Next year inches closer

The Cubs and White Sox announced their tentative schedules for 2010 on Tuesday afternoon.

The Cubs are scheduled to start their season April 5 in Atlanta, with their home opener April 12 against the Brewers. Six interleague series fill the schedule, including a Cubs-White Sox showdown from June 11-13 at Wrigley Field and from June 25-27 at U.S. Cellular Field.

Other interleague games for the Cubs include series against the A's and Angels at Wrigley Field, as well as a road trip to Texas in May and to Seattle in June.

Th Sox will celebrate Opening Day on the South Side, where they will host the Indians on April 5. After a three-game series against the Indians, the Sox will continue their opening homestand with a three-game series against the division rival Twins.

Besides the Cubs, the Sox also will host the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves for interleague series. The Sox will go on the road to play the Pirates from June 15-17 and the Nationals from June 18-20. That will mark the first-ever meeting between the Sox and the Nationals.

Game times have not been released, and the schedule is tentative.

For complete schedules, visit cubs.mlb.com or whitesox.mlb.com.

-Tom Musick