NEW YORK -- At some point over the next couple of weeks, the Giants will turn their attention to 2019. If you're the type that occasionally travels to watch the team play, you don't have to wait any longer to turn the calendar.
Major League Baseball released the 2019 schedule Wednesday, and for the Giants, it's an interesting one. They'll play some powerhouses in interleague play, host some old friends, and enjoy the rare in-season date night. There's also the usual slate of Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Rockies and Padres, of course.
Here's what you need to know about next season's schedule:
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1. The Return of Matt Duffy
The Rays have become kind of the Giants East, so as weird as it is that they’re the first to visit AT&T Park next year, it’s also somewhat appropriate. The Giants open the season March 28 in San Diego and then visit Los Angeles before returning home for an April 5 home opener against the Rays. Christian Arroyo and Sergio Romo could also be back, and Evan Longoria will get a first look at his old club.
2. Harper Returns Home
Kidding. Kind of. Maybe? The Giants plan to go heavy on Bryce Harper this offseason, and while it’s a long shot, the second road trip does take them to Washington D.C. from April 15-17. (The early guess here is that Harper is a Cub; the Giants host Chicago at the end of July.)
San Francisco Giants
3. Facing the East
Interleague play means the Rays and Yankees at home in April and a visit to Toronto as part of a home-and-home. Giancarlo Stanton will make his first visit to AT&T Park since spurning the landlords. The Giants visit Baltimore at the end of May and also return to Fenway Park in September.
4. Some Oddities
The Giants are off on Friday, August 23. Yes, you read that correctly. A scheduled Friday off. That weekend series is, for whatever reason, just two games in Oakland, so the Giants will return from Chicago on Thursday night and enjoy an unprecedented Friday night off at home. They also have a scheduled double-header, extremely rare in today’s game. The Diamondbacks come in for four games at the end of June and the teams will play a doubleheader on June 28. The Giants are also off on July 4, which almost never happens, and should be nice for the players.
5. Strange Finish
The final road games this season will be played in St. Louis, not an NL West city. Next year, the final road trip takes the Giants to Boston and Atlanta. The Pirates and Marlins also visit AT&T Park next September. The final homestand of the 2019 season is a bit more traditional, with the Rockies coming in and then the Dodgers and Giants finishing the regular season at AT&T Park for a second straight year.