Red Sox manager Alex Cora picks up the first Opening Day win of his career

BOSTON -- For the first time in his managerial career, Alex Cora is 1-0. Thursday night's 6-4 win by the Red Sox over the Mariners was Cora's first-ever Opening Day victory.

The Boston skipper had been 0-5 in his previous five Opening Days as Red Sox manager. 

Cora can thank the right arm of Brayan Bello -- who tossed five innings of two-run ball in his first-ever Opening Day start -- and the bats of Rafael Devers and Tyler O'Neill for Thursday night's victory. Though Cora can take a victory lap himself for having O'Neill in the lineup.

The right-handed hitting O'Neill won't always play against right-handed pitchers. But with O'Neill homering on his last four Opening Day games, Cora had to have the new Sox outfielder in the lineup against Seattle righty Luis Castillo.

"I've got a five-game losing streak on Opening Day and he has a four-game home run streak on Opening Day, so analytics," Cora joked before the game, adding after the win that he liked O'Neill in the lineup to split up Boston's lefties.

The nerds won out, as O'Neill went 1-for-3, scored a pair of runs, and homered for a fifth straight Opening Day to set a new MLB record. His eighth-inning solo shot gave Boston a little extra breathing room, extending the team's lead to 6-4.

Devers got the party started for the Red Sox in the top of the third, launching a two-run blast off Castillo. The third baseman was 2-for-5 on the night.

Thursday night was Boston's first Opening Day win since 2020, when Ron Roenicke was in the dugout in place of a suspended/relieved Cora. Of course, Cora returned in 2021 after the team's 24-36 COVID-shortened season.

There is still a long way to go for the Red Sox and expectations remain low overall, but it must feel really good for Alex Cora to be sitting at 1-0 for the first time in his career as a manager.