BOSTON — Who’s ready for some baseball?
After nearly five long months, the Red Sox again will play a meaningful baseball game Monday at Fenway Park, taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day of their 2017 regular season.
Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello will be on the bump for Boston making the first Opening Day start of his career. Porcello notched a Major League Baseball-leading 22 wins last season and will look to continue that success into 2017. Sandy Leon will bat ninth and do the catching for the right-hander.
Newcomer Mitch Moreland gets the start at first base and will bat fifth, behind designated hitter Hanley Ramirez but ahead of shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who batted third for most of 2016.
Andrew Benintendi begins his first full MLB season as the Red Sox’s No. 2 hitter, while Pablo Sandoval will make his much-awaited 2017 debut at third base batting eighth.
That lineup will face Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole, who also is making his first career Opening Day start.
Here are your lineups for Red Sox vs. Pirates:
RED SOX
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Andrew Benintendi, LF
Mookie Betts, RF
Hanley Ramirez, DH
Mitch Moreland, 1B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Pablo Sandoval, 3B
Sandy Leon, C
Rick Porcello, RHP (2016 stats: 22-4, 3.15 ERA)
PIRATES
Adam Frazier, LF
Starling Marte, CF
Andrew McCutchen, RF
Gregory Polanco, DH
David Freese, 3B
Francisco Cervelli, C
Josh Bell, 1B
Josh Harrison, 2B
Jordy Mercer, SS
Gerrit Cole, RHP (2016 stats: 7-10, 3.88 ERA)
Click for a Red Sox Opening Day primer >>
Thumbnail photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images
