Mariners’ 2015 schedule includes opener at home, easier travel

Major League Baseball has released the tentative 2015 schedules of all 30 teams, and right off the top, the Mariners’ has a nice surprise.

For the first time since 2008, the team will open at home. The Mariners will host the Angels at Safeco Field on Monday, April 6 at 1:10 to start their season. They will play three games against the Angels then embark on their first road trip, heading to Oakland for three games against the A’s then to Los Angeles for three against the Dodgers.

Interleague play will be against the National League West and include the three games against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, two against the Giants in San Francisco (June 15-16), two in San Diego (June 30- July 1) and three in Denver against the Rockies (Aug. 3-5).

The Mariners will host the Padres May 12-13, the Giants June 17-18, the Diamondbacks July 27-29 and the Rockies Sept. 11-13.

The travel is friendlier for the team in the new schedule.

The Mariners are scheduled to travel 43,200 miles in 2015 as compared to 51,540 in 2014. Travel in the first month is confined to the AL West and NL West. Some of the tougher East-Coast travel is knocked out in a three-city trip. There are back-to-back trips ending in Tampa and then starting in Cleveland, but a long homestand is between them.

In September there are 13 home games, three days off and just three games on the road out of division against the Royals. This year the Mariners had just nine home games and one day off in September, and this Sunday they will take off on a road trip taking them to Los Angeles, Houston and Toronto before heading home for the final three games of the regular season.

The Mariners will play at home on Mother’s Day (May 10 against Oakland), Father’s Day (June 21 against Houston) and Labor Day (Sept. 7 against Texas).

The entire schedule can be viewed here.

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