Fenway Park opens its doors for a 105th season of baseball on Monday afternoon, as the Red Sox host the Orioles for the start of a three-game series between American League East rivals.
The 2:05 p.m. ET home opener is always a day filled with electricity in baseball-crazed Boston. Fans will be treated to David Price making his home debut for the Red Sox. He will be opposed by Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who is in his first season in Baltimore.
Pregame ceremonies, which are expected to start at approximately 1:30, will have the usual pageantry. With Hanscom Air Force Base presenting the colors, the national anthem will be performed and punctuated by a fly-over of two F-16 fighter jets from the 158th Fighter Squadron from Burlington, Vermont's Air National Guard ("The Green Mountain Boys").
This will be the first of 18 games between the Red Sox and Orioles this season. For the Red Sox, it is the end of a long road trip that started in Fort Myers, Fla., then continued on to Montreal for two exhibition games and a week-long journey through Cleveland and Toronto to open the season.
"It will be a great day," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "It always is. We'll certainly feel the energy of getting off the road and getting in front of our fans at Fenway. I think guys are just looking forward to getting a little bit settled, too."
The gates will open two hours before the first pitch, a half hour earlier than usual. Fans are encouraged to take public transportation.
Things to know about this game
• This will be the first home game for Farrell since Aug. 2 of last season. The manager announced 12 days later that he had non-hodgkins lymphoma and missed the rest of the 2015 season.
"I think the last time I spoke to you guys upstairs [at Fenway] last year was not a fun message," said Farrell. "But I think the best thing is that the conversations we have now, it's about what's going on between the lines. I haven't forgotten what I've gone through but to have the focus on our players and on the game, that's rewarding."
• Orioles Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard completed a good first homestand in the Major Leagues with one more good game. He came up with a key sacrifice fly in the four-run second inning. The outfielder now is hitting .444 in his first five Major League games, going 8-for-18 with one double, a homer, two runs and three RBIs.
• Gallardo and Price both had solid debuts for their new teams. Gallardo allowed two hits and a run over five innings in a win against the Twins. Pitching in chilly Cleveland, Price also earned a victory, striking out 10 and allowing two runs over six innings. In three career starts at Fenway, Gallardo is 1-2 with a 5.52 ERA. While this is Price's first time pitching at Fenway for the home team, he has been magnificent as a visitor, allowing two earned runs or less in 10 of his 11 regular-season starts.
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