Boston Loses Opener, 5-2

In miserable and wet weather, the Boston Red Sox opened their season yesterday at Fenway Park with a 5-2 loss to Kansas City, and gave signs that they will be miserable and wet even when the climate improves.

The porous Sox infield came up with its own version of the "around the horn" play--errors by third baseman Pete Runnels, shortstop Pumpsie Green, and second baseman Chuck Schilling, along with un-gazelle-like play from first sacker Vic Wertz.

The fluffs by Green and Runnels, occurring on each side of a single by Bill Tuttle, led to two runs in the K.C. second. Rookie left-fielder Carl Yastrzemski throw out Leo Posada at the plato after Runnels let Andy Carey's grounder slide through his legs, but Ray Herbert, the eventual winning pitcher, drove in the two runs with a single to left.

More Bobbles

In the Athletics' half of the sixth, Haywood Sullivan's double resulted in two runs when Schilling took the relay from the outfield and tossed the ball into the Sox dugout.

Still another bobble, by Sox pitcher Ted Wills in the ninth, gave the A's their fifth run. Boston tallied in the third on a bases-loaded walk to Wertz, and in the eighth on Runnels' third hit.

Jackie Jensen, in his first appearance after a year's absence from the sport, had his troubles. He went oh-for-four, struck out twice (once with the bases loaded), and misplayed a fly ball by Posada into a double.

Bill Monbouquette took the loss as the Sox settled soggily into the A.L. cellar. They are accompanied--for the moment--by New York, Detroit, Washington, and Baltimore.