Blue Jays to start '16 on road vs. Rays
Home opener set for April 8 against Red Sox
BOSTON -- Coming off what they hope to be a successful run to and through the postseason, the Blue Jays will open the 2016 season in enemy territory for the third year in a row, playing the first of four games against the Rays at Tropicana Field on April 4.
In conjunction with Major League Baseball, the Blue Jays released their tentative schedule for next season on Tuesday. The slate features Interleague series against the National League West and a four-game home-and-home matchup with the Phillies. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will get a crack at his former club when the team travels to Colorado for three games against the Rockies from June 27-29. One month later, the Blue Jays welcome the Padres to Rogers Centre for the first time since Interleague Play was instituted from July 25-27.
Toronto plays its home opener against the Red Sox on April 8, with first pitch set for 7:07 p.m. ET, in the first of a three-game weekend series. The team then hosts the Yankees for three games from April 12-14. The Blue Jays close out the regular season in Boston on Oct. 2.
• Tentative 2016 Blue Jays schedule
Other notable dates on the calendar include a home matchup against the Indians on Canada Day, another home game against the Yankees on Memorial Day and a three-game clash against the Giants in San Francisco on May 9-11.
The Blue Jays play 27 of their first 49 games away from Rogers Centre, and they have only 10 home games scheduled for the month of June. In July, however, 19 of 24 games take place in Toronto.
Fortunately for the Blue Jays, they will have their travel spread out. Excluding a three-city trek through Baltimore, St. Petersburg and New York from Aug. 29-Sept. 7, all of the team's road trips are seven games or fewer.