Texas Rangers to open 2014 season with Philadelphia on March 31 at home
Rangers will also host Braves, Marlins, and Rockies in interleague play
The Texas Rangers will open the 2014 regular season at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, March 31. The complete 2014 schedule was announced today by Major League Baseball.
It will mark the fifth time in the last six years and the 24th time overall Texas has opened a year at home. It will be the first time that the Rangers have played a National League opponent in a season opener. The Rangers and Phillies will also play on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 1-2. Texas then goes on the road for three games each at Tampa Bay, April 4-6, and Boston, April 7-9, while the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four is taking place in Arlington, April 5-7.
The Rangers return to Arlington for a 10-game homestand, April 11-20 with series against Houston (3), Seattle (4), and the Chicago White Sox (3).
With 15 teams in each league, interleague play will take place throughout the entire regular season for the second straight year. Clubs will again play 19 games against division opponents (76 total games) and either six or seven contests vs. non-divisional league opponents in home and home series (66 total games). Each club will also play 20 interleague games throughout the regular season over eight series, four each at home and on the road. Interleague series featuring "prime" rivals will include back-to-back two-game series spanning both cities.
Texas will play 19 times each versus A.L. West Division foes Houston, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Seattle. The Rangers "prime" interleague rival in 2014 will be the Colorado Rockies. Texas and Colorado will play home and home two-game series, May 5-6 at Coors Field and May 7-8 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
In addition to Philadelphia and Colorado, the remainder of the Rangers interleague play in 2014 features home series with the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins and series on the road with the New York Mets, Washington Nationals, and the Marlins. Texas and Miami will play home and home two-game series while the other four interleague meetings will be three-game sets.
The club also plays its final seven games of the regular season at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, hosting the Astros for three games and the A's for four contests, September 22-28.
Game times for the 2014 schedule will be announced at a later date.