Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan gave up a home run and a double in the ninth-inning of Sunday's 3-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles, his first-ever game experience at Fenway Park.
BOSTON — Joel Hanrahan was the only Red Sox player who had never been to Fenway Park, not for a game, coming into Monday's 3-1 home opener win over the Orioles.
"It was an awesome experience, the fans were behind me there," the Sox closer said. "I had a little extra adrenaline running in from the bullpen, I felt like I was running a little bit faster than I normally do. I got welcomed to Fenway real quick too."
That's a reference to Adam Jones, the Orioles center fielder who greeted Hanrahan in the ninth with a leadoff solo shot into the Green Monster seats in left-center field. It was the first run Hanrahan allowed as a member of the Sox, but with a 3-0 lead to start the inning, it wasn't damning.
Hanrahan threw Jones all fastballs, the last three 97 mph after a 96 mph one to start. The third one was a swing-and-a-miss to make the count 1-2.
"You look at his swing before, what he had, he was pretty late on the fastball, the shadows were pretty bad at that time," Hanrahan said. "Maybe he was playing a little game trying to set me up. With the swing before, we felt like we could maybe get another fastball by him there, just threw it right down the middle for him. And so be it, it's a homer. 3-1."
There was still some trouble to come. Hanrahan retired the next two hitters before J.J. Hardy doubled off the Monster, bringing the tying run to the plate in Ryan Flaherty. Hanrahan dispatched Flaherty easily with a pop up to third.
"They kind of took care of me up in New York with a three-run lead for my first save there (Wednesday in a 7-4 win) and a three-run lead at home (Monday)," Hanrahan said. "These guys are doing a good job taking care of me."
A hiccup, but no real damage, and Hanrahan is 3-for-3 in save opportunities. Through April 8 a year ago, the Red Sox had were 0-for-2, one of just two teams to have two blown saves so early in the season.
The Jones home run is the only run Hanrahan's allowed in four one-inning appearances, with three hits and one walk allowed. He's struck out three.
The righty from Texas who spent his whole seven-year career prior to 2013 in the National League said he didn't really know what the pomp and atmosphere at Fenway would bring. He said a couple fans wished him well from the stands when he was in the bullpen, but it wasn't nonstop.
"I didn't really set any expectations," Hanrahan said. "I wasn't sure, when I ran out for the introductions. I had a pretty good ovation for me, so I felt like it could be pretty good. I wasn't sure how the fans were going to be. Obviously, from what I can tell, after today, it was pretty exciting, they were pretty intense. It was fun, gives you that extra little adrenaline when they get up they're cheering for you."
The Red Sox stadium operations folk appeared to have a slight slip-up of their own in the ninth, when the opening notes of former closer Jonathan Papelbon's entrance song, "Shipping up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys, played before Hanrahan's "Before I Forget" by Slipknot came on.
Hanrahan, at least, didn't catch the moment.
"No, I didn't notice that, I couldn't tell you what — what was his song, some Dropkick Murphys or something?" Hanrahan said. "I couldn't tell you how that song starts."
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