Well, folks, that special time of the year has finally arrived. And let’s just say, it was one heck of a day to be a Chicago White Sox fan. With players, coaches, and a large portion of the fan base entering the 2018 season full of optimism and excitement, seeing Ricky’s Boys back on the field was a sight for sore eyes. Of course, I can’t forget to mention how nice it was to tune in to Jason Benetti, Steve Stone, and Chuck Garfien for a great broadcast.
As the game got underway, things seemed to unfold in one of the worst possible ways imaginable. The Royals quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead with no outs in the bottom of the first inning. Fans across White Sox Twitter took no time to display their frustration in what appeared to be an early Opening Day blowout. However, there’s a little phrase everyone must remember throughout the entirety of this season and it goes a little something like this: “Ricky’s Boys Don’t Quit.”
The White Sox put this into action in the top of the fourth inning when the offense absolutely dismantled Danny Duffy. Avisail Garcia lead off the charge with a double down the line, only to be followed by back-to-back home runs from Jose Abreu and Matt Davidson. After a pair of hard hit line outs from Nicky Delmonico and Welington Castillo, Tim Anderson decided to continue the home run derby with one of his own. Just like that, the White Sox were all tied up at four a piece. Yoan Moncada added to the offensive onslaught with an RBI double, his first hit of the season, to make it 5-4 White Sox before the fourth inning came to an end.
Don’t blink. pic.twitter.com/svgaci1yhN
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 29, 2018
Things only spiraled out of control from there for the Royals as Matt Davidson and Tim Anderson decided to pour it on in the next inning. Both hit their second home run of the game as part of a three run fifth. Matt Davidson then added insult to injury in the eighth with his historic third bomb of the afternoon, making him just the fourth Major League player to hit three homers in a season opener.
It’s an #OpeningDay Matt-trick! pic.twitter.com/eVmsjro02a
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 30, 2018
It’s also worth noting that after his rough first inning, Jame Shields turned things around for the remainder of his start. He was able to retire 15 of the last 18 hitters he faced, surrendering no hits or runs during that period. Of course things could have gone better for James Shields to start. However, he did exactly what the White Sox wanted of him and that was to deliver several quality innings before turning things over to the bullpen. At the end of a day, he earned the win and that’s all that matters.
W: James Shields (1-0), L: Danny Duffy (0-1)
Sox On 35th Player of the Game: Matt Davidson (3-4: 3 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, BB)
Next Game: The White Sox will be back in action on Saturday as Lucas Giolito gets the nod. He will go up against veteran righty Ian Kennedy in his 2018 season debut. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15 PM CST. The game can be seen on WGN TV and heard on WGN Radio 720 AM.
