A real fast-break team?

Julio Lugo, who makes his Red Sox debut today, will bat leadoff and try to set the table for a potent lineup featuring David Ortiz and Manny Ramírez. (JIM DAVIS/GLOBE STAFF)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- When the season kicks off this afternoon against the Royals, the Red Sox seem to have a great opportunity to get off on the right foot.

Three games in Kansas City, followed by three in Texas against the back end of the Rangers' rotation, followed by a homestand that starts with three against Seattle, could allow for a positive start.

The Sox have a chance to jump to an early lead in the American League East while the Yankees will be going through April and likely part of May without their ace, 19-game winner Chien-Ming Wang.

The Red Sox are scheduled to play the Yankees six times in April and three more times May 21-23 when Wang may not be recovered from a hamstring injury. While a team doesn't win a divisional title in April, the Sox have a great chance to make the Yankees play catch-up.

Opening Day starter Curt Schilling could provide a major momentum boost right off the bat, and his teammates were looking to Schilling to get them off to a good start.

"He's our No. 1 guy, he's done this role before and we have all the confidence that he's going to go out and give it his best," said closer Jonathan Papelbon. The last time Schilling pitched here things didn't work out so well. He lost, 5-4, last Aug. 10 in a game in which he tied an AL record by allowing 10 extra base hits (nine doubles and one home run).

Schilling was busy in the clubhouse yesterday going over his notebooks on Kansas City hitters in preparation for his matchup against the Royals' expensive free agent acquisition, Gil Meche.

The Sox had pitchers meetings to go over the hitters and manager Terry Francona also had a meeting with his positional players to go over where they'll play those hitters.

Francona said he had a good idea of how his bullpen will be used before Papelbon comes in, but he said he wasn't eager to share it with the media. He also said, "That'll also depend on how far our starters go." He said he and pitching coach John Farrell have a pitch count for Schilling.

Asked how Schilling looked in spring training, Francona said, "He's looked better than he has. His velocity is better. His command is better."

"Curt Schilling knows what he's doing out there," said David Ortiz. "Hopefully we'll have him around for a long time. Last year we had injuries, but now we have a pretty good team."

Ortiz is looking forward to the release of his new book April 17, co-authored by Tony Massarotti, titled, "Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits." Ortiz said, "I get asked so many questions all the time that this will tell my story and hopefully answer all of those questions." . . . One thing to watch today is whether umpires, in an effort to keep games moving, enforce a new rule that states batters must keep at least one foot in the box between pitches. That doesn't apply after a foul ball, a wild pitch, or the like. The penalty will be a warning followed by a possible ejection . . . J.D. Drew has played in some AL parks in interleague play, but he said, "I was thinking the other day how many ballparks I haven't played in. It's definitely going to be a challenge, especially getting up to Boston and getting used to some of those quirky angles out there. I've been trying to go over the different right fields with different scouting information and talking to guys just to get an idea of what to expect. I'm anxious myself to see how I'm going to do."

Papelbon said the right ankle he turned while covering first base last Thursday in Fort Myers is OK. Asked if he had any soreness, he said, "No. It feels fine. When it happened, I thought it might be worse, but I rebounded from it with no problem." . . . Dustin Pedroia said he's not nervous about starting the season with the second base job. "Not at all," he said. "I have to go out and play up to my abilities, and do what I feel I can do as a player. I've gotten this far because I've earned it and now I have to earn my keep in the majors. Nothing's given to you." One thing Pedroia and shortstop Julio Lugo will have to get used to is the Fenway Park infield and its reputation as the toughest in the league to play on. "The grass is high and once it hits the dirt it speeds up," Pedroia said. "It definitely takes a while to get used to. I think the lesson there is charge the ball and field it before it hits the dirt if you can." . . . Julian Tavarez will throw a simulated game tomorrow on the offday . . . The Royals opened their pre-Opening Day workout to the public. About 5,000 fans showed up . . . Royals manager Buddy Bell said he would not use closer Octavio Dotel today as he recovers from an oblique strain. Former Sox reliever David Riske will close today if the Royals need one.

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com.