The Price Is Right, For Now

Well, it didn't take Shank long to change his tune, did it?

CLEVELAND — Game 1 of the 116th Red Sox season played out just about as perfectly as Dave Dombrowski could have planned. Travis Shaw and Brock Holt stroked four hits, Mookie Betts hit a homer and made a spectacular catch, the three-headed bullpen monster pitched a scoreless 7-8-9, David Ortiz launched his farewell tour with a long homer to right . . .

And, oh yes, David Price took over the role of staff ace with six innings of sometimes dazzling hurling as he fanned 10 and survived a couple of jams in a bone-chilling, 6-2 Opening Day victory over the Cleveland Indians.

“It was a tough day to pitch for anybody, but he gave us six strong innings,’’ said Dombrowski, who spent $217 million of John Henry’s money to bag the best starting pitcher on the market last winter. “I’m sure he’ll win many games for us.’’

Inane comparison to Pedro Martinez, the obligatory Bob Feller appearance, standard run of the mill game recap, and then the question arises - Did Shank really change his tune?

Looks like John Farrell’s job is safe for at least one more day.

That would be no, then!

So nice of Shank to bring this up with just about every column so far this year, especially after a win he was rooting heavily against. We're going to see this crap all year; positive columns with a few trademark Shank digs when the Sox win, Armageddon when they lose.