Fenway Flashback: 1986 - Gibson Steals the Show on Opening Day in Detroit

April 7, 1986: Gibson Steals the Show on Opening Day in Detroit

Opening Day of the 1986 season had finally arrived. The Red Sox left their Spring Training home in Winter Haven, Florida, for the incredibly balmy Detroit, Michigan. The temperature at Tiger Stadium for the afternoon opener was a pleasant 67 degrees. The Sox were scheduled to open up the season against their American League East foes, the Detroit Tigers, who were coming off a third-place finish in the division the year before, a disappointing year for the ’84 Champs. Boston had finished in 5th place the year before, and manager John McNamara was hoping his sophomore season on the Boston bench would yield a better return.

Pitching Matchup and Lineups

Boston handed the ball to their crafty lefty, Bruce Hurst, for the opener, while Sparky Anderson entrusted his veteran ace, Jack Morris, to get the Tigers off on the right foot.

Boston’s lineup to start the ’86 season:

Dwight Evans (RF)

Wade Boggs (3B)

Bill Buckner (1B)

Jim Rice (LF)

Don Baylor (DH)

Rich Gedman (C)

Tony Armas (CF)

Marty Barrett (2B)

Glenn Hoffman (SS)

Game Recap

Dwight Evans got the season off to a fantastic start by hammering Morris’s first pitch into the left-center field stands to give Boston a quick 1–0 lead. Bruce Hurst held the slim lead through the first two innings, and in the third, the Red Sox struck again.

In the top of the third, Jim Rice deposited a solo shot of his own off Morris into the Tiger Stadium stands to give Boston a 2–0 lead. The Tigers finally managed to get to Hurst in the bottom of the third. Detroit’s nine-hole hitter and third baseman, Darnell Coles, led off with a single to center field and moved to second two batters…