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Red Sox’ 2011 Schedule Highlighted by Chicago Cubs’ Trip to Fenway Park

The Chicago Cubs will visit Fenway Park for the first time since the 1918 World Series next season, highlighting the 2011 edition of the Red Sox' schedule, which was released Tuesday.

Boston and Chicago have met just once since interleague play began in 1997. That came in 2005, when the Sox visited Wrigley Field for a three-game series.

The visit from the Cubs from May 20-22 will be one of three to Fenway Park by National League teams. The San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers will also invade Boston in back-to-back three-game series in June. The road interleague slate includes series in Houston, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

The Red Sox open the season April 1 in Texas and then play three more at Cleveland before opening the home schedule against the New York Yankees for the second straight year. The first of six Yankees series will take place April 8-10.

Boston and New York meet in Fenway again Aug. 5-7 and Aug. 30-Sept. 1. The Yankees host the Sox three times: May 13-15, June 7-9 and Sept. 23-25.

At the end of April, the Red Sox will begin a stretch that sees them play 18 of 23 games at home, including a season-high 11-game homestand against Seattle, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Minnesota.

Prior to the season opener at Texas on Friday, April 1, Boston will visit Houston's Minute Maid Park for two exhibition games against the Astros, giving managers and old friends Terry Francona and Brad Mills a chance to meet up.

Five openers are scheduled in other cities on Thursday, March 31, as Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig makes an effort to have the World Series end in October. By contrast, this year's Fall Classic could last as late as Nov. 4.

The regular season ends Wednesday, Sept. 28, the first time since 1990 it has not ended on a Sunday.

The Red Sox' complete 2011 schedule is available at redsox.com.