Red Sox top A's 6-5 in Tokyo opener

Boston Red Sox leftfielder Manny Ramirez is asked for comments at dugout before his team's practice at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, March 24, 2008. The Red Sox will meet the Oakland Athletics in their two-day Major League Baseball regular season openers in Japan on March 25 and 26. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

TOKYO—Daisuke Matsuzaka's homecoming was saved by Manny Ramirez. Ramirez hit his second two-run double in the 10th inning, and the Boston Red Sox began their World Series title defense by beating the Oakland Athletics 6-5 in Tuesday night's major league season opener.

Ramirez posed at the plate to watch his drive off Huston Street (0-1), thinking it was a three-run homer. Instead, the ball hit the center-field wall.

In the earliest major league opener, and the third in Japan, Jonathan Papelbon struggled before getting the save. He walked Daric Barton leading off the bottom of the10th and gave up a one-out RBI double to Emil Brown, who was tagged out in a rundown between second and third.

After a pair of singles, Kurt Suzuki hit a game-ending groundout, sealing the win for Japanese reliever Hideki Okajima (1-0).

Street gave up a tying homer in the ninth to Brandon Moss, who started because right fielder J.D. Drew was scratched with lower back tightness. It was Moss' first major league homer.

Matsuzaka, former star of the Seibu Lions, allowed a pair of first-inning runs, one on a homer by Mark Ellis. He struck out six and walked five in five innings.

Jack Hannahan's two-run homer off Kyle Snyder put Oakland ahead 4-3 in the sixth.