It's the best time of year once again as Dodger baseball returns!
Tonight the Boys in Blue will kick off the season at Dodger Stadium against perennial rivals, the San Francisco Giants starting at 4:08 pm. This will be the 32nd time in Dodger history they've opened the season against the Giants since they joined the National League in 1895.
Clayton Kershaw is set to take the mound for the Dodgers, while Ty Blach will start for the Giants. A broken hand kept former All-Star Madison Bumgarner off the mound for the Giants. Last year, the Dodgers came close to tasting ultimate victory, but were foiled by the Astros, extending the team's 29-season long drought without a World Series Title.
Tonight's first pitch will be thrown out by Kirk Gibson, whose only plate appearance at the 1988 World Series resulted in a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 1 over the Oakland A's. The Dodgers have designated a seat in the Right Field Pavilion where the home run landed to honor Gibson, and hopefully make some money for charity. Proceeds from sales for Seat 88 (as the Dodgers are calling it), will go to the Kirk Gibson Foundation to help raise money and awareness for research into Parkinson's Disease. Gibson was diagnosed with the debilitating disease in 2015.
Tickets for the seat are $300 and include a seat for your companion. They have been sold out for the season.
Officials say tonight's season opener will go on after maintenance crews fixed a plumbing problem that prematurely ended the Freeway Series on Tuesday. The team wrote that "issues with the drainage system at Dodger Stadium" caused the sewage spill during the bottom of the fifth inning. That game was called in favor of the Dodgers after a 32-minute delay.
Dodgers officials sent a message sent to fans who attended the game apologizing for the stinky spill, and "in acknowledgement of the inconvenience" offered discounts on tickets to next month's series against the Miami Marlins.
"The team is confident there will be no further issues," the statement said.
You can catch every swing and pitch with our sister station AM 570, LA Sports, as they broadcast four hours of Opening Day pregame coverage. Fred Roggin, Rodney Peete, Petros Papadakis and Matt "Money" Smith are set to broadcast live from the field.
Get hyped for tonight's game with some highlights from last year's Dodgers season!
Below is the Dodgers broadcast schedule for March and April:
March 29: Dodgers vs. Giants (4:08pm first pitch, 3pm Dodgers on Deck)
March 30: Dodgers vs. Giants (7:10pm first pitch, 6pm Dodgers on Deck)
March 31: Dodgers vs. Giants (6:10pm first pitch, 5pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 1: Dodgers vs. Giants (5:37pm first pitch, 4:30pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 2: Dodgers @ Diamondbacks (6:40pm first pitch, 5:30pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 3: Dodgers @ Diamondbacks (6:40pm first pitch, 5:30pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 4: Dodgers @ Diamondbacks (12:40pm first pitch, 11:30 pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 6: Dodgers @ Giants (7:15pm first pitch, 6pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 7: Dodgers @ Giants (1:05pm first pitch, 12pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 8: Dodgers @ Giants (1:05pm first pitch, 12pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 10: Dodgers vs. Athletics (7:10pm first pitch, 6pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 11: Dodgers vs. Athletics (7:10pm first pitch, 6pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 13: Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks (7:10pm first pitch, 6pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 14: Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks (6:10pm first pitch, 5pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 15: Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks (1:10pm first pitch, 12pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 16: Dodgers @ Padres (7:10pm first pitch, 6pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 17: Dodgers @ Padres (7:10pm first pitch, 6pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 18: Dodgers @ Padres (7:10pm first pitch, 6pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 20: Dodgers vs. Nationals (7:10pm first pitch, 6pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 21: Dodgers vs. Nationals (6:10pm first pitch, 5pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 22: Dodgers vs. Nationals (5:05pm first pitch, 4pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 23: Dodgers vs. Marlins (7:10pm first pitch, 6pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 24: Dodgers vs. Marlins (7:10pm first pitch, 6pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 25: Dodgers vs. Marlins (4:35pm first pitch, 3:30pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 27: Dodgers @ Giants (7:15pm first pitch, 6pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 28: Dodgers @ Giants (6:05pm first pitch, 5pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 29: Dodgers @ Giants (1:05pm first pitch, 12pm Dodgers on Deck)
April 30: Dodgers @ Diamondbacks (6:40pm first pitch, 5:30pm Dodgers on Deck)
Photo: Getty Images