Baseball season has come again in Boston. For Red Sox Nation, it’s a holiday.
The Red Sox put on a show for the raucous Fenway faithful as they routed the visiting St. Louis Cardinals in a 13-9 slugfest.
Attendance was 36,462 — a sellout crowd.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was in attendance with her 12 week-old daughter, and received recognition from PA announcer Henry Mahegan, who said Wu “reminds us all to pitch in, look out for our neighbors and cheer for the home team so that together, we can build a better future.”
For many Red Sox fans, Opening Day is more than the conclusion of the long winter drought devoid of America’s pastime — it’s an emotional experience that brings people together.
“It’s just great to be part of the atmosphere,” said Red Sox fan William Lutz. “Fenway Park is second to none, and to be part of the history of it and to be here for another great season at Fenway means the world to us.”
For others, Opening Day brings back good memories.
“[Opening Day] reminds me of going to the Red Sox game with my dad,” said Eric Porter, who attended the game. “He was a GE employee, and they had Red Sox day… we got a free baseball, and the whole family got to go.”
Even opposing fans were excited for Opening Day at Fenway.
“Seeing the different stadiums is something that we look forward to,” said Ashlyn Hartman, a visiting fan who flew in from St. Louis to attend all three games in the opening series. “This year, it happened to be Fenway, which we’re really excited about.”
Despite missing the playoffs for the last three seasons, the Red Sox are inaugurating the 2025 season with lofty expectations.
“At the end of last year, the vibes were low,” said Christine Mikiewicz, who was also in attendance. “The Red Sox made a lot of really good moves in the offseason, and so there’s a lot of playoff potential and World Series potential.”
The Red Sox signed star third baseman Alex Bregman and traded for ace starting pitcher Garrett Crochet over the offseason. Their trio of elite prospects in second baseman Kristian Campbell, outfielder Roman Anthony and shortstop Marcelo Mayer are also expected to make an impact in 2025.
Though rooting for a different outcome than those around him, Bostonian and Cardinals fan Matthew Quinn, also expressed his excitement.
“I’m just excited to be in the stadium and finally see a baseball game after a long winter,” Quinn said.
Quinn said being a Cardinals fan in Boston makes him “a villian” when he’s in the stands.
“You get heckled a little bit. It’s all in good faith,” said Quinn.
On the field, the Sox jumped on Cardinal starting pitcher Erick Fedde early. An RBI double by Bregman and back-to-back home runs from shortstop Trevor Story and right fielder Wilyer Abreu put the Sox on top 5-0 in the first inning.
St. Louis catcher Iván Herrera launched a three-run homer in the top of the fourth before second baseman Brendan Donovan added a solo shot in the fifth to cut the Red Sox’ lead to one.
After a two-run fifth for the Sox, Boston broke away from the Cards and into double-digits during a bottom of the seventh, two-out rally with RBIs from center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, left fielder Jarren Duran and designated hitter Rafael Devers.
With relief pitcher Cooper Criswell on the mound, defensive miscues from Bregman and Campbell loaded the bases for the Cardinals with one out.
Criswell was replaced by closer Aroldis Chapman who induced a double play to end the game and send Red Sox fans happy with a home opener win.
The game was an offensive clinic from both sides. While the Cardinals tallied 13 hits, the Red Sox bettered them with 16 while all but one of their starters recorded a base hit.
The Red Sox completed a sweep over the Cardinals after the final two games of the series were played in a double header on Sunday. They continue their homestand with a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
