Crazy trip continues for Red Sox

LOS ANGELES -- Some road trip for the Red Sox.

"Japan, the United States and Canada. I guess they really want to see what we're made of," Boston's Sean Casey said with a smile.

After playing two exhibitions against teams in Japan and then opening the regular season by splitting two games against Oakland in Tokyo, the defending World Series champion Red Sox are back in America for a while.

They will play three exhibition games against Los Angeles, including Saturday night's "throwback" matchup at the Dodgers' former home in the Coliseum, before heading to Oakland to reopen the regular season against the Athletics in a two-game set. Then it's on to Toronto for a weekend series.

Before an optional workout at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, J.D. Drew noted that it will be many miles and quite a few more days before the Red Sox finally play their April 8 home opener.

"It's a long ways back to Boston, but we'll eventually make it," he said. "I don't think it's something you want to script every year, but I guess you do the best with what you're dealt."