New York Yankees open and close 2010 season at Boston Red Sox

Yankees open and close next season at Boston

NEW YORK — The Yankees will open and close the 2010 season against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, just the fifth time in 50 years the rivals both start and finish against each other.

Most openers are set for April 5, Major League Baseball said Tuesday. In the past 50 years, the Yankees also opened and closed against Boston in 1960, 1970, 1992 and 2005, according to STATS LLC. The only times they both started and finished in Boston were 1938 and 1950.

“I don’t know why we open up north, anyway. It makes more sense to open on the West Coast or somewhere warm,” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said.

It seems likely ESPN will shift the Yankees and Red Sox for the Sunday night game on April 4

“It’ll be cold. We know that for sure,” Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia said, laughing. “To get in there right away and mix it up will definitely be good for baseball. I’m sure it’ll be like a Sunday night baseball game or something like that, so that’ll be cool.”

New York plays Boston six times in its last 10 games.

“When they start selling tickets, people will start rushing to get that last series,” Jeter said.

Other AL openers April 5 are Cleveland at Chicago, Detroit at Kansas City, Minnesota at Los Angeles, Seattle at Oakland and Toronto at Texas. Baltimore starts at Tampa Bay the following day.

All NL teams are to open April 5: San Diego at Arizona, Chicago at Atlanta, St. Louis at Cincinnati, San Francisco at Houston, Colorado at Milwaukee, Florida at New York, Los Angeles at Pittsburgh and Philadelphia at Washington.

Outdoor baseball officially returns to Minneapolis on April 12 when the Twins host Boston in the first game that counts at Target Field. Minnesota is to host St. Louis in exhibitions on April 2-3.

Other AL home openers include Cleveland at Detroit and Toronto at Baltimore (April 9); Texas at Cleveland, Oakland at Seattle and Chicago at Toronto (April 12); and Los Angeles at New York (April 13).

In the NL, remaining home openers have San Diego at Colorado, Los Angeles at Florida and Atlanta at San Francisco (April 9); Milwaukee at Chicago, Washington at Philadelphia, Houston at St. Louis and Atlanta at San Diego (April 12); and Arizona at Los Angeles (April 13).

The 14th season of interleague play starts with series from May 21-23 and continues with interleague games from June 11-27. Among the pairings are the Mets at Baltimore in a rematch of the 1969 World Series (June 11-13), Atlanta at Minnesota in a rematch of the 1991 World Series (June 11-13), the Yankees at Arizona in a rematch of the 2001 World Series (June 21-23), Cincinnati at Oakland in a rematch of the 1972 and 1990 World Series (June 21-23), Boston at Colorado in a rematch of the 2007 World Series (June 22-24) and Philadelphia at Toronto in a rematch of the 1993 World Series (June 25-27).

The Yankees and the Dodgers, who met in 10 World Series, play in Los Angeles from June 25-27. The Dodgers, led by former Yankees manager Joe Torre, are the only NL team that hasn’t been to the Yankees in interleague play.

“It’s always good to see Mr. T. It will be kind of weird to face him in another uniform. I’m sure it will be awkward, though it will be stranger to see Donnie in another uniform,” Jeter said, referring to coach Don Mattingly. “We’ve seen Mr. T in different uniforms, but I’ve never seen Donnie in anything but a Yankees uniform.”

Manny Ramirez returns to Fenway Park with the Dodgers from June 18-20.

The Angels host the All-Star game July 13.

AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.