Tigers, Rangers, Cards have soft schedules, but NL and AL East beasts don't
Getty ImagesPrince Fielder and the Tigers get a break in interleague scheduling, facing the struggling Pirates, Rockies and Cubs.
OPINION
updated 5:36 p.m. ET May 17, 2012
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It's all part of the Houston Astros' move to the American League West, creating six five-team divisions, two 15-team leagues, and necessitating at least one interleague series at all times.
Although still in flux, the number of interleague games each team will play is expected to rise slightly, while a reduction in the amount of the geographic rivalry games ? Mets-Yankees, Angels-Dodgers, Cubs-White Sox, etc. ? is possible.
The objective is more equal schedule balance among division rivals and across each league, as the wild-card races currently are so affected by scheduling inequities.
This interleague period ? which begins this weekend and will continue June 11-24 ? will be no different.
Among the expected contenders, the Rangers, Tigers, Cardinals and Phillies have scheduling edges.
On the other hand, with this year's interleague play strictly following divisional lines ? East teams vs. East teams, Central vs. Central, West vs. West ? that will only make it tougher for the glut of contenders in both East divisions, clearly the game's two best.
In particular, the Braves could have a bumpy interleague road.
AL West: Not that the Rangers need any help protecting their lead, but they'll get it anyway. They won't face the NL West-leading Dodgers, whom the Angels must play six times. The Rangers also get six games with the Astros, plus series against the Rockies and Padres, all currently with losing records.
That leaves a 2010 World Series rematch series with the Giants the best possibility for the Rangers to play only three interleague games against a team with a winning record. No doubt, a nice advantage when it comes to determining the AL's overall No. 1 seed, as well.
Meanwhile, the Angels get six games with the Dodgers and one series apiece against the other NL West teams. That won't help much in chasing the Rangers, but it could be beneficial in the AL wild-card chase, which figures to be populated by East teams who will face predominantly NL East squads.
AL Central: Things haven't gone smoothly for the overwhelmingly favored Tigers, who sit in second place behind the Indians. But the Tigers should catch an interleague break with six games against the Pirates and three hosting the Rockies ? apparently part of a Jim Leyland former teams tour (Marlins excluded).
Throw in another three-game series with the Cubs, and the Tigers will play 12 of their 18 interleague games against teams that currently have losing records ? along with series with the Cardinals and Reds.
In contrast, the Indians also will play the Cardinals, as well as the home-and-home, interstate series with the Reds, and a series against the resurgent-of-late Marlins. The Tribe's only series against teams that currently have losing records will be with the Pirates and Astros.
The White Sox get series with two NL division leaders in the Cardinals and Dodgers, as well as a six-game set with the Cubs, and series against the Brewers and Astros.
AL East: Like an anticipated tight division race, there is little here in the way of advantages among the division rivals. Every AL East team's road is tough, making it all the more impressive if both AL wild cards come out of this division. The Orioles' six games with the Nationals have new-found relevance, and they also will face the Phillies, Braves and Mets. But the O's do get a series with the Pirates.
The Red Sox draw six games with the Marlins, as well as series against the Phillies, Nationals and Braves, but do get a series with Theo Epstein's Cubs.
The Yankees get six games against both the Mets and Braves, missing the Phillies and Marlins ? and also draw the Reds and Nationals.
The Rays will play the Marlins six times, as well as series with the rest of the NL East. And the Blue Jays get each NL East team, as well as Milwaukee.
NL West: The Dodgers have built a nice division lead with the help of a beneficial early schedule both in terms of opposition and abundance of home games. They're likely to get a boost when it comes to interleague play, too, as unlike the rest of the NL West, they avoid a series with the Rangers.
They do have six with the Angels, as well as series with A's, Mariners and White Sox ? and that's a far more favorable schedule than the handful of potential NL East wild-card candidates.
The rest of the NL West sits below .500, so their wild-card candidacies are weak right now, but the Diamondbacks and Giants in particular don't have tough interleague schedules. Arizona gets the Royals and each of the four AL West teams; the Giants get six with the A's and one series against the rest of the AL West.
Meanwhile, the short straw goes to the Rockies, who get the Rangers, Angels and Tigers.NL Central: The Cardinals have the NL's best balance of pitching and offense, and are looking at six games with the Royals, as well as series with the Tigers, Indians and White Sox. That could be easier than the Reds' schedule, which includes the Yankees, Tigers and six with the Indians.
And arguably the easiest interleague schedule could help the Brewers get going: Six with the Twins, and series with the Royals, White Sox and Blue Jays ? no Tigers or Indians.
NL East: As much as the Phillies are anticipating the returns of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, that also could happen in time to take advantage of an easier interleague schedule than their division rivals. They avoid the Yankees, and instead get a series with the Twins.
The Marlins also avoid the Yankees, but they will face the Rays and Blue Jays six times apiece, as well as the Indians.
The Braves, on the other hand, get six games with the Yankees, as well as one series each with the rest of the AL East ? and it doesn't get any tougher than that.
Tony DeMarco is a contributor to NBCSports.com and a freelance writer based in Denver.
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