Crochet's Opening Day Start vs. Francona

0:00It's March 26, from game day to every day. This is Boston Red Sox News today, powered by AI. The Boston Red Sox kick off the 2026 season today against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark. Garrett Crochet takes the mound for his second straight opening day start after a stellar rookie year with 18 wins, 5 losses, a 2 point, 5-9 earned run average and 255 strikeouts. He'll face his old team's former skipper, Terry Francona, now managing the Reds. Both lineups pack some serious punch. For Boston, outfielder Roman Anthony steps up after shining at the World Baseball Classic. Cincinnati counters with all-star shortstop, Ellie De La Cruz, leading their bats. The game starts at 4.10 pm. Eastern time and heirs on NESN, or streams via NESN 360 and FUBO. Fans are buzzing about this matchup, especially with Francona's history of breaking Boston's 86 year title drought back in 2004.

1:01Crochet, the hard-throwing lefty with a triple-digit fastball and nasty cutter, aims to anchor a revamped Red Sox rotation focused on velocity. The series continues through the weekend with games on Saturday and Sunday at 4.10 pm and 1.40 pm Eastern. After that, Boston heads the Houston for three against the Astros. Keep an eye on Crochet early as he sets the tone for what could be another big year in Beentown.