As the Milwaukee Brewers' Cactus League schedule wraps up this weekend, the process of planning one's life around their schedule gets a little more challenging. This year, however, the Brewers will tie up fewer evenings than they have in the past: Just 91 of their 162 contests start in the typical night game window in 2019, down from 94 in 2018 and 101 in 2017.
Each team's schedule always features some annual fluctuation due to rotating interleague play opponents. This year the Brewers head west for series against the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland A's in addition to their normal NL West opponents, so they have 12 games that start after 8 p.m. central time. Eight of those games are on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday nights, which should lead to some drowsy mornings at work.
The biggest shift in this year's schedule, however, is the continuing decline of Thursday games. Last season the Brewers only played nine Thursday night games in 26 regular season weeks, but this year the number is all the way down to four.
Here's the day-by-day breakdown:
Monday
Day Games: 1
Night Games: 15
Late Games: 2
Off Days: 8
One of the biggest changes in the MLB schedule in recent years has been a reduction in Monday day games to wrap up a weekend four-game series, and that trend continues this year. In 2019 the Brewers' only Monday day game is on Labor Day against the Astros, and even Memorial Day features a night game.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Tuesday
Day Games: 0
Night Games: 22
Late Games: 3
Off Days: 1*
Per usual, Tuesday night is Brewers night from April through the end of the season. This is the first time in three years, however, that the team doesn't have a single Tuesday day game. The lone Tuesday off day of the season gets an asterisk because it's the day of the All Star Game. Aside from that, Tuesday evenings are all baseball, all the time.
Wednesday
Day Games: 10
Night Games: 11
Late Games: 2
Off Days: 3
While Monday day games are no longer a part of a routine baseball schedule, Wednesday day games remain a regular occurrence. Once kids are back in school and the stretch run is on, however, the Wednesday schedule moves to the evening: The last three Wednesdays of the regular season feature night games against the Marlins, Padres and Reds.
Thursday
Day Games: 10
Night Games: 4
Late Games: 1
Off Days: 12
Thursday was also the best night of the season for a Brewers fan to make alternate plans in 2018, but the gap between Thursdays and other days is larger this season than ever: The Brewers play just three Thursday evening games at Miller Park in 2019, plus one road contest and a late night start on the road in Arizona in July. Including the All Star break the Brewers have 24 off days this season and half of them are Thursdays.
Friday
Day Games: 3
Night Games: 21
Late Games: 3
Off Days: 0
The Brewers are the visiting team for three Friday afternoon matinees at Wrigley Field this season, the only MLB facility where Friday afternoon games routinely take place. The late games feature an April contest in Los Angeles, a June game in San Francisco and the aforementioned July trip to Arizona. The San Francisco game is the latest scheduled start of the season, a 9:15 p.m. central time first pitch.
Saturday
Day Games: 9
Night Games: 17
Late Games: 1
Off Days: 0
The Saturday schedule is always the one with the greatest degree of uncertainty, as games can be moved forward or back to accommodate a national TV schedule. Last season the Brewers had ten Saturday day games on the calendar, all before the All Star break. That's a trend that mostly continues in 2019, with seven of the nine day games coming in a stretch from mid-May to early July.
Sunday
Day Games: 26
Night Games: 1
Late Games: 0
Off Days: 0
This schedule could also change to accommodate national broadcasts down the stretch, but there is one notable thing here: The Brewers enter the season with a scheduled Sunday Night Baseball game (May 12 against the Cubs) on the calendar for the first time since September of 2013, when they hosted a game with playoff implications for the Cardinals.
