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Red Sox and Athletics meet again

Apr 1, 2008 - 2:13 PM Boston (1-1) at Oakland (1-1) 10:07 pm EDT

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) - The Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics with matchup for the third time this young season on Tuesday - this time on the near side of the Pacific Ocean at McAfee Coliseum.

The clubs split a two-game opening series last week at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, with the Red Sox winning the first game on Tuesday and the A's returning the favor on Wednesday.

In between the games in Japan and Tuesday's meeting, both teams played additional spring training contests. Boston played the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday in front of a record crowd of 115,300 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Manny Ramirez was the star of the first two games for the Red Sox, driving in four runs in the opener and clubbing a homer Wednesday. The 36-year-old slugger is in the final guaranteed season of an eight-year, $160 million contract, with the club holding $20 million options on each of the next two seasons.

Emil Brown did most of the damage with the bat for Oakland, hitting a home run and totaling four RBI in the two contests. Jack Hannahan and Mark Ellis also homered for the A's.

Daisuke Matsuzaka will make his second start of the season, looking to improve upon an up-and-down outing in Japan, where he did not get a decision. Playing on home soil, Matsuzaka allowed just two hits over five innings, but also walked five and hit a batter.

Oakland will counter once again with burly righthander Joe Blanton, who allowed seven hits and three runs in 5 2/3 frames in the Tokyo Dome. He was in line for the victory before allowing Ramirez a hit a two-run double during a three-run sixth inning.