After one of the most exciting offseasons in the team's history, the Boston Red Sox open their 2011 schedule -- full of high expectations and World Series dreams -- on Friday, part two of Major League Baseball's Opening Day (six games on Thursday officially begin the new campaign).
The Red Sox open on the road, as is often the case while they wait for Boston to further its transition from the cold winter to the slightly less-cold early spring, taking on the defending American League champion Texas Rangers at 4:05 p.m. ET (ESPN). Jon Lester, Cy Young hopeful, takes the ball for the Red Sox; he'll be opposed by the Rangers' C.J. Wilson.
After the three-game series with Texas, the Red Sox head to Cleveland for three games before their home opener on April 8 (against the Yankees, of course). Don't worry about missing too much of the Sox if you're not in Boston: between ESPN, FOX, TBS and MLB Network, eight of their first 11 games are nationally televised, including the complete series against New York.
A quick glimpse as Boston's first nine games (5.56 percent of the season), including TV broadcast channels (all games are shown on NESN except for Saturday and Sunday's games with the Yankees):
April 1, at Texas Rangers, 4:05 PM (ESPN)
April 2, at Texas Rangers, 8:05 PM (MLBN)
April 3, at Texas Rangers, 2:05 PM (TBS)
April 5, at Cleveland Indians, 7:05 PM
April 6, at Cleveland Indians, 7:05 PM
April 7, at Cleveland Indians, 12:05 PM (MLBN)
April 8, New York Yankees, 2:05 PM (MLBN)
April 9 New York Yankees, 1:10 PM (FOX)
April 10 New York Yankees, 8:05 PM (ESPN)