Major league teams splitting up the schedule or playing elsewhere than either home field is not unusual. A few years back the Boston Red Sox opened the season in Japan with a split of a two-game series against the Oakland Athletics. The Red Sox were the defending world champions and in the first game Japanese native Hideki Okajima picked up the win in a ten inning contest.
The Red Sox also participated in two exhibition games against Japanese teams – the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants. Boston won both games before moving on to the two games against the A’s.