Major League Baseball

M's return home for road series vs. Marlins

Published Jun. 23, 2011 11:54 p.m. ET

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Jack McKeon doesn't even know who U2 is.

Personally he prefers the Beach Boys. But it's preparations for U2's concert at Sun Life Stadium in Miami on Wednesday night that forced the Marlins' three-game series with the Mariners this weekend to be shifted to Seattle as part of the team's scheduled road trip to Oakland and Texas.

''I guess it will be the best concert of all time, with all that time to set up,'' Marlins starter Chris Volstad said.

It's the second time in two years a team has played as a road team in their home stadium in interleague play. Last year, Commissioner Bud Selig moved a scheduled home series for the Toronto Blue Jays to Philadelphia due to security concerns around the G20 Summit that was being held near the stadium in Toronto.

Florida catcher John Buck was a member of the Blue Jays at the time and said it was odd having to play home games in their opponent's ballpark.

''We played a home series in Philly with the wrong uniforms and going out to defense first. It was a little weird,'' Buck said.

Florida also was the designated home team for a three-game series with the New York Mets held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, last year.

The games will be played using National League rules with Seattle batting first and no designated hitter. Florida will wear the alternate black uniforms and white pants with the Mariners wearing their road grays.

Seattle will use its home clubhouse and the first base dugout as usual.

''The NL rules thing won't be odd but being the visiting team in our own park will be a little bit different,'' Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. ''It will be neat for the fans I think. They'll have the opportunity to see a National League game here.''

Felix Hernandez will start the series opener on Friday.

''It's going to be fun. It's going to be awful if I don't get a hit because I don't want to look bad in front of my home fans,'' Hernandez said.

Wedge and McKeon agreed this is how interleague games should be played. It gives the fans an opportunity to see a different style of game without leaving home.

''I always thought they should flip-flop it,'' Wedge said. ''If you're going to have interleague, play the National League rules in the American League parks and the American League rules in the National League parks, but I don't think anybody's listening to me on that one.

''I'm not high enough on the food chain,'' he said.

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