Everyone got something out of this road trip. Both teams got a win, the fans loved it and the future of Major League Baseball in Japan looks bright.
The Oakland Athletics defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-1 Wednesday night to continue the tradition of splitting season-opening series in Japan after the Red Sox won the opener 6-5 in 10 innings on Tuesday.
No team has ever swept a season-opening series in Japan. The Chicago Cubs and New York Mets split their two-game Japanese series in 2000, as did the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2004.