Seattle vs. Oakland
4:35 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday | Tokyo Dome | ESPN both games
About the series
This will be the fifth time MLB has played its season opener in Tokyo. It will be considered a home series for the Athletics. … The lure of playing another game or two in his home country helped draw 45-year-old Ichiro Suzuki back to the field this spring for the Mariners. "Ichiro is going to start for us in the first game against the A's," manager Scott Servais said. "He's been playing fine in the outfield. He'll start the game, and we'll see how it plays out from there." Ichiro has steadfastly refused to acknowledge his future beyond these games. … In Game 2, Seattle's Yusei Kikuchi will become the first Japanese pitcher to open his major league career in Japan, where he went 73-46 with a 2.77 ERA in eight seasons for the Seibu Lions in the NPB. … Both teams will restart the season on March 28 with the other 28 MLB teams.
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