Reds 2013 Schedule Unveiled

The official release of all 30 MLB and their 2013 schedules was made earlier today. The Reds will open the season at home against a familiar face, but an unfamiliar team will be the opponent for the Reds on Opening Day and the Opening Series. Albert Pujols and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will visit Great American Ball Park on Monday, April 1. After taking the customary off day on the day after, the Reds and Angels will complete their three game series.

The Reds will play all NL Central teams (St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Chicago) 19 games each in the new divisional “format” as the Houston Astros make the move to the AL West.

Here are some points from the schedule…

April 19, 2012; St. Louis, MO. USA; Ryan Hanigan is congratulated by bench coach Chris Speier after scoring on a hit by Joey Votto in the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Cincinnati defeated St. Louis 6-3. (Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE)

April
– The season’s first road trip will see the Reds travel to St. Louis for three (8th – 10th), then head to Pittsburgh for three (12th – 14th). Cincy will travel back to St. Louis at the end of the month with 2 games of a series taking place on the 29th and 30th. The last game of the series will be played on May 1st.
– The Reds and Nationals will play each other 7 times during the month (3 @ GABP, 4 @ Nationals Park), then no more for the rest of the year unless both teams square off in the playoffs.
– The Cubs first GABP visit will be the 22nd – 24th.
– A total of 16 home games are on tap for the month while there are 12 road games.

May
– Milwaukee will see GABP for the first time in 2013 from the 10th – 12th for three games.
– The Ohio Cup will assume a new format: 2 games at GABP (27th & 28th) immediately followed with 2 games at Progressive Field (29th & 30th).
– Of the 27 games scheduled, only 11 will be at home.

June
– The Cards make their first trip to Cincinnati for three games (7th – 9th).
– Pittsburgh will make their way to Great American for the first time in 2013 for four games (17th – 20th).
– The Reds have an 8-game road trip at the end of the month: 3 in Arizona, 2 in Oakland, and 3 in Texas.
– This is a balanced month as far as home and road games: 13 at home, 14 on the road.

Aug 7, 2012; Flushing, NY,USA; 2013 All Star Game logo is unveiled before the game between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. (Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE)

July
– All-Star Game at Citi Field is the 16th.
– Only 10 home games this month (of the total of 27 games scheduled) with 7 during the first week (4 v. SF, 3 v. SEA).
– End of the month has the “West Coast Swing”: 3 @ SF, 4 @ LAD, 3 @ SD. No off days during the trip.

August
– Oakland visits GABP for a pair (6th & 7th) which concludes AL teams visiting Cincinnati. This series comes in the midst of an 8-game, 10 day homestand at the beginning of the month.
– The Reds will be home for 15 games while hitting the road for a dozen.

September
– The Reds visit Houston for three (16th – 18th), the last interleague series of the season.
– Last series of the season…three against Pittsburgh at Great American.
– 16 home games, 10 on the road. The last six games are at home (3 v. Mets, 3 v. PIT)

Other Notes
– One thing that does jump out at you is the number of four-game series throughout the season…and one of those is NOT in Philadelphia for a change. April (MIA, @ WAS), June (@ Cubs, PIT), July (SF, @ LAD) and August (@ MIL, ARI) each have two. May has none while September has one (STL: 2nd – 5th). Notice in the months that have two, one is at home, the other is on the road.
– Yes, the Reds have two, two-game series against the A’s with each team hosting a series. That is the only AL West team Cincinnati will play in more than one series.
– There are the same number of home and road interleague games (10). This season, there were 15 interleague games with 9 of the 15 at GABP.