Trip to Mexico on tap in 2019
Monterrey to host series with Angels; season opener comes at Tampa Bay
SEATTLE — The Astros are among eight teams that will play regular-season games outside the United States and Canada as part of the 2019 major league schedule, which was released Wednesday.
The Astros will play the Los Angeles Angels in Monterrey, Mexico on May 4-5. The Astros have never played a regular-season game in Mexico but played exhibition games in Mexico City in 2004 and 2016.
The Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals also will play two games in Monterrey on April 13-14. Like the Astros and Angels, they will play at Estadio Monterrey.
Japan and England also will see regular-season major league action.
The Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics will open the MLB season with two games at the Tokyo Dome on March 20-21.
The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will play the first-ever MLB games in Europe when they meet June 29-30 in London.
“Obviously, we're growing the game internationally,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “Teams are going to Japan, teams are going to London, and we’re doing the Mexico series, which will be really fun. Playing a two-game series against the Angels will be really cool for our guys.”
The Astros will open the 2019 season with four games at Tampa Bay, followed by three in Arlington against the Texas Rangers. The opener will be Thursday, March 28, against the Rays at Tropicana Field, part of MLB’s earliest-ever opening day, excluding international matchups. The previous earliest opening was March 29 of this year.
The Astros’ home opener is against the Athletics on Friday, April 5, beginning a six-game homestand. After a three-game set with Oakland, the Astros will host the Yankees for three games.
In interleague play, the Astros are matched up with the National League Central. The Chicago Cubs visit on May 27-29, and the Pittsburgh Pirates come to Minute Maid Park on June 25-27. The Astros will visit Cincinnati and St. Louis for road series against former division foes and also will play at Milwaukee.
The Astros’ season wraps up on Sunday, Sept. 29, against the Angels in Anaheim, Calif.
The 2019 season will be the second under the scheduling format agreed to as part of the 2017-2021 basic agreement. That format adds an additional weekend at the beginning of the season and gives each team three to four additional days off throughout the season to provide added rest and opportunities for rescheduling.