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(Sports Network) - Rich Harden gets a fresh start when the Oakland Athletics try to pull even against the Boston Red Sox in the finale of the two-game season-opening set at the Tokyo Dome.

When healthy Harden is as good as any pitcher in baseball. However, keeping him on the field has been a problem over the past couple of seasons. Thanks to a myriad of injuries Harden has made only 13 starts over the past two years.

Last year the 26-year-old right-hander was just 1-2 with a 2.45 ERA in seven games, four of which were starts.

Harden has faced the Red Sox twice in his young career and is 0-1 against them, having allowed 15 runs and 11 hits in just 7 2/3 innings in those outings.

Boston, meanwhile, got the best of the A's in the season opener on Tuesday, as Manny Ramirez's two-run double in the top of the 10th inning lifted the Red Sox to a 6-5 come-from behind win. Ramirez finished 2-for-5 with a pair of two-run doubles for Boston, which won just its second opener in eight seasons.

Houston Street (0-1) couldn't hold a 4-3 lead in the ninth for the A's and suffered the loss after surrendering three runs and three hits in 1 2/3 innings of work.

Brandon Moss, who was playing after J.D. Drew was scratched with a balky back, was 2-for-5 with a home run and an RBI single.

Hideki Okajima (1-0), a former star with both the Yomiuri Giants and Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, earned the win with a scoreless ninth. Jonathan Papelbon worked a shaky 10th for the save.

Jack Hannahan and Mark Ellis both homered for the Athletics, who lost their 11th opener in the past 15 seasons. Crosby was 2-for-5 with an RBI for Oakland.

Joe Blanton, making his first-ever Opening Day start, was solid early for the A's but imploded in the sixth. The big right-hander surrendered three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

The game also featured the return of Red Sox star pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka to Japan. Matsuzaka struggled with his command early but settled down and grinded out five innings for the Red Sox. The former Seibu Lions star allowed two runs on just two hits but walked five, while striking out six en route to a no- decision.

Jon Lester will get the start for the Red Sox in the Japanese finale, as he looks to build upon a solid 2007 campaign that saw him return from cancer. Lester appeared in 12 games (11 starts) last season and was a perfect 4-0 with a 4.57 ERA.

Lester, who has yet to record a decision in two starts against the A's, also started the deciding Game 4 of last year's World Series, as he limited the Colorado Rockies to three hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

Theses teams split their eight matchups a year ago, but Oakland has won 11 of the last 20 matchups.

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.