Orioles open 2017 season at home (and other notes)

BOSTON - Major League Baseball will release the 2017 schedules this week as teams continue to make a push toward the 2016 postseason. Eyes on the prize while glancing toward the future.

I've only heard a few details, but most of the interest centers on opening day. The Orioles will be home again, with their first game on April 3 against the division rival Blue Jays.

The interleague schedule pits the Orioles against the National League Central. The Cubs and Cardinals will visit Camden Yards this summer.

The Orioles took two of three games from the Cardinals on Aug. 8-10, 2014 at Camden Yards. They outscored the visitors 25-13. The Cubs swept the Orioles in a three-game series later that month at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs haven't been in Baltimore since 2003, when they won two of three games in June. The Orioles started Pat Hentgen, Omar Daal and Rick Helling. Travis Driskill got the save in the series finale. Current Nationals skipper Dusty Baker managed the Cubs.

It's been a while.

As usual, the Orioles and Nationals will play a home-and-home series.

* Congratulations go out to pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez, who left the Orioles yesterday and was in Miami to complete the process of becoming a U.S. citizen.

Jimenez was born in the Dominican Republic on Jan. 22, 1984.

On his Instagram page, Jimenez posted a photo of himself with his citizenship certificate and the American flag. He wrote: "Blessed for officially being part of this beautiful country."

* On this date in 1971, Hall of Famer Frank Robinson hit his 500th career home run in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Tigers at Memorial Stadium. Robinson belted a two-run shot to left field off Fred Scherman with two outs in the ninth inning in a 10-5 loss.

Scherman worked the final 8 2/3 innings after replacing Joe Niekro with one out in the first.

Robinson hit No. 499 in the first inning of Game 1, a three-run shot to left field off southpaw Mike Kilkenny. He was determined to get it done on this date.