MLB season opens in Japan as Red Sox trump A’s

With the earliest opening game to date, the Major League of Baseball brought the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox to the Tokyo Dome in Japan to face their American League rivals, the Oakland Athletics. In a game that ended early Tuesday morning by United States time, the Red Sox scored early in extra innings to earn the first win of the season. This was the first of a two game series to be played in Japan.

This was the fifth opening season game played internationally in the past nine years, and the third hosted by Japan. For both teams, this was their first game played overseas. Previous international openers included the San Diego Padres vs. the Colorado Rockies in Monterrey, Mexico in 1999; the Toronto Blue Jays vs. the Texas Rangers in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2001; as well as the New York Mets vs. the Chicago Cubs, and the New York Yankees vs. the Tampa Bay Rays, both at the Tokyo Dome in 2000 and 2004, respectively.

Japan native Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox was pitted against Oakland pitcher Joe Blanton in front of a crowd of 44,628 at the Tokyo Dome. Matsuzaka, nervous to be facing his home crowd again, gave up two runs in the first inning before pitching four solid, scoreless innings. “Given the opportunity to start on Opening Day, I did feel a little nervous and a little excited and that might have shown,” Matsuzaka told ESPN correspondents through an interpreter. “I’d like to apologize to all the fans who turned out and wanted to see me go deep in the game.” He would strike out six, walk five, and allow only two hits in five innings of play. “I’m glad things ended well for the team,” said Matsuzaka, “but, of course, I’m not happy with my own results.”

Mark Ellis opened up scoring early on for the A’s in the first, with a homerun to left center field. Oakland would increase their lead to two as Daric Barton took advantage of a Bobby Crosby ground-out to proceed on to home plate from his post at third.

It would take the Red Sox five innings to respond, when Manny Ramirez doubled to left field to bring in Dustin Pedoria and Kevin Youkilis, tying the game at two. Brandon Moss, who was added last minute to replace an injured J.D. Drew singled to bring Ramirez in, and to give the Red Sox their first lead of the game. That lead would not last long, as Jack Hannahan sent a two run homerun to right field late in the bottom half of the inning, bringing Oakland back into the lead, 4-3.

“I was shocked,” Moss said. “I saw J.D.’s batting practice and he looked great. I didn’t know anything was going on. I was just sitting there talking. They were like, ‘You might be starting,’ I was like, ‘Oh, OK.’”

Moss would make his presence known once again in the ninth, as he added his own homerun to tie the game up again at four. “He had made me look really bad on the changeup before,” said Moss. “I was way out in front. Once I got back to 2-2, I thought, ‘He’s probably going to throw that changeup right here because I missed it two pitches ago.’ I just tried to see it up and wait back a little longer.”

Brandon Moss is just the fifth player in MLB history to hit his first regular-season home run in a game outside Canada or the United States, “I felt great, especially since it was my first home run,” said Moss. “It felt great. That’s something you dream of, hitting a game-tying home run in the ninth inning.”

Hideki Okajima, another Japan native and no stranger to the Tokyo Dome, was brought in for the bottom of the ninth. He would allow no hits in his half-inning of play, and kept the game tied to bring it to extra innings.

Ramirez added his second double of the game midway through the top of the 10th to drive home Julio Lugo and David Ortiz, and the eventual game-winning run. Jonathon Papelbon was brought in to relieve Okajima, and allowed only three hits and one run, a double by Emil Brown that brought in Barton. Brown was tagged out on the play as he tried to advance to third. Kurt Suzuki ended the game with a groundout, giving Papelbon the save.

The win was awarded to Okajima, while Oakland’s Huston Street was credited with the loss.

Ramirez was named MVP of the game, and received a check for 1,000,000 yen (roughly $10,000), as well as a color laser printer.

“Ultimately, it was a great ballgame,” said Matsuzaka. “I hope people got a chance to enjoy it live.”