BOSTON (WHDH) - The stands at Fenway Park may be empty Friday night but the Red Sox will be there hosting their first opponent of the shortened season when the Baltimore Orioles come to town.
The team and fans have been waiting for this day since spring training was cut short in March due to the coronavirus emergency.
This marks the fifth time in the last 25 years that the Sox have opened at home.
Barring any setbacks, the team will play 60 games this season — well short of the franchise record for fewest games played in a season which was 108 back in 1981.
Nathan Eovaldi will be on the mound in his first-ever opening day start.
The Sox righty knows a good start to the season will be vital, in this year’s shortened 60-game sprint.
“I feel like the team that’s gonna be able to start out the hottest and stay hot is gonna make it into the playoffs,” he said, “You know it’s, you know they say it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish but in this scenario, I feel like that you gotta start out hot and you gotta, you know, ride that wave and keep going.”
Team President Sam Kennedy said he is just happy the Red Sox and the rest of Major League Baseball, are finally playing games that count.
“We’re really pleased that we’re, we’re in a position to hopefully get in the full 60 games and, and postseason, for our fans, for our organization, for the city of Boston,” Kennedy said.
He also credited the team’s diligence on and off the field for making this season possible.
“This is a very, very committed group and they recognize that the team who’s raising that world series trophy at the end of the year is gonna be the team that obviously played very well on the field, but obviously followed the health and safety guidelines that have been put together by the players association,” Kennedy said.
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