Pirates release 2014 regular season schedule

The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced their 2014 regular season schedule, which will feature interleague play with the American League East, including home games with the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox.

The interleague schedule also includes a home-and-home series with Pirates' interleague rivals the Detroit Tigers as the Bucs are slated to host the Tigers for two games on August 11 and 12 and visit Comerica on August 13 and 14.

For the third consecutive season the Bucs will open at PNC Park as they play host to National League Central Division rival Chicago Cubs on Monday, March 31. This marks the second-straight year the team opens the season with the Cubs at home.

In fact, the first 14 home games in April will be against N.L. Central Division rivals as the Cubs, Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds visit PNC Park respectively. There will be a total of 39 N.L. Central Divisional home games throughout the regular season as the team's battle for the divisional crown.

Highlights of the 2014 regular season schedule include:

• March 31 thru April 6 - Opening three-game series vs. the Cubs followed a weekend series against the Cardinals.
• May 2 thru May 11 - The Toronto Blue Jays will visit PNC Park for the first three games of a nine-game homestand also featuring three games apiece against San Francisco Giants and Cardinals.
• May 20 thru May 25 - The Orioles return to PNC Park for the first two games of a six-game homestand also featuring four games vs. Washington Nationals.
• July 18 thru 23 - The Pirates open the second-half of the season at home as they welcome N.L. West opponents the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers for three games each following the All-Star break.
• August 5 thru August 12 - As part of the final two games of an eight-game homestand, the Pirates will host their interleague rival Detroit Tigers for two games on August 11 and 12.
• September 12 thru September 21 - The final homestand of the 2014 season will be highlighted by the return of the Red Sox and interdivision games with the Cubs and Brewers. The three-game series against the Red Sox from Tuesday, September 16 thru Thursday, September 18 will be the third time the Bucs have hosted the Red Sox at PNC Park (also 2003 and 2011).

The entire 2014 schedule can be viewed online here. All dates and opponents are subject to change. Game times and promotions will be announced at a later date.