(Sports Network) - Native son Daisuke Matsuzaka returns to Japan, as the Boston Red Sox open defense of their second World Series title in four years against the Oakland Athletics in the first of two games at the Tokyo Dome.

Matsuzaka spent eight years in the Japanese Pacific League, going 108-60 for the Seibu Lions with a 2.95 earned run average and 1,355 strikeouts in 204 games. In his final season in Japan in 2006, Matsuzaka was 17-5 with 200 strikeouts and pitched to an amazing 2.13 ERA in 25 starts.

Despite his success and incredible celebrity status in Japan, Dice-K decided to take his act to the majors, as the Boston Red Sox shelled out a record $51.1 million posting fee in addition to signing him to a six-year deal worth a reported $52 million.

Matsuzaka's first year, though, failed to live up to the hype, as he was wildly inconsistent and ended the campaign 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA.

However, even with Matsuzaka's struggles, Boston ended the New York Yankees' near decade long stranglehold on the AL East, as it captured its first division title since the 1995 campaign with a 96-66 mark.

The Red Sox then rode the wave of one of the most dominant pitching performances in postseason history, culminating with a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies in the World Series.

Josh Beckett was the driving force behind Boston's seventh championship, going 4-0 with a 1.20 earned run average in his four starts. It was Mike Lowell, though, who garnered World Series MVP honors, as he hit .400 with four RBI in the sweep.

Lowell then chose to stay in Boston rather than test the free agent market and signed a three-year, $37.5 million deal to remain the Red Sox' No. 5 hitter behind the dangerous tandem of Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.

Lowell wasn't the only big fish the Red Sox were trying to lock up this winter, as the team was heavily involved in the Johan Santana trade talks up until the end.

When it was all said and done, though, Boston decided against giving up top prospects in addition to signing the two-time Cy Young Award winner to a $100 million-plus extension.

That may become a decision they regret, though, since Beckett has been battling back problems all spring and is expected to start the season on the disabled list.

Oakland, meanwhile, is starting over after going 76-86 -- its first losing season since the 1998 campaign -- in Bob Geren's first year on the bench.

The A's, still just two years removed from an appearance in the American League Championship Series, were one of the most active teams this winter, as they shipped ace Dan Haren and outfielders Nick Swisher and Mark Kotsay out of town for a boatload of highly regarded prospects. Also, reliable utility man Marco Scutaro was jettisoned to Toronto.

While most people heralded each and every move he made, the fruits of general manager Billy Beane's labor probably won't be felt for another couple of seasons, meaning of course Oakland could be in for a long campaign.

Haren won 15 games last year and was the first big chip to fall, as Beane sent last year's AL All-Star starter to Arizona for six prospects. Swisher was then sent to the Chicago White Sox for three highly-regarded minor-leaguers before Kotsay was finally shipped off to Atlanta.

Still, the A's have some veterans remaining from their playoff years, including Eric Chavez, Bobby Crosby and Rich Harden. Unfortunately that trio combined to play 190 games last season.

There have also been rumors that Beane is dangling today's starter, Joe Blanton. Of course, a number of teams have inquired, but it will be the 27- year-old right-hander on the hill for the A's on Tuesday.

Blanton, who will be making his first-ever Opening Day start, was 14-10 last year with a 3.95 ERA in 34 starts. He is also 2-1 lifetime against the Red Sox with a 3.58 ERA in five starts.

Theses teams split their eight matchups a year ago, but Oakland has won 12 of the last 19 matchups.

This series, the earliest to ever kick off an MLB season, will resume on Wednesday with the final of the two games being played in Japan. Then after playing three more exhibition games upon their return to the states, these teams will conclude this season-opening series with a pair of contests at Oakland's McAfee Coliseum next week when the rest of the league gets their regular seasons underway.

Major League Baseball has opened its season in Japan on two other occasions. The New York Yankees opened their season there against Tampa Bay in 2004, while the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs staged a season- opening series in Tokyo back in 2000.