Red Sox wobble into home opener against Padres

After stumbling to their first 1-5 start since 2019, the Boston Red Sox are out to hit the reset button in their home opener Friday afternoon when the San Diego Padres pay a visit.

Not even Garrett Crochet could help change the fortunes of the Red Sox on Wednesday as they were trying to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros.

The ace left-hander allowed five runs, the fifth time he has allowed that many in his 34 starts with the Red Sox. Carlos Correa hit three-run homer for the Astros with two outs and two strikes in the fifth inning to turn the score around in an eventual 6-4 loss.

It was Boston's fifth consecutive defeat since shutting out the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 in last Thursday's season opener.

"Not good. Unacceptable, really, on both sides of the ball," said Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story, who was 0-for-5.

From manager Alex Cora's view, the upcoming six-game homestand comes at a perfect time.

"Look at the whole picture. That's the way you come out of stuff like this," Cora said. "Just win series, right? We've got the Padres (and) the Brewers. Win those two series at home, then go on the road and do the same thing. It's April 1, right? Win 17 games this month, and you're gonna be OK."

Wilyer Abreu's early surge has been a Boston bright spot. The right fielder hit his third home run of the season in Wednesday's eighth inning and is now 10-for-24 (.417) so far.

The Red Sox will look for right-hander Sonny Gray (0-0, 6.75 ERA) to be the stopper in his second start after he gave up three earned runs over four innings in a no-decision Saturday at Cincinnati.

Gray is 4-0 with a 3.68 ERA in four career starts against San Diego, including wins in each of the last two seasons as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Padres also are off to a disappointing start at 2-4 following a convincing 7-1 victory Wednesday win over their National League West rival, the San Francisco Giants. San Diego set season-high marks in both runs and hits (10).

First-year manager Craig Stammen returned Fernando Tatis to the leadoff spot, while Ramon Laureano was batting fifth and is now on a 7-for-18 start to the season with two home runs. The lineup shuffle gave the Padres the look of their team that produced back-to-back 90-win seasons.

"It was an example of what we could be, the type of team that we expected -- and have," Stammen said.

San Diego's Gavin Sheets continued his break out from an 0-for-13 start, hitting a pair of doubles Wednesday and scoring two runs, including one in the Padres' four-run eighth inning to break the game open.

"Obviously it's five games, but you tell yourself you've got to get it going," Sheets said. "(That) was a big win. ... This is the game that looks like our identity."

New England native and Boston College alum Michael King (0-0, 0.00 ERA) is scheduled to start for San Diego.

After allowing nine homers in 17 2/3 innings this spring and having an injury-shortened 2025, the right-hander was sharp in his season debut last Friday against the Detroit Tigers. He allowed just one unearned run and one hit while striking out six. He did not factor into the decision of a 5-2 Padres loss.

"(That start was) good news for the Padres," Stammen said.

Friday will mark King's fifth career start and 15th appearance against Boston. He is 3-4 with a 4.79 ERA in 35 2/3 career innings against the Red Sox.

--Field Level Media