With Opening Day less than two weeks away, MLB Network today announced its live game schedule for the 2012 regular season through Friday, May 4. The schedule features the return of 30 Games, 30 Clubs, 30 Days, a package of 30 live games featuring all 30 Clubs, beginning with the only prime time matchup scheduled for Opening Day on Thursday, April 5, as 2011 N.L. Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw takes the ball for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres in the Padres’ home opener at 7:00 p.m. ET. The 30 Games, 30 Clubs, 30 Days schedule features eight home openers, including the 2011 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals hosting their division rival Chicago Cubs on Friday, April 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Nine matinee games and two Tuesday night doubleheaders will be featured, including the 2011 A.L. Champion Texas Rangers taking on the Boston Red Sox on April 17 at 7:00 p.m. ET, followed by the 2011 N.L. East Champion Philadelphia Phillies matching up against the San Francisco Giants.
The game schedule also includes the debut of MLB Network Showcase, a series of MLB Network-produced games, that starts with an N.L. East matchup between the Miami Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET. MLB Network’s Bob Costas and Jim Kaat, who were each nominated for a 2011 Sports Emmy Award, will call the game live from Citizens Bank Park. To commemorate the 100-year anniversary of Fenway Park, MLB Network Showcase will feature the Boston Red Sox hosting their division rival New York Yankees on Friday, April 20 at 3:00 p.m. ET with MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian and John Smoltz calling the game. Pregame coverage will start with a special live edition of Intentional Talk, hosted by Chris Rose and Kevin Millar, at 1:00 p.m. ET from Fenway Park.
As part of Opening Week on MLB Network, Opening Day, Thursday, April 5, will include more than 10 hours of live studio coverage beginning with Intentional Talk with Rose and Millar at 10:00 a.m. ET, followed by the season debut of The Rundown with Matt Yallof and Lauren Shehadi at 11:00 a.m. ET. MLB Tonight will come on at 1:00 p.m. ET, leading up to a special edition of Intentional Talk at 5:00 p.m. ET live from the MLB Fan Cave in New York City. Following the Dodgers at Padres game, MLB Network’s regular season highlight show of record Quick Pitch will recap the day’s action. A preview of MLB Network’s Opening Day coverage can be viewed here. MLB Tonight will continue to air live seven days a week this season, including extended coverage on Sunday’s beginning on April 8 at 12:00 p.m. ET.
To preview the season, MLB Network will air a special live MLB Tonight: 2012 Predictions show on Wednesday, April 4 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Hosted by Greg Amsinger, the show will feature MLB Network analysts Peter Gammons, Dan Plesac, Harold Reynolds and Mitch Williams breaking down each division and making their Postseason picks. MLB Network’s panel of analysts will also serve as mock general managers in My Team Right Now: The Reality Draft on Sunday, April 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Hosted by Matt Vasgersian, the show will feature Eric Byrnes, John Hart, Al Leiter, Kevin Millar, Harold Reynolds and Mitch Williams each constructing the lineup they think would have the best chance to win a World Championship, using the position rankings from MLB Network’s Top 10 Right Now episodes from this past offseason. The champion will be determined by simulating a regular season and Postseason using Major League Baseball 2K12.