Diamondbacks schedule breakdown

PHOENIX - The Arizona Diamondbacks will head into next season determined to wash away the bad memories from this season, but their schedule won't make it easy to accomplish this task.

The Diamondbacks had to deal with an unbalanced schedule this season. They had 18 out of their first 21 games and 24 of their first 35 games at home leaving them on the road for the majority of the rest of the season. Their schedule is a little better balanced, but the team will still have 12 of their first 18 games at home next season.

But the schedule is just as tough if not worse because of the high quality of opponents the D-backs play next season.

If the D-backs can tread water through the first half of the season then they will give themselves a chance to win the division, but it won't be easy.

Starting May 25th until the All-Star break on July 11th, the D-backs will play 44 straight games against teams that have posted a winning record so far this season. This stretch includes road series against the Rockies, Giants, Dodgers, Red Sox, Tigers, Rays and Cardinals. The home series are against the Rockies, Braves, Cardinals, Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs and Marlins. The balance of power among these teams could shift with free-agency and trades in the off-season, but as of now this looks to be a brutal stretch of games for the D-backs.

If the D-backs can remain in the hunt for the division title heading into September, they will have a chance to win it with their last 12 games of the season coming against opponents within the division with the season ending with a six-game road trip through San Francisco and Los Angeles.

However, the schedule doesn't do the D-backs any favors in September either, as not only do they finish the season on a six-game road trip, but they also have 16 out of their last 22 games on the road including a 10-game road trip from Sept. 10-19 against the Rockies, Reds and Pirates.

Other highlights of the schedule will be when the New York Yankees make only their second regular season appearance at Chase Field as they will take on the D-backs for a three game set from June 21-23. Also, the Toronto Blue Jays will make a rare interleague appearance at Chase Field in May from the 21st-23rd. The D-backs will be making interleague road trips to Detroit, Boston and Tampa Bay. The D-backs will host the St. Louis Cardinals twice during the season.

The D-backs longest road trip of the season is an 11-game trip from April 26th through May 6th. They will play at Colorado, Chicago and Houston. They also have the aforementioned 10-game road trip in September and a nine-game road trip at the end of May against the Rockies, Giants and Dodgers.

The D-backs longest homestands are two 10-game stretches at Chase Field from June 4th-13th against Colorado, Atlanta and St. Louis and July 2nd-11th against the Dodgers, Cubs and Marlins.

The Diamondbacks begin the season on April 5th against the San Diego Padres as part of a six-game homestand.

The Diamondbacks complete 2010 game schedule

April
May
June
July
August
September
October