RED SOX HIGHLIGHTS- Red Sox vs. Padres - Willson Contreras Homers in Fenway Park Opener

And the sun is out over Fenway Park. Let's take that as a good omen as the Red Sox begin the home schedule for 2026. Dave O'Brien alongside sweet Lou Maloney and also Jamiah Webster. The flag is out. It has been unfurled. We've had the very first ceremony of the season and we are set for baseball in the home opener. Great to have you with us everybody. Thanks for tuning in today. Red Sox up to 1 and 5 start. But the weather maybe this is a good sign with the sun coming out today. Yeah the road trip didn't wasn't too kind since opening day. You know you look at some of the numbers a little bit scary. You know offensively they really didn't get much done. There was a ton of strikeouts. You're talking about pitching with the starting pitching was supposed to be that strength. That wasn't really there too much either. So hopefully you get back to Fenway Park and get this thing rolling. Red Sox were a very good home team last year for the first time in several seasons. They won 48 home games. There was a lot of electricity in the ballpark particularly in the second half when they were making a postseason run. Red Sox walked off opponents 12 times last year at Fenway. Well sometimes this ballpark can really help you. You know especially offensively in the team that's desperately needed to see a little bit of run score here. You see where they ranked last year. The extra base hits is the big one because you haven't really seen much of that early on. Second in the league in extra base hits. Fourth in the league in average. So yeah you come back to Fenway Park. You see that green monster. Maybe it keeps guys maybe the lefties in on the ball a little bit more. Take advantage of it. You got to put some runs up. Buy a Toyota.com. Sonny Gray last year with the Cardinals. You see it 14 and 8. Struck 201 hitters out on the year. But better as the day wore on. A little chopper to story. Two hopper and one fast out. Sonny by the way never lost to San Diego. San Diego without a home run. Swing immediately and skies a pop up at third. It's Durbin with room. Makes the catch and foul ground. Sonny gets the first two. A little tapper. First baseman will take that on to Gray and that's an eight pitch inning. That's a great way to start for Sonny Gray and the Red Sox are coming up at Fenway to swing for the first time in 2026. 59 games. Wraps that to third. Durbin with the stop. Does he need a hit? Not the only one but he doesn't have one yet. He has an idea of exactly what he wants. Shot toward the alley. Long run Duran. There's too much speed out there between those two. Two down after five. Yes game over. It's for Sonny Gray. They go in order. The major league leaders 3-2 and struck him out. He is challenging this. Had to tap the helmet. It's a pretty confident challenge. He's really good in spring training. I mentioned Siegel. He's been challenged 11 times now. They want it. He won six out of seven in the spring. Sheets 176. No home runs. We'll pop it into left. Racing out Durbin and Story. Story sliding. Can't get to it. Then Sheets is going to be on with a base hit. Right down in Houston. Alex Kors said that before the game. He's talking to TC. Swing and a miss with the runner going. That's a strikeout. Not in time on the second. As Corona with fans. First strikeout for Gray. Game starting around 2-20 today after the opening ceremonies. And a 1-2. Shot toward left. Laureano back's going to play it. Went for the ball. It went by him and into second base. Marcello has himself a double. What a nice way to snap it over 12. And the leadoff man at second. There you have it. Hit that ball the other way. Welcome to Fenway Park. You look out there. You see it. He's facing a sinker ball. A good changeup. The only way really to attack him is to do exactly this. Right? Barrel it. Stay on it. Use that green monster. Luckily Laureano does not play this ball off the wall at all. He could have kept this thing to a single. But it's off the bare hand. That makes it for an easy double. Today 12-0-2. Lunging. Little flare out to left center. Is he going to set it out? Here comes the run. The throw home will not get him. And down to second goes Sadon Raffaella. Red Sox lead it 1-0. This is a great read by Marcello at second base. A little soft line. Where everything changed. That right around that area. We said the other day during this tough stretch to watch. Another 40 and 43. June 25th. Right? Yeah. That's more than halfway through the season. You're three games under. Only got 75 more games before we get to the midway point. Only 75. 0-2. Wailing away. Down he goes on strikes. Red Sox will settle for the 1. 