CLEVELAND — Major League Baseball released the 2009 schedule Wednesday, tabbing the Indians for a season-opening three-game series on the road against Texas at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (April 6, 8-9).
Cleveland’s home-opening series will take place during Easter weekend (April 10-12) against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Probably the biggest highlight on the schedule occurs April 16-19, when the Indians travel to New York to christen new Yankee Stadium in a four-game series.
“Obviously that will be an experience,” said Indians manager Eric Wedge of taking part in the first games ever at the Bronx Bombers’ new home.
The Yankees (May 29-June 1) and fellow American League East heavyweight Boston (April 27-29) make one trip apiece to Progressive Field, while the Indians get interleague visits from St. Louis (June 12-14), Milwaukee (June 15-17) and Cincinnati (June 26-28). Cleveland plays at National League opponents Cincinnati (May 22-24), Chicago (June 19-21) and Pittsburgh (June 23-25).
The final homestand of the year (Sept. 22-30) includes nine games against Baltimore and Central Division rivals Detroit and Chicago, with the Indians wrapping up the regular season with a four-game trip to Fenway Park to take on the Red Sox (Oct. 1-4).
Tickets for the home-opening series and six-packs (six-game packages) go on sale Nov. 28. Single-game tickets to all 81 home games will go on sale in early March.

General Lee

Not surprisingly, Wedge said Wednesday that the Indians have not asked Cy Young candidate Cliff Lee to make a single adjustment this season.
“You’re having an outstanding year if that’s the case,” said Wedge of the left-hander, who entered his 30th start of the season with a major league-leading 22-2 record and 2.36 ERA. “Those numbers are hard to get your hands around.”
Wedge was asked if he’d be shocked if Lee didn’t win the Indians’ second straight Cy Young Award.
“I’m not going to answer that yet, but I will at some point,” Wedge said.

Next up

The Indians are off today, entertaining Detroit in their final home series of the season, which begins Friday night at 7:05.
Fausto Carmona (8-7 5.16) opens for Cleveland, opposing RHP Armando Galarraga (12-6, 3.58), while Jeremy Sowers (3-8, 5.70) goes Saturday (7:05) against RHP Justin Verlander (10-16, 4.78).
Scott Lewis (2-0, 0.00) is scheduled to pitch the series finale Sunday (1:05) against LHP Dontrelle Willis (0-1, 8.82).
The Indians and Tigers, the two teams most expected to battle for division supremacy, were third and fourth in the standings entering Wednesday, with Cleveland winning eight of the 15 head-to-head matchups this season.

Spoil foil

Wedge isn’t a fan of the spoiler role.
“It’s a word that has teeth for people that just aren’t in (baseball),” Wedge said. “We’re out here trying to win for ourselves, not to spoil anything for anyone else.”
That said, Cleveland plays a host of playoff contenders over the final two weeks of the regular season, wrapping up a three-game series with Minnesota on Wednesday, then traveling to Boston and Chicago over the final week.  

Roundin’ third

The Indians entered Wednesday ranked second to the Twins in the majors in runs scored (314) during the second half. They ranked seventh in the AL overall with 740 through Tuesday.
• Asdrubal Cabrera entered Wednesday tied for the league lead with 10 sacrifice bunts.
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. 

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