List of Boston Red Sox Opening Day starting pitchers

The Boston Red Sox are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Boston, Massachusetts. They have played in the American League since it was founded in , and the American League East since divisions were introduced in . The first game of each baseball season for a team is known as Opening Day, for which being named the starting pitcher is an honor. That honor is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, although there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day.

Records Including the team's first game, the team has had 126 Opening Days. In those Opening Day games: The team has used 67 different starting pitchers. Roger Clemens holds the team record for most starts with eight. Other pitchers with four or more starts are Pedro Martínez (7), Cy Young (6), Dennis Eckersley (5), Jon Lester (4), Bill Monbouquette (4), and Mel Parnell (4). The team has a win–loss record of 62–63–1, which is a winning percentage of . The one tie occurred in ; playing against the New York Highlanders at Hilltop Park in New York City, the game was declared a tie after 14 innings on account of darkness. The first MLB night game did not occur until . Starting pitchers have compiled a win–loss record of 50–45, with 31 no decisions. The most wins is three, by Roger Clemens, Wes Ferrell, Pedro Martínez, Babe Ruth, and Cy Young. The most losses is three, by Howard Ehmke and Cy Young. The most no decisions is three, by Clemens and Martínez.

Results by decade

Decade TeamW–L–T Pitchers'W–L (ND) New starters 1900s 4–5 4–5 4 (Kellum, Young, Winter, Arellanes) 1910s 5–4–1 5–4 (1) 6 (Cicotte, Wood, Collins, Shore, Ruth, Mays) 1920s 3–7 3–6 (1) 8 (Russell, Jones, Quinn, Ehmke, Ferguson, Harriss, Harriss, Ruffing) 1930s 5–5 4–4 (2) 6 (Moore, Andrews, Rhodes, Ferrell, Bagby, Grove) 1940s 6–4 4–4 (2) 6 (Wilson, Newsome, Hughson, Terry, Cecil, Dobson) 1950s 5–5 4–4 (2) 4 (Parnell, Wight, Sullivan, Brewer) 1960s 5–5 3–4 (3) 6 (Sturdivant, Monbouquette, Schwall, Wilson, Lonborg, Ellsworth) 1970s 6–4 5–2 (3) 7 (Peters, Culp, Pattin, Tiant, Jenkins, Torrez, Eckersley) 1980s 2–8 2–3 (5) 4 (Hurst, Boyd, Stanley, Clemens) 1990s 8–2 6–2 (2) 3 (Sele, Gordon, Martinez) 2000s 4–6 3–3 (4) 4 (Wells, Schilling, Matsuzaka, Beckett) 2010s 5–5 4–2 (4) 5 (Lester, Buchholz, Price, Porcello, Sale) 2020s 5–3 3–2 (3) 4 (Eovaldi, Kluber, Bello, Crochet) TOTALS 62–63–1 50–45 (31) 67 1900s spans nine seasons, as 1901 was the team's first season. Number of pitchers making their first Opening Day start for the Red Sox franchise, along with their surnames. Pitchers' full names appear in the below List.

Pitchers

Key SeasonEach year is linked to an article about that particular Red Sox season.WWinLLossTTieND (X)No decision by starting pitcher; (X) indicates game outcome for Red SoxPitcher Number of Opening Day starts for the Red Sox, if more than one*Team advanced to the post-season**American League (AL) Champions***World Series Champions

