For the first time in five years, Colorado Rockies games will be playing in American League ballparks throughout the midwestern United States in 2022 as the National League West faces the AL Central during interleague play for the first time since 2017.
The Rockies begin the season in southern California to play the Los Angeles Dodgers on Opening Day for the start of a four-game set before having their home opener at Coors Field on April 8 against those same Dodgers.
Unless postseason plans change, Coors Field will close its doors for the year on Sept. 25 against the San Diego Padres. Colorado’s regular seasons ends on Oct. 2 against the Dodgers.
The Rockies schedule includes home games for three notable holidays: Memorial Day (May 30 vs. Miami), Father’s Day (June 19 vs. San Diego) and Labor Day (Sept. 5 vs. Milwaukee).
Postgame fireworks are scheduled for Fri., July 1 and Sat., July 2 vs. Arizona, as well as Fri., Sept. 23 vs. San Diego.
The longest homestand for Colorado will occur from May 13-22, a nine-game span against the Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants and New York Mets. From August 25 through September 4, they’ll have a season-long 10-game road trip at the New York Mets, Atlanta and the Cincinnati Reds.
The 2022 season also marks the start of the Guardians nickname for Cleveland, who travel to Denver on June 14-16.
While the original 2020 schedule for the Rockies would have taken them to Minnesota, Detroit and Chicago to play the White Sox and clubs in Kansas City and Cleveland would have traveled to Coors Field, the COVID-19 pandemic erased the 162-game schedule for all 30 MLB teams.
For now, that midwest road trip will stay intact for next season.
The Rockies-White Sox series at Guaranteed Rate Field on Sept. 13-14 will be the teams’ first since 2008 when Colorado took two-of-three behind solid efforts from starting pitchers Jorge de la Rosa and Aaron Cook. This remains the only series in which the two clubs have played one another in Chicago.
The announcement of NL West and AL Central teams playing one another should also signal a return to playing AL East teams in 2023 should interleague play continue to rotate in an orderly fashion.
