Major League Baseball has released their 2011 season schedules, and for the first time ever, the Twins will start their season on a Friday evening. They'll also open it north of the border.
The Twins will start the 2011 season on a six-game road trip beginning on Friday, April 1 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto with a three-game set against the Blue Jays. The game on Opening Day is slated to begin at 5:07 PM Central time, with both the weekend match-ups set to start at 11:07 AM Central. From there, the Twins will make a four-game sojurn to Yankee Stadium, their only trip to the Bronx for 2011, from April 4 to April 7.
This year's home opener will then take place on April 8 as the start of a three-game set with the Oakland Athletics. If you're wondering when the Twins will first run into their rivals from Chicago, they'll encounter the White Sox on May 3 and 4 in Chicago, and their first home games against them won't happen until June 14, when the two teams will kick off a three-game set at Target Field.
Minnesota's interleague opponents this season come from the National League West, in addition to their regular pair of series against the Milwaukee Brewers. June will see the Twins hosting the San Diego Padres from the 17th to the 19th, and the Los Angeles Dodgers from the 28th to the 30th. In between, the team will make a trip out west to play the San Francisco Giants.
The Twins' longest road trip of the year will take place from July 25 to August 4, as the team will make a western trip that will include four games at Texas, three at Oakland, and three against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. August is also the time for the Twins' longest homestand, as from August 18 to August 28, they'll play 11 games against the likes of the Yankees, the Baltimore Orioles, and the Detroit Tigers.
Minnesota's 2011 regular season will end on September 28 at home, the conclusion of a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals.
For the entire 2011 Minnesota Twins' schedule, you can check it out at MLB.com.