Red Sox home opener to feature Xander Bogaerts’ return, 1986 reunion with Wade Boggs, others
· Yahoo Sports
BOSTON — The 1-5 Red Sox won’t open their home schedule with momentum on their side, but there will still be plenty of pomp and circumstance — as well as a homecoming for a beloved former shortstop — on Friday afternoon at Fenway.
As usual, the Red Sox will honor a notable team from their past, with pregame ceremonies serving to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1986 team that won the pennant. Ahead of first pitch at 2:10 p.m. ET, fans are urged to be in their seats by 1:30 p.m. as the Red Sox welcome back approximately 25 members of the 1986 team. According to the team, that group includes Tony Armas, Marty Barrett, Wade Boggs, Oil Can Boyd, Mike Brown, Steve Crawford, Pat Dodson, Dwight Evans, Rich Gedman, Bruce Hurst, Rene Lachemann, Tim Lollar, Spike Owen, Jim Rice, Ed Romero, Joe Sambito, Dave Sax, Calvin Schiraldi, Jeff Sellers, Bob Stanley, Mike Stenhouse, Marc Sullivan, Mike Trujillo and Rob Woodward.
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Gates will open two hours before first pitch at 12:10 p.m. and the national anthem will be performed by Boston native and Broadway actor Nik Walker. Once the action starts, it’ll be newcomer Sonny Gray on the mound for the Red Sox opposite Rhode Island native (and Boston College alum) Michael King, who will start for the Padres. For the first time, Xander Bogaerts will take the Fenway field as a visitor.
Bogaerts, who departed the Red Sox for San Diego after the 2022 season, was on the injured list in 2023, when San Diego visited Boston for a three-game series in late June. The series will also feature the returns of ex-Red Sox pitchers Nick Pivetta, Walker Buehler and Kyle Hart as well as former NESN play-by-play man Don Orsillo, who will be in the booth for the Padres.
The Red Sox will host San Diego for three games before welcoming in the Brewers for a three-game set. They’re off next Thursday before their second road trip of the season, to St. Louis and Minnesota.
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