1-0 Boston. Looking for his third 1-2-3 inning in the first four. Swing and a miss. Struck him out. He gets it for the K of Manny Machado. That time of day. Although we are grateful for the sunshine. Wrapped in by the diving sheets by Duran. And ricochets off the side fence. He's going to hustle on to second with a lead off double. Second one for the Red Sox today. Try to pick up an RBI which would be his second. That one by him at 95. He strikes out. So one out before thinning in front of William. We saw that out in Houston a couple of times. Just be quick to the ball. Two strikes on him here. And he went fishing. That was outside the zone. With an off speed pitch to strike him out. Can he pick up a RBI right here? Two down. Pace it up the middle. There's the first one. Here comes Duran rounding. He will score. Back to first base goes Durban. He comes through for the first time. And the Red Sox lead it 2-0. You know the worst part too when you start off the year 0 for 19. You find yourself up with guys in scoring position a lot. He was 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position for that at bat. He finally comes up. Gets a big knock. I mean that has to feel good. I mean the last seven days. I would really say the last four days got to be really hard on him. He's having a really good year for them. 290 at 15 homers. That one ate him up. That sweeper. Swing and a miss to strike him out. One down. What does that mean? The third. Fly to center field into the sunshine for Seidon. Oh he misplays it. Had to race back for it into second base. Taking a big turn on his way into third. The throw will not be in time. Talked about it after the game. He said he really can't tell you why. Runner goes. Driven deep into left center field. Back toward the wall. Catch some green. Back to Seidon. Here comes the run. Sheets around. He is going to score. Caposado with a double. And this game is suddenly tied 2-2. Their third hit the inning. Going after the first one. Tapped a story on the charge. He gloves. And gets it. That retires the side. That's his. He earned it. All the way to Cooperstown. 3-2. Crowd ball. Base hit. Roman Anthony aboard. With one out in the Red Sox fifth. Up the middle. Oh great play by Cronin. Was trying to get to the bag. Did in time. And throws on to first for a double play. Kind of a ridiculous double play. Jake Cronenworth with a sprawling stab. And makes this two. Yeah I thought he was going to just flip this ball to bogey. Instead quick feet. Starts throwing motion as he's tagging against Trevor. Getting down the line. Be lying around. So it's got your name all over it. You like that thing. Swing and a high fly ball. Left center. That's way up there. That is way up there. It is way out of here. Wilson Contreras. Yes indeed. His first home run in a Red Sox uniform. He hit it. 4-23. That is a thing of beauty in a home opener. Red Sox lead at 3-2. And that home run presented by your New England area Audi dealers. Well I said he's got some back speed. When he gets going to get hit a long way. You mentioned it. 4-23. And then the style too. After smoking it he knew it. Moving forward from here. On two pitch. And bam. On a big swing. The four seamer strikes him out. Two gone. The lefty. The veteran. Brought on to face Marcelo Meyer with two down. He swings. Hits a high fly. Well struck to right. Tatis back in the bullpen. Leaping hit and it's gone. It's a home run. The Red Sox with their second big fly of the inning. Marcelo tags one to the pen. He did not wait around against the lefty. And he crushed it. A two run shot. And the Red Sox with some home cooking. And taking a 5-2 lead. That may get him a few A.B.s off a lefty huh? Yeah I love this because you know Wandy's a guy that's tough on righties. Tough on lefties because of the changeup. Changeup sweeper pretty good. Wide weight around. He's coming in to face it. Don't let him sneak this little piece of cheese by you. He sat fastball and drove it. Beautiful swing. Red Sox up 5-2. That one in the center field. Dropping down for a base hit by Narvaez. Red Sox with their fourth hit in the inning. Runner at first and Narvaez. Cutting a miss by Sadon Rafaela. That's the end of the inning. The Red Sox blow up for three. Hit the Myers. Brodenworth with a pop to left. Which will make him 0-3. Made a great defensive play on the double play earlier today. Looking for the K. And gets it. Overpowered him with a fastball. And two down. And the 0-1. Little trickler. Durbin will charge and fire. Nice play. Got him at first. A couple of good ones over there today. That's a nine pitch inning for Slayton. Just heard one for Rollins Chapman as well. On for the save. Eager for that first out on a K. The 3-2. And popped him up. Marcello out. A Bray racing it. He wants to take it. He runs it down. One away in the ninth. Xander Bogart's now one for 16. A little 96. Just elite extension. Seven feet three inches. By the reaction of the hitters by him. In there. Strike three. 97. Two down. With a strikeout. And he'll take strike one. 98. He's moving up the ladder. The previous pitch was called a strike. The batter is challenging. Challenge here by Machado. That went over really well. That was a ball. The pitch was a ball. San Diego saw two challenges remain. ABS powered by T-Mobile. Chapman trying to seal it on opening day at Fenway. High fly ball into right field. That should do it. A Bray getting under it. And the Red Sox win it. 5-2. That's the end of the five game losing skid. Getting back to Boston. And Aroldis Chapman now moving one slot above the great Jonathan Papelbon on the all-time saves list. Today was a whole lot of fun. He has a big start too for Sonny Gray. Coming in here getting the home opener. Putting up some zeros. Threw the ball real well. Six ins. Probably better than the two runs. He gets that first W. Bullpen with lights out in the offense. Nice to see exploding there in the sixth with a couple of long balls.