Roy returns to Rogers Centre

It’s Roy Halladay the sequel.

Blue Jays fans will finally get a chance to see their former ace as part of a three-game set when the Philadelphia Phillies come to town on Canada Day weekend, as part of three-game set during the 2011 season.

The Phillies were scheduled at the Rogers Centre earlier this summer (June 25-27) but security concerns surrounding the G20 summit relocated the series to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, with Toronto as the home team for that series.

This marks the second time the Phillies have been at the Rogers Centre for Canada Day festivities. In 2006, the Jays defeated them 5-2, and won the series two-games-to-one.

Playing a home game on Canada Day is as rare as a hit song by Black Oak Arkansas. The Jays have only participated in three since the 2000 season.

Other interleague teams Toronto plays host to will be the Houston Astros (May 20-22) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (June 28-30).

Rounding out interleague play for Toronto will be a nine-game, ten day, road trip that will take them to Cincinnati (June 17-19), Atlanta (June 20-22), finishing up with three against the St. Louis Cardinals (June 24-26).

Minnesota open the home schedule

The Jays open up their 35th season with a six game, seven-day homestand. On Friday, April 1 they host the Minnesota Twins in a three-game set, followed by the Oakland A’s (April 5-7).

Minnesota has opened the Jays’ home schedule in three other occasions and Toronto is 3-0 in those games.

The A.L. East portion of the home schedule begins early for the Jays.

New York makes its first appearance at the Rogers Centre for a pair of games (April 19-20) and, following a day off, the Tampa Bay Rays come to town for a three-game showdown (April 22-24).

Meanwhile the Red Sox make their first stop in Toronto for a short two games series (May 10-11) and the Baltimore Orioles arrive for three on June 14-16.

Long road trip early

The longest road swing for the club is a 10-game trip from April 8-18. They take on the Anaheim Angles (April 8-10) and Seattle Mariners (11-13). Following a day off they are at Fenway Park (15-18) for an early season four-game set.

Toronto will have four homestands of seven games in length.

Over 20 straight vs. A.L. East

Perhaps the toughest part of the schedule will be 21 consecutive games against every team in the A.L. East. The Jays open up with the Rays (Aug. 26-28) and end with a three against the Yankees (Sept. 16-18).

The Blue Jays finish up the season with a three-game set in Chicago against the White Sox (Sept. 26-28).

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By: Gordon Anderson
Posted: Sep 15 2010 8:07 pm
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