The Washington Nationals' 2011 schedule was released earlier tonight, and you can all start marking your calendars for March 31. That's when the Nationals will begin their season at home against the Atlanta Braves. It would have been a nice time to have Stephen Strasburg jazz up some excitement for the season, but alas, it won't happen. Still, it's better than a Phillies fan invasion.
Here's the complete schedule. As of right now, the Nationals-Braves game is one of five games that will be played on March 31 to kick off the new season, though the Giants-Diamondbacks proposed series in Taiwan is still pending.
Some other key dates:
- The final game is September 28, 2011 on the road against the Florida Marlins.
- The first home game against said Phillies is on September 12.
- The first Battle of the Beltway series against the Orioles will be from May 20-22 on the road, and the two teams will return the favor in D.C. from June 17-19. Other interleague games: a three-game set at home against Seattle from June 21-23, a three-game road set against the Chicago White Sox from June 24-26, a three-game road set against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on June 27-29,