List

SeasonPitcherW/LOpponentLocationRef(s)1901LBaltimore OriolesOriole Park1902WBaltimore OriolesHuntington Avenue Grounds1903***WPhiladelphia AthleticsHuntington Avenue Grounds1904** LNew York HighlandersHilltop Park1905 LPhiladelphia AthleticsColumbia Park1906 LNew York HighlandersHilltop Park1907 WPhiladelphia AthleticsColumbia Park1908 WWashington SenatorsHuntington Avenue Grounds1909LPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park1910ND (T)New York HighlandersHilltop Park1911LWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium1912*** WNew York HighlandersHilltop Park1913 LPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Philadelphia Athletics 10, Boston Red Sox 91914LWashington SenatorsFenway Park1915***LPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park1916***WPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 2, Philadelphia Athletics 11917 WNew York YankeesPolo Grounds1918*** WPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 7, Philadelphia Athletics 11919WNew York YankeesPolo Grounds1920WWashington SenatorsFenway Park1921WWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium1922LPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway Park1923LNew York YankeesYankee Stadium1924 LNew York YankeesFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: New York Yankees 2, Boston Red Sox 11925ND (L)Philadelphia AthleticsFenway Park1926 LNew York YankeesFenway Park1927LWashington SenatorsGriffith StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: Washington Senators 6, Boston Red Sox 21928WWashington SenatorsGriffith StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 7, Washington Senators 51929LNew York YankeesYankee StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: New York Yankees 7, Boston Red Sox 31930 ND (W)Washington SenatorsGriffith Stadium1931LNew York YankeesYankee StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: New York Yankees 6, Boston Red Sox 31932 LWashington SenatorsGriffith StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: Washington Senators 1, Boston Red Sox 01933LNew York YankeesYankee Stadium1934ND (L)Washington SenatorsFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Washington Senators 6, Boston Red Sox 51935WNew York YankeesYankee StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 1, New York Yankees 01936 WPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway Park1937 WPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park1938WNew York YankeesFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 8, New York Yankees 41939LNew York YankeesYankee Stadium1940 WWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium1941ND (W)Washington SenatorsFenway Park1942WPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 8, Philadelphia Athletics 31943WPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 1, Philadelphia Athletics 01944LNew York YankeesFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: New York Yankees 3, Boston Red Sox 01945LNew York YankeesYankee Stadium1946** WWashington SenatorsGriffith Park1947 ND (W)Washington SenatorsFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 7, Washington Senators 61948LPhiladelphia AthleticsFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Philadelphia Athletics 5, Boston Red Sox 4 (1)1949 LPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park1950ND (L)New York YankeesFenway Park1951LNew York YankeesYankee StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: New York Yankees 5, Boston Red Sox 01952 WWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium1953 ND (W)Philadelphia AthleticsShibe Park1954 LPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Philadelphia Athletics 6, Boston Red Sox 41955WPhiladelphia AthleticsShibe Park1956 WBaltimore OriolesFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 8, Baltimore Orioles 11957WBaltimore OriolesMemorial StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 4, Baltimore Orioles 21958 LWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium1959 LNew York YankeesYankee StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: New York Yankees 3, Boston Red Sox 21960LWashington SenatorsGriffith Stadium1961LKansas City AthleticsFenway Park1962LCleveland IndiansFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Cleveland Indians 4, Boston Red Sox 01963 LLos Angeles AngelsChavez RavineRetrosheet Boxscore: Los Angeles Angels 4, Boston Red Sox 11964 ND (W)New York YankeesYankee Stadium1965 WWashington SenatorsRobert F. Kennedy Memorial StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 7, Washington Senators 21966ND (L)Baltimore OriolesFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Baltimore Orioles 5, Boston Red Sox 41967**WChicago White SoxFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 5, Chicago White Sox 41968WDetroit TigersTiger StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 7, Detroit Tigers 31969 ND (W)Baltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium1970WNew York YankeesYankee Stadium1971WNew York YankeesFenway Park1972LDetroit TigersTiger Stadium1973WNew York YankeesFenway Park1974 ND (W)Milwaukee BrewersCounty Stadium1975** WMilwaukee BrewersFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 5, Milwaukee Brewers 21976LBaltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium1977 ND (L)Cleveland IndiansFenway Park1978ND (L)Chicago White SoxComiskey Park1979WCleveland IndiansFenway Park1980 ND (L)Milwaukee BrewersCounty Stadium1981 ND (L)Chicago White SoxFenway Park1982 WBaltimore OriolesMemorial StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 2, Baltimore Orioles 0 (1)1983 LToronto Blue JaysFenway Park1984LCalifornia AngelsAngel Stadium of Anaheim1985WNew York YankeesFenway Park1986** ND (L)Detroit TigersTiger Stadium1987LMilwaukee BrewersCounty Stadium1988*ND (L)Detroit TigersFenway Park1989 ND (L)Baltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium1990* WDetroit TigersFenway Park1991 WToronto Blue JaysSkyDome1992 LNew York YankeesYankee Stadium1993 WKansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium1994 ND (W)Detroit TigersFenway Park1995*WMinnesota TwinsFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 9, Minnesota Twins 01996 LTexas RangersRangers Ballpark in Arlington1997ND (W)Anaheim AngelsAngel Stadium of AnaheimRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 6, Anaheim Angels 51998*WOakland AthleticsNetwork Associates Coliseum1999* WKansas City RoyalsKauffman StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 5, Kansas City Royals 32000 WSeattle MarinersSafeco FieldRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 2, Seattle Mariners 02001 ND (L)Baltimore OriolesOriole Park at Camden YardsRetrosheet Boxscore: Baltimore Orioles 2, Boston Red Sox 12002 ND (L)Toronto Blue JaysFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Toronto Blue Jays 12, Boston Red Sox 112003* ND (L)Tampa Bay Devil RaysTropicana Field2004*** LBaltimore OriolesOriole Park at Camden Yards2005*LNew York YankeesYankee StadiumRetrosheet Boxscore: New York Yankees 9, Boston Red Sox 22006WTexas RangersRangers Ballpark in Arlington2007*** LKansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium2008*ND (W)Oakland AthleticsTokyo Dome2009*WTampa Bay RaysFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 5, Tampa Bay Rays 32010 ND (W)New York YankeesFenway Park2011ND (L)Texas RangersRangers Ballpark in Arlington2012 ND (L)Detroit TigersComerica ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Detroit Tigers 3, Boston Red Sox 22013*** WNew York YankeesYankee Stadium2014 LBaltimore OriolesOriole Park at Camden Yards2015WPhiladelphia PhilliesCitizens Bank Park2016*WCleveland IndiansProgressive Field2017*WPittsburgh PiratesFenway ParkRetrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 5, Pittsburgh Pirates 32018***Chris SaleND (L)Tampa Bay RaysTropicana Field2019Chris Sale LSeattle MarinersT-Mobile Park2020Nathan EovaldiWBaltimore OriolesFenway Park2021*Nathan Eovaldi LBaltimore OriolesFenway Park2022Nathan Eovaldi ND (L)New York YankeesYankee Stadium2023Corey KluberLBaltimore OriolesFenway Park2024Brayan BelloWSeattle MarinersT-Mobile Park2025*Garrett CrochetND (W)Texas RangersGlobe Life Field2026Garrett Crochet (2)WCincinnati RedsGreat American Ball Park

References