Top 3 Things That Mattered From Red Sox's Opening Day Triumph

For the first time in nearly six months, the Boston Red Sox won a baseball game that counted.

Though not everything about it was pretty, the Red Sox took a 3-0 decision against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday at Great American Ball Park, and they left us all of Friday to overreact to one game out of 162, since the schedule-makers gave them an off-day.

Why not take the perfect opportunity to put some takeaways out there, even if they all look outdated by the time the Sox have played five more games by the middle of next week? Here were the things that seemed most relevant to note after that 3-0 win.

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Garrett Crochet: still an ace

A squeamish baseball fan might have worried somewhat about Crochet's lack of swings and misses during spring training. He wasn't even his sharpest self on Thursday, but he had no problem racking up eight strikeouts and getting through six shutout innings on only 80 pitches.

Crochet escaping the bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning felt like the Red Sox's first run of the game, and it was a surefire sign that for six more months, we'll still see the same superstar that anchored the rotation last year.

Marcelo Mayer is a lineup X-factor

There are going to be days when the Red Sox find some thump. Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Willson Contreras, and others will hit home runs. But on a day like Thursday, when scoring was at a premium, it was huge to have Marcelo Mayer to call upon off the bench.

Mayer staying healthy and producing on offense, at least against right-handed pitchers, is a much bigger key to this season than some might realize. The Red Sox told us as much by taking him off the table in Ketel Marte trade talks with the Arizona Diamondbacks over the winter.

Red Sox offense will need to be clutch

Mar 26, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Roman Anthony (19) scores on a RBI single hit by designated hitter Jarren Duran (not pictured) in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

What we saw throughout most of Thursday's game will be true of the Red Sox's offense all season: Without many surefire home run threats, they'll need to be efficient with runners in scoring position.

Things weren't off to a great start in that regard, as Boston went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position in the first six innings. But Ceddanne Rafaela, Trevor Story, and Jarren Duran all came up huge in the last third of the ballgame, and the whole lineup will need to step up in those situations all season.