The Phillies wasted no time absorbing their first shutout loss of the new season. They were embarrassed, 8-0, by the Boston Red Sox in the season opener Monday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.
Boston clubbed five home runs, four off Phillies ace Cole Hamels.
The Phillies, who were shut out 15 times last year, had just one hit through six innings.
The Phils have been shut out eight times on opening day. This loss was the largest margin of defeat.
The attendance was 45,549, a sellout.
Starting pitching report
Hamels allowed four solo home runs over five innings of work. He walked three. He needed 100 pitches to complete his five innings.
MLB
The left-hander has a history of pitching poorly in his first start of the season. He has lost five straight. For his career, he is 1-7 with a 5.13 ERA in his first start of the season.
Boston right-hander Clay Buchholz feasted on a weak Phillies lineup. He allowed just three hits over seven scoreless innings, walked one and struck out nine.
Buchholz had excellent economy of pitches. He threw 94 pitches.
Bullpen report
Jake Diekman entered with the Phillies down, 4-0, in the top of the ninth. He allowed a single, two walks and a grand slam to Hanley Ramirez and the Sox doubled their lead.
Junichi Tazawa and Tommy Layne closed it out for Boston.
At the plate
Boston out-hit the Phillies, 9-3. Five of the Sox hits were homers.
The Phillies had one hit, a double by Ryan Howard, in the first six innings. Their other two hits were singles.
The Phillies hit just three balls hard in the first six innings.
Dustin Pedroia hit a pair of homers, his first in the top of the first inning. Mookie Betts had a solo homer for Boston. Ramirez had a solo home run to go with his grand slam.
In the field
Howard made a nice fielding play at first base to end the top of the fourth.
Up next
The Phillies are off Tuesday. The series against Boston resumes Wednesday night with Aaron Harang making his Phillies debut against Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello. The series concludes Thursday night with David Buchanan opposing Justin Masterson.