New York, NY (My Sportsbook) - The World Series champion Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics will open the 2008 regular season with a two-game set in Japan.

The games will be played March 25-26 at the Tokyo Dome, marking the third season-opening trip to Japan for Major League Baseball. In 2000, the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs started the campaign in Tokyo. The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays followed four years later.

"Opening our regular season in Japan for the third time is another example of Major League Baseball's commitment to continue the global growth of the game," said Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig in a statement. "We are excited that the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics have accepted our invitation to participate in this international event and look forward to working again with our long-time partner, The Yomiuri Shimbun, to bring these games to the great baseball fans of Japan."

In addition, both teams will play exhibition games against Japanese teams the weekend before the two regular-season matchups.

Oakland is scheduled to be the home team for both games. The Red Sox and Athletics will return to the United States to complete exhibition play, then resume the regular season slate in April.