In '09, they'll open at home
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Red Sox unveiled their 2009 schedule yesterday and will begin next season at Fenway Park for the first time since 2002. Their opponents will be their burgeoning rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Sox open Monday, April 6, hosting Tampa Bay for three games, then immediately embark on a six-game West Coast trip.
The schedule includes several other notable dates, most prominently the Sox' first visit to the new Yankee Stadium May 4-5. The season closes with an arduous test - 20 consecutive games without an offday, concluding with a seven-game homestand against Toronto and Cleveland.
The Sox will face the National League East in interleague play, with 18 games against the senior circuit. They'll face the Atlanta Braves six times, three-game series in both Atlanta and Boston. They play one three-game series each against the other NL East teams, traveling to Washington and Philadelphia and hosting the Marlins and Mets.
The Sox will play 18 games apiece against their American League East opponents.
ADAM KILGORE 