies again on Wednesday night.

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