PHILADELPHIA -- The Marlins will open the 2013 season in Washington on April 1 and play their home opener on April 8 against Atlanta, based on the "tentative" schedule released Wednesday by Major League Baseball.
With Houston moving over to the American League, the schedule contains a number of interesting quirks, such as the Marlins playing a back-to-back, home and road series against Tampa Bay in late May and closing out the season in late September at home against Detroit in an interleague series.
In addition to the Tigers and Rays, the Marlins interleague opponents also include the White Sox, Minnesota and Kansas City. They'll play the Twins both on the road (late April) and at home (late June). The White Sox series (May 24-26) will mark the return of Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen to his old stomping ground.
"I grew up in that ballpark," Guillen said. "How am I going to feel? I don't know. I might feel weird. I have to wait until that day and see. You never know. Maybe I won't care. Maybe I'll start crying. Maybe I'll be nervous. Of course it's going to be different. I was raised in that yard."
For the complete Marlins schedule, go here.
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While Giancarlo Stanton has hit 34 home runs to match his career high, he's hit 23 of them with the bases empty, which suggests pitchers could be pitching him much more cautiously when men are aboard.
"He's left a lot of guys on base," Guillen said. "He's got to learn, and he will learn how to approach when people are in scoring position. I think when he learns how to take a base hit or take a walk, he'll become a more dangerous hitter. Obviously when there are going to be people on base, they're going to pitch him very different."
Stanton is hitting .267 with runners in scoring position.
