Nelson Cruz also fisted a solo home run to left before Mike Napoli made Ron Washington feel very good about his decision to start Napoli instead of the regular first baseman, Moreland, on opening day. Napoli's 3 run home run put the Rangers up 5-4, but that lead was soon erased after CJ Wilson left the game in the 6th inning, having given up 4 runs in 5 2/3 innings. The Red Sox tied it up when David Ortiz blasted a homerun off Wacoan reliever, Arthur Rhodes.
The score stayed tied at 5-5 until David Murphy, pinch hitting for error-prone centerfielder, Julio Borbon, hit a rope down the left field line that kicked up chalk and went for a 2 RBI double, putting the Rangers up 7-5. (The omen) Borbon is Ron Washington's guy in centerfield, but after he made 5 errors in center during spring training, people really started to notice the great injustice that is sitting David Murphy on the bench, behind this guy. Murphy can play outfield, he can run, he can throw, he can hit, and he's earned it. Borbon is sort of like the coach's son that gets to play quarterback even though he obviously sucks. Maybe Borbon's got some dirt on Nolan Ryan, and he's blackmailing him for the playing time...
Anyways, as expected, Julio ran into Nelson Cruz in right field on a routine fly ball that was obviously Nelly's the whole way, in the 1st inning of the 2011 opening day. See for yourself:
So, to recap, in very omen-like fashion, Kinsler shows that he still has pop in his bat from the leadoff spot that was conspicuously absent from the middle part of the lineup, where Kinsler hit in 2010, Julio Borbon proves the nay-sayers right when he muffs up the defense with a rookie mistake, and David Murphy shows once and for all the he's the deserved starter by getting a clutch, 2 RBI hit in Julio Borbon's spot in the lineup late in the game.
What more could you ask from Opening Day? With the Stars failing to make the playoffs for the 3rd straight season, opening day came just in the nick of time.
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