David Price, Craig Kimbrel, David Ortiz stumble in Red Sox’ 2016 Fenway opener

The Red Sox were led by their superstar players in their official season opener last week in Cleveland as David Price, Craig Kimbrel and David Ortiz came up huge. The contrast in the Sox’ Fenway Park opener on Monday was striking.

Price gave up five earned runs in five innings of work, Kimbrel gave up a three-run ninth inning bomb and Ortiz hit into a double-play in the bottom of the ninth as the Sox fell, 9-7, to Baltimore (6-0).

Kimbrel’s gaffe was the most costly as Orioles slugger Chris Davis mashed a ball to straight-away center and snapped a 6-6 tie. Price’s issues began in the third inning as Davis drove in a pair of runs on a single and Mark Trumbo belted a three-run homer to right-center. Price threw 103 pitches total, striking out eight, walking two and allowing five hits.

A classic Red Sox comeback seemed like it was in the cards in the ninth as Mookie Betts had a solo homer and Ortiz came to the plate with Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts aboard. But Ortiz’s grounder up the middle couldn’t quite make it into the outfield grass, halting the storybook thoughts in Ortiz’s final Opening Day as a Red Sox player at Fenway.

Ortiz did collect a pair of hits on the afternoon, including an RBI.

The Red Sox are now 3-3 on the season, looking up at the undefeated Orioles in the AL East standings. The Sox will get another crack at blemishing Baltimore’s perfect mark Tuesday night (7, NESN) when they send Clay Buchholz (0-0, 11.25 ERA) to the mound. Buchholz was roughed up in his first outing of 2016, giving up five earned runs on six hits on 94 pitches to the Indians on April 6.

Righty Mike Wright is slated to get the start on the mound for the O’s. Wright has not yet pitched this season. The 26-year-old hurler was 3-5 last year with a 6.04 ERA.

The Red Sox close out their three-game set with the Orioles on Wednesday night before hosting Toronto this weekend and Tampa Bay next week.