It's been a tragic week for the city of Boston and the surrounding area. A welcome site will be watching the Red Sox and Kansas City Royals taking the field Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park in a delayed opener of a three-game series.
Boston was in complete lockdown yesterday due to the search for the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings. The hunt came to an end last night when police captured 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, less than 24 hours after his brother, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was killed early Friday morning following a gun battle with police.
Saturday, the 101st anniversary of the opening of Fenway Park, will mark a day to remember the three people killed and others who were severely injured in the bombings on Patriots' Day. Also, MIT police officer Sean Collier was fatally shot late Thursday night, allegedly by the Tsarnaev brothers.
The last game the Red Sox played at home was on Monday. Their 3-2 win over Tampa Bay came a short time before the bombs went off near the finish line of the marathon. The Red Sox, who have won six in a row, then went on the road and swept Cleveland and last night's scheduled series opener with the Royals was postponed due to the manhunt.
Friday's game will be made up on Sunday as part of a day/night doubleheader.
"Can't wait to get back on the field to show my love and support for this great city!" Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury tweeted on Saturday morning.
David Ortiz is expected to make his season debut for the Red Sox. Big Papi has been out this season due to a right Achilles injury that has kept him out since August. In 90 games last year, he hit 23 homers and drove in 60 runs while batting .318.
Righty Clay Buchholz takes the hill trying for his fourth win. Buchholz has been terrific through his first three starts, winning all three and pitching to a 0.41 ERA. Buchholz was brilliant against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, as he tossed eight scoreless innings of two-hit baseball.
Buchholz has faced Kansas City four times and is 3-1 with a 2.19 ERA.
Kansas City, meanwhile, will hand the ball to righty James Shields, who is 1-2 with a 3.43 ERA. Shields went the distance in a loss to Toronto on Saturday, as he allowed three runs and two hits. He also struck out six and walked three.
Shields is 8-13 against the Red Sox with a 4.56 ERA in 23 starts.
Kansas City ended Atlanta's 10-game winning streak on Wednesday, as Wade Davis (2-0) scattered five hits over seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 win. Jeff Francoeur drove in the lone run in the fourth inning for the Royals, who have won six of nine.
Boston was 4-3 against Kansas City last season.
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