Orioles adjust outfield alignment at Fenway Park (O's win 9-7)

BOSTON - The opening day introductions and ceremonies have ended at Fenway Park and the Orioles are batting in the top of the first inning. No rain or wintery mix. No tarp on the field. It's just baseball.

Players on both teams were introduced, along with the video coordinators, translator and the Red Sox massage therapist. No love thrown toward the press box.

The Red Sox surprised David Ortiz on his final opening day by having daughter Alex Ortiz sing the National Anthem. Ortiz held his cap close to his face, trying to hide emotions that were bubbling to the surface.

A few minutes earlier, the Red Sox introduced Dustin Pedroia as, "one of the greatest second basemen ever." Then it got realistic.

Boston sports legends Bill Russell (Celtics) and Bobby Orr (Bruins) assisted Ortiz in throwing out the ceremonial first pitches. Former cornerback Ty Law rounded out the foursome. Not quite as legendary, but he represented the Patriots.

Ortiz and Law assisted Russell to the mound, each holding onto an arm. Lots of championship rings in that bunch.

Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield yelled "Play ball!" And they did.

Mark Trumbo has moved from right field to left for today's game. Nolan Reimold is in right.

Is the switch due to Trumbo's experience in front of the Green Monster?

"It's actually the other way around," said manager Buck Showalter. "There's about three times as much space in right field, and he's a guy who can play left and right. We want to make sure he gets used to some of these places. And it just fits our team a little better, especially with some of the abilities of our other people."

Showalter didn't let Trumbo find out from the lineup card posted in the clubhouse.

"I knew about it a couple days ago," Trumbo said. "It was just a brief, 'Hey, be ready to go in left,' and here we are.

"I've played out here, maybe a handful, maybe less, but it never seemed like that big of an issue. You've got to make smart decisions. If it's over your head, it's usually going to be either off the wall or over it. I think the biggest thing is being in a good positon to retrieve it off the wall. There's a lot of outs to be had if the ball's hit hard enough if you play it smart and hustle and make a good throw. So I think that's what we're looking to do.

"I'll have to communicate with Joey (Rickard). We'll communicate on a few other things on who's going long and who might be the backup and some of those nuance plays like that."

The ball can dart in many directions depending on where it hits the wall. The ladder is just one of the challenges. There are dead spots and spots where the ball really comes to life. The best fielders have been made to look foolish.

"It's kind of a luck of the draw, I guess, if you do get a good bounce," said Trumbo, who's played 146 games in right field and 129 in left. "If you have to run after it, that's what you have to do, but it's been here for a long time, so it's not something new. You just do the best you can with it and hopefully it goes your way."

Everything is going Rickard's way. In his first at-bat at Fenway Park, he led off with a double to left-center field off Red Sox starter David Price.

Rickard is 9-for-19 with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs. The hitting streak has grown to six games.

Update: Rickard was stranded, as Price threw 21 pitches. The Red Sox scored three runs in the bottom half, as Yovani Gallardo threw 23 pitches.

The Red Sox opened with four consecutive singles and a sacrifice fly. Ortiz delivered an RBI single off the Green Monster.

Update II: The Orioles scored five runs in the third inning, highlighted by Mark Trumbo's three-run shot, to take a 5-3 lead. Trumbo has 10 hits in 21 at-bats - nine singles and a home run.

Chris Davis delivered a two-run single after the Orioles loaded the bases with one out on Caleb Joseph's single, Rickard's walk and Manny Machado being hit by a pitch.

Update III: The Red Sox tied the game in the fourth on Jackie Bradley, Jr.'s RBI double and Mookie Betts' grounder. Gallardo has thrown 77 pitches in four innings.

Update III: Doubles by J.J .Hardy and Jonathan Schoop to open the sixth broke a 5-5 tie.

Gallardo allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings, with one walk and three strikeouts. He threw 96 pitches, 53 for strikes.

Price threw 103 pitches in five innings. Matt Barnes replaced him and the Orioles reclaimed the lead.

Update IV: The Red Sox tied the game in the sixth against T.J. McFarland on a walk, single and Jackie Bradley, Jr. fielder's choice grounder.

Mychal Givens replaced McFarland with two outs, his fourth appearance of the season.

Update V: Chris Davis hit a three-run homer off new Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel to give the Orioles a 9-6 lead in the ninth. The ball was crushed to center field. A tie was shattered.

Kimbrel walked Caleb Joseph and Manny Machado before the home run.

Adam Jones is playing center field in the bottom of the ninth while Zach Britton goes for his third save.

Update VI: The Orioles defeated the Red Sox 9-7 on opening day at Fenway Park, with Brach recording his second win in two days and Britton notching his third save.

Mookie Betts homered off Britton leading off the bottom of the ninth. Dustin Pedroia singled and Xander Bogaerts walked, but David Ortiz grounded into a 4-6-3 double play and Hanley Ramirez struck out.

The Orioles' 6-0 start is the best in club history. The franchise record is 9-0 by the 1944 St. Louis Browns.