Break for the BoSox

Consider the Boston Red Sox lucky to be heading home from Tokyo with a 1-1 record, and consider Manny Ramirez the only reason the Red Sox leave Japan with a .500 record.

The Oakland A's outplayed the Red Sox in both games, battering Boston pitching, especially starters Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester, as well as closer Jon Papelbon. The three Boston hurlers combined for a stat line of 10 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 9 BB, 11 SO, 6.30 ERA, 1.90 WHIP. Unfortunately, Oakland batters left 17 runners on base, and Oakland's Emil Brown singlehandedly blew a chance for the A's to win the first game with a boneheaded blunder, getting tagged out trying to stretch a 10th-inning double into a triple with the Sox ahead 6-5.

And.... the Sox had Manny. The contract-year slugger had a pair of two-run doubles in the first game, and his solo home run in the second game provided Boston's only run. More on Manny in this week's upcoming season projections post.