The Pirates 2023 schedule is out and there are big changes coming.
The Bucs will open the season in Cincinnati for a three-game series on March 30. They’ll then head to Boston for three against the Red Sox before opening PNC Park on April 7 against the Chicago White Sox.
There will be a lot more American league showdowns, as you can tell from just the first three series of the season.
That’s because every MLB team will play each other, American and National, throughout the season.
It’s the first time in the modern era that every team will play each other.
That means there won’t be as many division games as there have been in years past.
Major League Baseball explains on their website why they are starting a more balanced schedule.
With the postseason format having already been expanded in 2022 to include three Wild Card spots in each league, it is more important for teams across each league to play more similar schedules. All wins and losses are counted the same, so a more balanced schedule conceivably limits the advantage a team from a weak division has over a team from a deep division in the Wild Card race.
Instead of playing 76 games against division opponents, the Pirates will play 52 games against their N.L.
Central foes.
Other teams of note coming to PNC Park next season include the Houston Astros April 10-12, Los Angeles Dodgers April 25-27, Toronto Blue Jays May 5-7, Cleveland Guardians July 17-19 and the New York Yankees come to Pittsburgh for the second straight year September 15-17.
All games can be heard on 93.7 The Fan and streaming on the Audacy app.
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