Breakdown of the Red Sox 2009 Schedule: April

With Spring Training right around the corner, I can barely contain my excitement. I'm going to break down the Red Sox 2009 schedule over a series of articles, with one article covering one month of the season.

We'll start with April.

April 6-9: Three game series vs. Tampa Bay Rays

With the 2009 Red Sox season getting underway, Fenway will serve as the stage for the first installment of the ALCS rematch. The pitching match ups currently shape up like this:

April 6: Scott Kazmir vs. Josh Beckett

April 8: James Shields vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka

April 9: Matt Garza vs. Jon Lester

With a totally revamped bullpen, it will be very interesting to see how Boston fares against their division foe.

April 10-12: Three games series @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Another familiar foe for the Red Sox. The Angels got messed up by Boston in the playoffs, and now they are without K-Rod, their great closer, and first baseman Mark Teixeira. Both went to a different New York team. However, the Red Sox have mightily struggled at the Angels' home park, so this could be another hard series for the Sox to start the year.

April 13-15: Three game series @ Oakland Athletics

Although the A's have a very good team heading into '09, I think this will be a breeze for Boston to take two games here. Despite a loaded bullpen and a majorly improved offense, Oakland has a young and inexperienced staff that will probably be knocked around by Boston's thumping veteran hitters.

April 17-20: Four game series vs. Baltimore Orioles

Like the Oakland series, this should be an easy series win for Boston. The Orioles have a great offense, but like Oakland, the pitching is not quite on a level to be competitive with Boston's seasoned lineup.

April 21-22: Two game series vs. Minnesota Twins

The Twins have a great young team, with a phenomenal small-ball offense and one of the most solid starting staffs in baseball. However, with a rather weak bullpen at this point, that will give the Twins some trouble here and there. But, the Twins always bring their 'A Game' for the Red Sox, and I think that will lead to a series split.

April 24-26: Three game series vs. New York Yankees

Finally, after nearly a whole month of regular season action, the rivalry is renewed. With the additions of Sabathia, Teixeira, and Burnett for the Yankees, the rivalry should be at its fiercest in years. The 2009 volume of the rivalry will kick off at Fenway Park on a Friday evening. Here's to a great year of Red Sox-Yankees action.

April 27-29: Three game series @ Cleveland Indians

With a team more comparable to it's 2007 form, Cleveland looks to bounce back and make up for ground lost in 2008. As the Indians look to lay claim to a weak AL Central, they battle the Red Sox, who are looking to stay afloat among one of the toughest divisions in the league.

April 30-May 3: Four game series @ Tampa Bay Rays

With the season series on a collision course to start and end the month with these two teams playing each other, it looks for some interesting action to end the inaugural month of the MLB season. However, this series will be a killer for the Red Sox, since the series moves to Tampa for this four-game set.

Buy your tickets, Bostonians! Only four games are sold out for April thus far!