Texas Rangers

C.J. is officially the closer

Rangers manager Ron Washington has officially named C.J. Wilson the team's closer for the season. Washington said Eddie Guardado, Kaz Fukumori and Joaquin Benoit would also get save opportunities. The news was welcomed by Wilson. "It's kind of cool," he said. "It's what I've been working for. It's not necessarily a surprise or anything on my end. I'm just happy that we're all on the same page now and it's out in the open. Now we can move on and try to win."

- Anthony Andro

Rangers decide to keep Botts

The Rangers have informed outfielders Kevin Mench, Nelson Cruz and Jason Ellison they will not be making the team. Texas has decided outfielder-first baseman Jason Botts has earned an Opening Day spot. Mench, Cruz and Ellison will remain with the team throughout the exhibition season. Mench and Ellison are headed to Triple A while Cruz is out of options. Texas still has the opportunity to trade him. "He did what we asked him to do," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of Botts. "He came in here and was aggressive with the bat. He earned his way onto the team." Washington said the spot came down to Botts or Mench. The Rangers also optioned pitchers Eric Hurley and Frank Francisco to the minors. Washington also said that Jamey Wright and Franklyn German have earned bullpen spots. Texas has two pitching spots remaining and Kameron Loe, Wes Littleton, Robinson Tejeda and Josh Rupe are vying for those.

- Anthony Andro

Tuesday lineup vs. Seattle

Texas will lean on its bullpen tonight against the Mariners. Kaz Fukumori will start the game with Franklyn German, Frank Francisco, Kam Loe, Josh Rupe and Wes Littleton also available. Here's how the Rangers will line up. The big addition is Milton Bradley starting in right for the first time this spring. Josh Hamilton is a late scratch because of a cold.

1. Ian Kinsler

2. David Murphy

3. Michael Young

4. Hank Blalock

5. Milton Bradley

6. Frank Catalanotto

7. Marlon Byrd

8. Adam Melhuse

9. Ben Broussard

- Anthony Andro

Red Sox win 6-5 in 10

Jonathan Papelbon had a shaky 10th, but got the third out with runners on second and first, and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Oakland Athletics 6-5 in the major league opener today in Tokyo.

Papelbon walked Daric Barton in the 10th, then allowed a double to Emil Brown, scoring Barton. Brown, however, was caught in a rundown trying to move to third, and was thrown out.

The Athletics followed with two singles, making Brown's base running mistakes even more painful for A's fans.

Manny Ramirez was the star of the game, with a pair of two-run doubles, in the sixth to tie the score and in the 10th to put the Red Sox ahead to stay. Mark Ellis and Jack Hannahan homered for the A's, and Brandon Moss hit his first major league home run in the ninth to tie the game for the Red Sox.

The two teams do this all over again at 5:10 a.m. Wednesday on ESPN2.

The Rangers play Seattle at 9:05 tonight, with the game to be broadcast on KRLD/1080 AM. The Rangers' regular-season opener is at 5:40 p.m. Monday in Seattle.

-- Vince Langford

Papelbon on in the 10th

Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon is on in the bottom of the 10th to win it for the Red Sox, who lead 6-4.

It's 8:35 a.m. in Texas, 10:35 p.m. in Japan.

-- Vince Langford

Manny puts Red Sox ahead 6-4

Manny Ramirez doubled in two runs wiith a shot off the wall in the Tokyo Dome, giving the Red Sox a 6-4 lead with two outs in the top of the 10th inning. A's closer Huston Street, who was just pulled from the game, blew the save by giving up a home run in the ninth and now stands to be the losing pitcher.

-- Vince Langford

Fans at Fenway bar this morning

The Associated Press reports on Boston fans getting up early to watch today's major league opener:

Bars around Fenway Park and elsewhere catered to big breakfast crowds as the season officially began Tuesday shortly after 6 a.m. Eastern time. In California, where the first pitch was shortly after 3 a.m., some Oakland fans were pleased to have Tivo.

"Coffee and breakfast instead of beer, kind of unusual," observed Tony Massarotti, 48, of Watertown, who joined a large crowd of Red Sox fans at Game On, a sports bar attached to Fenway Park. Massarotti, whose cousin is a Boston sports writer who covers the team, planned to catch the first few innings on one of the bar's 90 TV screens before heading off to his job at a nearby hospital.

The bar opened earlier than usual for the game, but was not serving alcohol.

Mark Gillis, 41, an attorney from Reading, Mass., said he thought he was going to be in court first thing in the morning, but the judge moved the case.

"I was like, 'Yes!'" said Gillis, who packed his three children, two boys and a girl, into the car and headed for Fenway. "I figured, what the heck, the opportunity to watch the Red Sox on opening day and still make it to school on time doesn't come around very much."

Many children were treated to a few innings of the game on TV before being shooed off to school buses. Some educators fretted that baseball fever would detract students' attention from standardized exams being administered to 4th, 7th and 10th graders beginning Tuesday.

Going to extra innings in Japan

Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings, tied 4-4.

Red Sox tie the game in top of the ninth

Red Sox outfielder Brandon Moss, playing in place of the injured J.D. Drew, homered off Oakland closer Huston Street in the top of the ninth inning to tie the score 4-4 in the major league opener today in Tokyo.

Moss had singled in the sixth inning to score Manny Ramirez and give Boston a 3-2 lead. Ramirez had tied the game in the inning with a two-run double.

It was Moss' first major league home run.

A's retake lead, no decision for Dice-K

Oakland third baseman Jack Hannahan, subbing for Eric Chavez who is rehabbing from back surgery, hit a two-run home run off Red Sox reliever Kyle Snyder in the bottom of the sixth. Oakland leads 4-3. Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka won't be able to get the win in his return to the mound in Japan.