Mariners to start 2014 season in Anaheim
Home opener tentatively scheduled for April 8 against Angels
SEATTLE -- For the sixth straight year, the Mariners will open the season on the road, according to the tentative 2014 schedule released Tuesday by Major League Baseball. But the club does get a new Opening Day foe this time, traveling to Anaheim to face the Angels.
Seattle has opened at Oakland the past four years and kicked things off in Minnesota in 2009, so Safeco Field hasn't hosted an Opening Day game since '08.
The Mariners open with a three-game set in Anaheim from March 31-April 2, then head to Oakland for four games from April 3-6.
Seattle's home opener will be Tuesday, April 8, against the Angels. The Mariners will face the Angels for two games in that series, then have a day off before hosting the A's in a three-game weekend set on April 11-13.
The Angels and Mariners also play each other in the final series of the season at Safeco Field at Sept. 26-28.
Among the home highlights for 2014 are a three-game series with the Yankees on June 10-12 and a trio of games with the Red Sox on June 23-25.
Seattle plays the National League East in Interleague Play, with home series against the Mets (July 21-23), Braves (Aug. 5-6) and Nationals (Aug. 29-31). The Mariners will travel to Miami (April 18-20), Atlanta (June 3-4) and Philadelphia (Aug. 18-20).
The Padres and Mariners will play their traditional Interleague rivalry series in Seattle on June 16-17 and in San Diego on June 18-19. That gives the Mariners 20 crossover games, the same number as in 2013 when Interleague Play was revamped.
The Mariners will play a heavy dose of American League West games out of the chute, with 22 of their first 25 contests against division rivals. The only non-division foes in the first month will be the Marlins on April 18-20 in their second road trip and then the Yankees in New York on April 29-May 1.
The longest homestand of the year will be an 11-game run from May 22-June 1 with four games with the Astros and Angels and then three with the Tigers.
The announced 2014 schedule and start times are tentative and subject to change. The official schedule, with complete home and road start times, will be released in January.