The Adam Jones Show: Best Developments From Red Sox Opening Day Win
BOSTON (CBS) - It's only one game, but the 2015 Boston Red Sox are already displaying some positive signs.
Boston thumped the Phillies in Philadelphia on Monday to the tune of 8-0, which included two home runs each from Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez, plus a solo shot from Mookie Betts. Clay Buchholz also pitched seven shutout innings in a Red Sox effort you couldn't draw up any better for game No. 1.
PHOTOS: Red Sox Opening Day 2015
98.5 The Sports Hub's Adam Jones and Rich Keefe are known to be positive, sunny, glass-half-full type of people, so on Monday night they began their show discussing all the positive developments from Opening Day, of which there were a lot.
"For one day anyway, the Red Sox certainly looked like a team that could win the division. It's just one day and you don't want to overreact to it, but what's the best development you saw today?" Jones asked.
"For me it was Dustin Pedroia," Rich Keefe answered definitively. "I thought he was a little bit of a question mark going into the season. I didn't skew as far as some and said this guy was done, but I also wasn't as positive as others were. We heard his power was back [in Spring Training] and I wanted to wait and see. Again, this is only one game, but he looked great [at the plate] and he's always been good in the field."
READ: Boston Bats Turn Spring Storylines Into Realities With Emphatic Opening Day Victory
Keefe notes Dustin Pedroia's declining power over the last four seasons, with home run totals of 21 in 2011, 15 in 2012, 9 in 2013 and 7 in 2014. So to get two home runs from Pedroia right off the bat, on Opening Day no less, is definitely a good sign for the Red Sox.
"Tremendous to see. If you can pencil [Pedroia] in to the two-hole all season long, this team is going to be a force. There's a lot of guys in the lineup that can knock in runs and drive him in. He's a huge part of it, and he was tremendous today," said Keefe. "He doesn't need to get 30 home runs, but if he can get to 20 or the high teens, then you're really cooking with gas."
There's no shortage of positive developments to choose from in what was an impressive performance at Citizens Bank Park, but Adam Jones went with the starting pitcher.
The de facto ace pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out nine.
"[Clay Buchholz] came out and did one hundred percent of what you needed him to do. Most of the time I would sit here and say it's only one start, and who cares, but can't we say with some certainty that Clay Buchholz, as much of a mental case as he is, the Opening Day start is going to be bigger for him than most pitchers?" said Jones.
"I genuinely feel that if Buchholz came out and gave up what Cole Hamels did -- four or five runs in five innings -- if that was his first start getting knocked all over the yard, I would be a bit more nervous for Buchholz. That's what you wanted to see from him today, to get started on the right foot."
What made you feel good about watching the Red Sox on Opening Day?
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Later on in the show, Adam Jones welcomed Jessica Moran of Comcast SportsNet New England live from Philadelphia to discuss the win, as well as Rick Porcello's contract extension and more.
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