The Washington Nationals announced their 2017 schedule on Wednesday, in conjunction with Major League Baseball, revealing an 81-game home slate that will begin on Opening Day, April 3, at Nationals Park vs. the Miami Marlins. The 84^th home opener in D.C. since 1901 will mark the sixth Opening Day hosted by the Nationals since baseball returned to D.C. in 2005.
Nationals Park will open its gates for 13 homestands, two of which will span 10 days or more, and include 13 weekend series. The home schedule will be highlighted by visits from the American League West in Interleague play. The Nationals will welcome the Seattle Mariners (May 23-25), Texas Rangers (June 9-11), and the Los Angeles Angels (August 15 & 16), and will visit the Oakland Athletics (June 2-4), the Angels (July 18 & 19), and the Houston Astros (August 22-24).
The Nationals will celebrate with holiday crowds twice in 2017, first with a day to honor mom, Mother's Day, on May 14 against divisional-foe Philadelphia, and concluding with the annual Fourth of July contest, as the division-rival New York Mets visit the nation's capital for the nation's birthday.
Weekends at Nationals Park will feature visits from the Phillies (April 14-16, May 12-14, Sept. 7-10), Mets (April 28-30, Aug. 25-27), San Diego Padres (May 26-28), Rangers (June 9-11), Cincinnati Reds (June 23-25), Atlanta Braves (July 7-9), Colorado Rockies (July 28-30), San Francisco Giants (Aug. 11-13), Los Angeles Dodgers (Sept. 15-17), and Pittsburgh Pirates (Sept. 28-Oct. 1). May (14 games), August (15), and September/October (15) will be the busiest months at Nationals Park.
The Nationals' road slate features an entire week in the Bay Area as Washington will travel to San Francisco to play the Giants May 29-31, and, following an off day, open a weekend set with the Athletics across the bay in Oakland from June 2-4. That particular trip will take place exclusively in the Golden State, as the Nationals will conclude their west coast swing with three games at Dodger Stadium, June 5-7. Washington will also travel west to Colorado (April 24-27), Los Angeles (AL, July 18-19), Arizona (July 21-23), and San Diego (Aug. 17-20).
The annual Beltway Series with the Baltimore Orioles will take place in May during a four-game home-and-home. The Nationals will travel to Baltimore as part of a brief, five-game trip that begins with three games in Philadelphia (May 5-7) and concludes with two at Camden Yards May 8 and 9. The two Mid-Atlantic teams will then head down to D.C. to finish up the series with two at Nationals Park, May 10 and 11. The Nationals conclude that homestand with three games against the Phillies (May 12-14) -- closing a 10-game span of games exclusively against Philadelphia and Baltimore.
Eighteen of the Nationals' first 25 games will come against divisional foes, and Washington will finish the season playing 25 of their final 36 games within the National League East as well. The Nationals will conclude the 2017 regular season with a four-game weekend homestand that will feature the Pittsburgh Pirates (Sept. 28-Oct. 1).
All dates and opponents on this schedule are subject to change. To secure the best seats at the best price and access to 2016 Postseason tickets with a 2017 NATS PLUS Membership, visit nationals.com/natsplus, call 202.675.NATS(6287) or email at [email protected].