Bucs open exhibition season against Phillies on Feb. 27
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates open their spring schedule Feb. 27 against the Philadelphia Phillies in Bradenton, Fla., the first of their 32 exhibition games. The Pirates will twice play split-squad games, against the Reds on March 7 and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on March 12, with each team playing a home game that day.
As usual, the Pirates’ most frequent spring opponent is Cincinnati, which trains in nearby Sarasota. The Pirates and Reds will play six times.
With the Texas Rangers abandoning their camp in Port Charlotte, Fla., the Pirates will play more games than usual against the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins, which train in Fort Myers. The Pirates will meet each team four times.
Last spring, the Pirates met the Red Sox only once and the Twins three times.
The Pirates will play the New York Yankees twice, March 8 in Tampa and March 21 in Bradenton.
There is only one night game on the schedule, the March 7 split-game game at Sarasota. The Pirates played three night exhibition games last spring.
The Pirates open the season March 31 against the Reds in the first game in Cincinnati’s new ballpark.
The Pirates’ exhibition schedule, with all games at 1:05 p.m., unless noted:
Feb. 27, Phillies, at Bradenton; 28, Indians, at Winter Haven.
March 1, Red Sox at Fort Myers; 2, Reds, at Bradenton; 3, Twins, at Bradenton; 4, Blue Jays, at Dunedin; 5, Devil Rays, at Bradenton; 6, Reds, at Sarasota; 7, Reds (ss) at Bradenton; Reds (ss), at Sarasota, 7:05 p.m.; 8, Yankees, at Tampa, 1:15 p.m.; 9, Indians, at Bradenton; 10, Red Sox, at Bradenton; 11, Twins, at Fort Myers; 12; Devil Rays (ss), at Bradenton; Devil Rays (ss), at St. Petersburg; 13, Astros, at Bradenton; 14, Phillies, at Clearwater; 15, Phillies, at Bradenton.
16, Red Sox, at Fort Myers; 17, Twins, at Bradenton; 18, off; 19, Astros, at Kissimmee; 20, Reds, at Sarasota; 21, Yankees, at Bradenton; 22, Devil Rays, at St. Petersburg; 23, Blue Jays, at Bradenton; 24, Blue Jays, at Dunedin; 25, Red Sox, at Bradenton; 26, Twins, at Fort Myers; 27, Reds, at Bradenton; 28, Tigers, at Lakeland; 29, Tigers, at Bradenton.