Major League Baseball has announced its tentative 2014 schedule, and here's a couple highlights and a brief breakdown of who the Rays will face:
March/April: 4 vs TOR / 3 vs TEX / 3 at KC / 3 at CIN / 3 at BAL / 4 vs NYY / 3 vs MIN / 4 at CWS / 3 at BOS
May: 3 at NYY / 3 vs BAL / 3 vs CLE / 3 at SEA / 4 at LAA / 3 vs OAK / 3 vs BOS / 3 at TOR / 3 at BOS
June: 2 at MIA / 2 vs MIA / 4 vs SEA / 2 vs STL / 3 at HOU / 3 vs BAL / 4 vs HOU / 3 vs PIT / 3 at BAL
July: 3 at NYY / 4 at DET / 3 vs KC / 3 vs TOR / 3 at MIN / 2 at STL / 3 vs BOS / 3 vs MIL
August: 3 vs LAA / 3 at OAK / 3 at CHC / 4 at TEX / 3 vs NYY / 3 vs DET / 3 at TOR / 4 at BAL / 4 vs BOS
September: 3 vs TOR / 3 vs BAL / 3 at NYY / 3 at TOR / 3 vs NYY / 3 vs CWS / 3 at BOS / 3 at CLE
*Bold indicates a home, weekend series.
*Months are rounded, some series split between the end of one month and the beginning of the next.
Notes:
- The season will kick off early as the Dodgers and Diamondbacks globe-trot down-under, playing March 22nd and 23rd in Australia. The Rays season starts on March 31 at 4:10 EST against the Blue Jays.
- The Rays are on the road in Detroit for the Fourth of July.
- The Rays fly twice to the West Coast on a Sunday night, and will have one hell of an August: Play LA, fly to Oakland, fly to Chicago, fly to Dallas, and then start a raucous AL East tour with some Detroit mixed in.
- Bud Selig promised to step in on the stadium situation, and his office has granted the Rays three home weekend series against Boston, and two against New York. Take that, attendance!
- Interleague play: the Rays will host the Brewers, Cardinals, Marlins, and Pirates; visit the Cardinals, Cubs, Marlins, and Reds.
- Days of rest down the stretch: Monday Aug 18 (home), Monday Sept 8 (travel), Thursday Sept 18 (home), Monday Sept 22 (travel). Illustrated:
August: ... 3 vs NYY / * / 3 vs DET / 3 at TOR / 4 at BAL / 4 vs BOS
September: 3 vs TOR / 3 vs BAL / * / 3 at NYY / 3 at TOR / 3 vs NYY / * / 3 vs CWS / * / 3 at BOS / 3 at CLE
UPDATE: 3:00 PM
The Rays have uploaded the full schedule to their website, available in PDF form:
via RaysBaseball.com