Pittsburgh Pirates Unveil 2015 Regular-Season MLB Schedule

Mar 31, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; The Pittsburgh Pirates stand for the national anthem prior to the first inning of an opening day baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking ahead to more compelling playoff-chase baseball this month, and hopefully a return to the postseason come October.

However, the Bucs jumped even further ahead Monday, when they joined the other 29 MLB teams in unveiling their full 2015 regular-season schedule.

The Pirates’ 162-game slate, which can be viewed in calendar form here, begins on a particularly late date, April 6. Symmetrically, the Bucs will start the new year in the same place they’ll end this season: Cincinnati.

Following a six-game road stretch against familiar foes in the Reds and Brewers, the Pirates will make history for their home opener, which is set for Monday, April 13 against the Tigers at PNC Park. (See sortable schedule.)

For the first time in Pittsburgh’s century-plus of major-league baseball, an American League team will serve as the first home opponent. For the fourth consecutive year, the Pirates and Tigers will play a pair of series against each other, with Pittsburgh traveling to Detroit June 30-July 2 for a return engagement.

Elsewhere in interleague play, the Bucs will face the Twins and White Sox four times each – twice in each ballpark – plus a three-game home series against the Indians over the Fourth of July weekend and a trip to Kansas City to face the Royals.

As usual, the Pirates will see every other National League squad home and away, including 19 matchups against NL Central rivals St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cincinnati and the Cubs. Pittsburgh will finish 2015 on the North Side, the first time they’ve done so in three seasons. The regular-season finale will be Sunday, Oct. 4 against the Reds.

The Bucs will feature a pair of 10-game homestands next season, starting right off the bat. The Tigers, Brewers and Cubs come to town from April 13-23, while Pittsburgh will host Indians, Cardinals and Padres in succession from July 3-12.

On the other side of the coin, the Pirates have two 10-game road trips scheduled in 2015.