Tigers' 2014 slate kicks off March 31 against Royals

CHICAGO -- The Tigers will get another shot at their 2012 World Series foes, the San Francisco Giants, at Comerica Park. It'll just be a couple of years later than Detroit might have wanted.

Major League Baseball released its 2014 schedule on Tuesday, including an Interleague slate that will pit the Tigers against the best of the National League West. That includes a late-season visit from the Giants to the same field where they clinched their second World Series championship in three years last October.

Just like this year, Interleague Play will be spread out throughout the '14 season. The Giants will visit Comerica Park for a three-game series Sept. 5-7. The Los Angeles Dodgers, the runaway leaders in this year's NL West, will visit Detroit for a two-game series July 8-9 as part of a home-and-home series that will send the Tigers to Dodger Stadium for two games April 8-9.

The Tigers will open the 2014 season at home against the Kansas City Royals on Monday, March 31. After an April 1 off-day, they'll resume the series April 2-3 before the Baltimore Orioles visit Detroit for three games April 4-6.

After a quick trip to the West Coast for two games with the Dodgers and a three-game series in San Diego April 11-14, the Tigers will continue a home-heavy early schedule with a 10-game homestand April 15-24 against the Indians, Angels and White Sox.

Other home highlights include a three-game visit from the Boston Red Sox on June 6-8, and three games with the New York Yankees from Aug. 26-28.

Aside from the Giants, the Tigers will again play a division-heavy September slate, closing with a seven-game homestand against the White Sox and Twins from Sept. 22-28.

The Tigers last played the NL West in Interleague Play in 2011, going 5-7 against Arizona, Colorado, Los Angeles and San Francisco. They haven't faced the Padres since 2008, when they took two out of three at Petco Park.

The Tigers and Dodgers have actually become relatively common Interleague opponents in recent years. Next year will mark their fourth series in six years, including three visits to Dodger Stadium in five seasons. Barring a World Series meeting, however, it'll be their first meeting with Dodgers superstar outfielder Yasiel Puig.

The resulting matchups with the NL West will mean an extra trip to the West Coast. The Tigers ventured to California only once this season, and that was a three-city visit in April to Oakland, Seattle and Anaheim that made their travels easier over the season's second half.