By Mark Paulette,
On the surface, a 3-2 win in game no. 3 of the season at Tropicana Field doesn’t exactly scream ‘historic.’ But for Xander Bogaerts, that’s exactly what the game was.
After ripping his first home run of the season in the second inning, Bogey slashed a double down the left field line to become the first player in Red Sox history to record multiple extra-base hits in the first three games of a season.
On the mound, Rick Porcello appeared to be the Cy Young Ricky of 2016, rather than the 17-loss guy that we saw last year. Porcello blanked the Rays for 5-innings, before laboring and eventually making way to the ‘pen in the sixth.
Tampa’s pitcher-by-committee strategy wasn’t nearly the failure many expected it to be, and despite the team’s inability to manufacture runs, the Rays once again show signs of being a pesky opponent for teams in the AL East.
Side Note: Rick Porcello went 11-0 last season when the Red Sox supplied him with three runs or more of support. He’s now 1-0 in that category in 2018.
