(via Tampa Bay Rays Communications) - The Tampa Bay Rays have released their 2019 regular-season schedule, and for the 10th consecutive season will play at home on Opening Day as the Houston Astros visit for a four-game series beginning on Thursday, March 28. All 30 major league clubs released their 2019 schedules today. The Rays schedule is subject to change, and game times will be announced at a later date. The 2019 Rays season is presented by Tampa General Hospital.
This will be the first time the Rays have faced an AL West opponent on Opening Day, and only the fourth time they have faced a club outside of the AL East, following March 31, 1998 vs. DET (a 11-6 loss), April 3, 2000 at MIN (a 7-0 win) and April 2, 2002 vs. DET (a 9-5 win). March 28 will mark the earliest Opening Day in Rays history, topping March 29, 2018 when they hosted the Boston Red Sox (a 6-4 win). They will open the season on a Thursday for a second consecutive year, after never having done so prior to 2017.
For the seventh straight season, Tampa Bay will play 20 interleague games, and they will oppose all five teams from the NL West and continue their annual home-and-home series with the Miami Marlins. The Rays play in the San Francisco Giants home opener on Friday, April 5, only the club’s second trip to San Francisco, following June 18-20, 2002. The Rays are scheduled to host the Colorado Rockies (April 1-3), Arizona Diamondbacks (May 6-8), Los Angeles Dodgers (May 21-22) and Marlins (August 3-4). The Rockies will be making only their second appearance at Tropicana Field, first since the Rays swept them in a three-game series from June 11-13, 2004. They will play interleague road series at San Francisco (April 5-7), Miami (May 14-15), San Diego (August 12-14) and Los Angeles (September 17-18).
The Rays will play 19 games against each of their AL East rivals, the Baltimore Orioles (9 home, 10 away), Red Sox (10 home, 9 away), New York Yankees (9 home, 10 away) and Toronto Blue Jays (10 home, 9 away). The schedule features two weekend series against both the Red Sox (April 19-21, September 20-23) and Yankees (May 10-12, July 4-7) at Tropicana Field.
The Rays will play seven games against the Cleveland Indians, Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics. The Rays will have six games apiece vs. the Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers.
For information on season tickets and group tickets for 2019, fans can call 888-FAN-RAYS to speak with a Rays representative.
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