Pittsburgh Pirates 2016 Begins And Ends Vs. Cardinals
By Larry Snyder
The Pittsburgh Pirates released their tentative 2016 schedule Tuesday. The battle for the National League Central gets started with the first pitch as Clint Hurdle’s squad opens with the pesky St. Louis Cardinals. The Bucs and Redbirds clash again to close out the campaign.
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The last time the Cards came to PNC Park for the Pirates home opener was April 9, 2007. It could be possible that you and I will be watching a rematch of the National League playoffs along the North Shore in April.
The two rivals play three games in four days from April 4th to the 7th. Pittsburgh sails down the river to Cincinnati for a trio of contests April 8-10 against the Reds.
The Pirates swing into interleague action April 11-12, as they go to Detroit for two games against the Tigers. The crew of the Jolly Roger come back to the Burgh for two more contests April 13-14 against Detroit.
The remaining American League teams spread out their visits to PNC Park in June, July, and August. Albert Pujois, Mike Trout and the rest of the Los Angeles Angels come to town June 3-5. The Seattle Mariners, led by Felix Hernandez and Robinson Canoe, drop anchor July 26-27. The Houston Astros, who are currently in first place in the American League West this season, arrive August 22-24.
The first stop for the Pirates when they are away in interleague play is May 27-29 in Texas to face the Rangers. They travel to Seattle June 28-29 to take on the Mariners. Pittsburgh stops over in Oakland July 1-3 to duel with the Athletics.
Pittsburgh Pirates
There are a pair of 10-game road trips on tap for the Pirates next season. They go out west April 19-28 to meet up with the San Diego Padres, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Colorado Rockies. The second such sojourn is Sept. 12-22 as they hook up against the Reds, the cross-state rival Philadelphia Phillies, and the cursed Milwaukee Brewers.
Pittsburgh will not be docked along the North Shore on Memorial Day as they will be in Miami to play the Marlins. They will also be out of town over the Fourth of July taking on the Cardinals. The crew of the Jolly Roger will be home Labor Day weekend for another series with St. Louis.
As we mentioned before, the Pirates conclude 2016 facing the Cardinals, but they will be at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The two rivals have a three-game set on September 30 through October 2.
Let’s not be too hasty to embrace 2016 campaign. There is plenty of battling Buccos baseball to appreciate this season. However, I do believe there is a good chance that all of us will be celebrating another playoff run next October, too.
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