The 2012 Philadelphia Phillies begin their quest for a sixth straight NL East title with a series at PNC Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates and end their season with a three-game trip to Nationals Park for a series against the up-and-coming Washington Nationals.
Philadelphia Phillies Season Opener for 2012
Once again the Phillies begin their season well beyond April 1. The 162-game schedule opens with a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Long-time Phillies phans will recall the last time the Phillies opened a season against the Pittsburgh Pirates was 2004. In those pre-dynasty days, the Phillies were coached by Larry Bowa and finished 2nd in the NL East with a record of 86-76.
After dispensing with the Pirates, the Phillies will head home to Philadelphia and their home-opening series against the Florida Marlins. This early test against the Marlins has the potential to set the stage for a long season of battles against two NL East teams with a chance to threaten the Phillies at the top of the division. The Marlins and the Nationals have each made a lot of noise in the offseason with their marquee youngsters and acquisitions.
Philadelphia Phillies 2012 Interleague Games
The Phillies interleague schedule begins with a three-game homestand against the Boston Red Sox on May 18. Interleague play continues on June 8 with a nine-game road trip. The first stop will be a three-game series at the Baltimore Orioles followed by three-game sets at the Minnesota Twins (June 12-14) and Toronto Blue Jays (June 15-17). The Phillies' 2012 interleague schedule concludes with a three-game set at home against the Tampa Bay Rays (June 22-24).
If the Phillies' pitching rotation lines up properly, the Toronto series will allow Roy Halladay to once again face his former team. Halladay has another reason to look forward to interleague play in 2012. Beginning with Mark Buehrle's perfect game on July 23, 2009, the Rays have had three no-hitters thrown against them in the past three seasons. Dallas Braden also threw a perfect game against the Rays on May 9, 2010 and Edwin Jackson threw a no-hitter against the Rays on June 25, 2010.
Philadelphia Phillies 2012 Season-Ending Series
The final Phillies games of 2012 begin on October 1 with a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. This series has the potential to decide the division as the Washington Nationals are clearly a team on the rise.
Between the season opener against the Pirates and the final three games against the Nationals the Phillies play their usual number of contests against National League opponents, with the typical large helping of N.L. East games. This year's NL East games could prove more difficult than in recent years.
Other Phillies Games of 2012
The first Phillies road trip of the 2012 season begins April 5 with a trip to Pittsburgh. The final Phillies homestand of 2012 takes place on September 21-27 with games against the Braves and Nationals.
The longest Phillies homestands of the year occur on June 19-28 with ten games against the Rockies, Rays, and Pirates and again on August 20-30 with ten games against the Reds, Nationals, and Mets.
The Phillies have a single ten-game road trip from April 16-25 with games against the Giants, Padres, and Diamondbacks. The shortest road trip of the year last only two games against the Cubs (May 16-17).
Phillies Face Difficult Schedule in 2012
The 2012 Phillies schedule provides a tough test for the 2008 World Series champions and five-time NL East champions. Long road trips against tough opponents followed by a six-game road trip to end the season indicate a season in which the Phillies will need to be at their best to repeat as division champions.
Phillies phans can take a peek at the entire Phillies 2012 baseball schedule on the official MLB.com page of the Philadelphia Phillies.
