Braves to Open in Philadelphia

The Atlanta Braves open their 1985 baseball season with games April 9 and 11 in Philadelphia before returning the next day for the home opener against defending National League West champion San Diego. The Braves end their 1985 season with seven games on the road, playing the final three-game series at San Francisco Oct. 4-6. The Dodgers, Atlanta’s biggest home attendance draw in recent seasons, come to Atlanta Fulton County Stadium for games on June 7-9, Aug. 5-7 and Sept. 10-12. The home dates against the Padres, who finished 12 games ahead of the Braves last year, are April 12-14, July 30-31 and Aug. 1, and Sept. 27-29, the final homestand of the season. The Braves’ schedule includes 17 day games and an additional nine games scheduled for 5:40 p.m. starts. There also is a 5:05 p.m. start Aug. 15 against the Dodgers. “We don’t have any complaints about the schedule,” General Manager John Mullen said. “We think it’s a pretty good one.” The Braves report to spring training next month. Pitchers and catchers are due at the West Palm Beach, Fla., training camp Feb. 21, to be joined by the rest of the team Feb. 26. Under baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, however, no player is required to report until March 1. Early arrivals, as requested by the teams, are considered voluntary.