Today is the 106th Opening Day at Fenway Park and the Red Sox enjoy a 60-45 record in such games. The Sox have gone to post a .534 winning percentage in seasons that their first home game was a win (86.5 wins per 162 games) vs a .491 pct (79.8 wins / 162) in seasons that they lost the home opener. 'Lately' (i.e. in the past 50 years) the home opener has meant less as the Sox have averaged 87.6 wins / 162 in seasons with a win in the Fenway opener and 86.9 wins / 162 in games with a loss, meaning they have actually played better in the remaining games following a losing start at home than they did following a win.
The best run of home opening wins was 9 consecutive years from 2005 - 2013. That run ended 3 years ago when the Milwaukee Brewers raked Edward Mujica for 4 runs in the 9th to ruin a strong start by Jake Peavy. The Sox' only other home opener against an interleague opponent (until today) came a year later when they shelled Jordan Zimmerman and the Nats 9-4 and gave Rick Porcello the win in his Red Sox Fenway debut. Last year the Sox again started well with 3 runs in the 1st off of Baltimore's Yovani Gallardo but the O's got to Price with 5 runs in the 5th and Kimbrel with a Chris Davis 3-run HR in the 9th to beat the good guys 9-7 and spoil the Red Sox Fenway debuts of their newest ace and closer.
The most frequent opponent in Fenway openers has been the Yankees, against whom Boston holds a 15-12 advantage in the 27 times they've faced them including a current streak of 7 straight wins dating back to 1970.
The last season opener held at Fenway was 7 years ago against the Yankees. In that game New York roughed up Boston's starter Josh Beckett for a 5-1 lead after 4 on HRs by Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson, but the Sox got to CC Sabathia in the 5th and 6th and Pedroia homered off Chan Ho Park in the 7th to rally to a 9-7 win.
But most importantly, baseball is back at Fenway, the Pats will be honoured in pre-game ceremonies, Porcello is on the hill and the Yankees are in last place. Go Sox!
