In a play that was later called back following a review, Seattle Mariners catcher David Freitas, left, loses the ball as Oakland Athletics' Jonathan Lucroy is apparently safe at home in the third inning during a baseball game Saturday, April 14, 2018, in Seattle. After a review, Lucroy was sent back to third base and teammate Marcus Semien was ruled to have hit a ground rule double on the play and sent back to second base. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Athletics, Mariners to Open 2019 Season with 2-Game Series in Tokyo, Japan

Joseph ZuckerMay 1, 2018

The Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners will face off in Tokyo to start the 2019 regular season, MLB announced Tuesday.

The American League West rivals will play two games in Japan on March 20 and March 21 next year before returning to the United States.

This will be the second time the A's and Mariners head to Tokyo for a two-game series to get the regular season underway. They split a pair of games inside the Tokyo Dome in March 2012. Oakland made another trip to Tokyo in 2008, also splitting a two-game series with the Boston Red Sox.

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The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser first reported the plan in February, and Athletics manager Bob Melvin was enthusiastic about the prospect.

"If we're in the running, I'd be 100 percent all for it," he said. "Not only did we have a great time—it's a life lesson as much as anything—but it significantly helped our team come together in 2012."

The Tokyo series continues MLB's plans to increase its footprint internationally. The Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians played two games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in April, and the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers are preparing for a three-game set in Monterrey, Mexico, beginning Friday.