The Pittsburgh Pirates still have 15 days before beginning their 2020 campaign, but they now know what next season's slate of games will look like.
On Thursday, in accordance with Major League Baseball, the Pirates released their schedule for the 2021 season. The season, which will return to a full 162-game slate, will begin on Thursday, April 1.
Here are some highlights from the Pirates schedule for next season:
Opening Day/Opening Series
The Pirates open the 2021 season with three games on the road at Wrigley Field vs the Chicago Cubs from Thursday, April 1 to Sunday, April 4. This will be the first time the Pirates open in Chicago since 2011, when Neil Walker hit a game-winning grand slam en route to a 6-3 victory in their first game under Clint Hurdle.
Home Opener
The Chicago Cubs come to town for the Pirates' home opener at PNC Park on Thursday, April 8. The Pirates last hosted for the Cubs on Opening Day in 2014, when Neil Walker hit a 10th inning, walkoff homerun to give the Pirates a 1-0 victory.
Memorial Day
The Pirates will travel to Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City for a Memorial Day matchup with the Kansas City Royals on Monday, May 31. The teams will meet during the 2020 season with three games in Kansas City. The Pirates and Royals last met in 2018, when the Pirates swept Kansas City at PNC Park in late September, thanks to two walkoff hits from catchers Jacob Stallings and Ryan Lavarnway.
Father's Day
The Pirates will welcome in the rival Cleveland Indians for a Father's Day weekend series from Friday, June 18 to Sunday, June 20. The two teams will meet twice during the 2020 season, however. The Pirates last played the Indians in July of 2018, when they won the first two meetings of a three-game series before the Indians snapped the Pirates' 11-game winning streak with a 4-0 victory in the final game of the series.
Independence Day
The Pirates conclude a four-game weekend series with a 4th of July meeting against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on Sunday, July 4. Aside from 2020 (no game), this marks the eighth time in 11 seasons that the Pirates play at home on Independence Day. In 2019, the Pirates were defeated at home by the Chicago Cubs, 11-3, on the 4th of July, failing to accomplish a rare four-game sweep.
Lots of Milwaukee and St. Louis
From the end of July to the end of August, the Pirates will become very comfortable at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, as well as the Brewers and Cardinals feeling at home at PNC Park. During this span, the Pirates will host the Brewers twice (July 27-July 29, August 13-August 15) and travel to Milwaukee once (August 2-August 4). They will also host the Cardinals twice (August 10-August 12, August 26-August 29), while traveling to St. Louis once (August 20-August 22).
Chicago Roadtrip/Labor Day
The Pirates will begin the final month of the season with a long roadtrip in Chicago. Pittsburgh will play a two-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field vs the White Sox on Tuesday, August 31st and Wednesday, September 1st before playing four at Wrigley Field vs the Cubs from Thursday, September 2nd through Sunday, September 5th. The following day, the Pirates will return to PNC Park to host the rival Detroit Tigers on Labor Day.
To honor the 20th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks, the Pirates will play host to the Washington Nationals on Saturday, September 11th. On that horrific day, The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. was attacked, while another flight, Flight 93, crashed into a field in nearby Somerset County.
On that same day, the New York Mets will host the New York Yankees at Citi Field in Queens, setting up an incredibly patriotic day in New York City and across the entire United States of America.
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