To begin the 2016 season the Los Angeles Dodgers traveled to the Petco Park to face the San Diego Padres, with Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw squaring off against Tyson Ross on Opening Day.
Everything went in the Dodgers’ favor, as Kershaw threw seven innings of one-hit ball, and the offense exploded for 15 runs, resulting in a 15-0 win to start off the season. Los Angeles wound up sweeping the three-game set, outscoring San Diego, 25-0.
The Dodgers and Padres are once again set to open the season against one another, though 2017 Opening Day is taking place at Dodger Stadium. The four-game series begins Monday, April 3.
It has been known for a quite some time that Kershaw will once again take the ball for the Dodgers on Opening Day. It’ll mark his seventh such start, which ties a Dodgers franchise record.
On Tuesday, Padres manager Andy Green set the other half of the matchup, announcing his team will send Jhoulys Chacin to the mound on Opening Day. Green also revealed who will start the two ensuing games, via Dennis Lin of The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Padres manager Andy Green announced Tuesday that right-hander Jhoulys Chacin will start on opening day, April 3. Fellow veterans Clayton Richard and Jered Weaver will follow Chacin in the rotation. The final two spots remain to be determined.
Chacin spent the 2016 season with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and in 34 games (22 starts) went 6-8 with a 4.81 ERA, 4.01 FIP and 1.44 WHIP. He struck out 119 and walked 55 in 144 innings. Chacin started for the Colorado Rockies on Opening Day of the 2013 season.
The Padres signed Chacin, Richard and Weaver to one-year contracts during the offseason. For Richard, it marked a return to the organization he was last with during the 2013 season.
The Dodgers presumably will see one of Trevor Cahill, Jarred Cosart or Luis Perdomo in the finale of their four-game Opening Series. Perdomo started Tuesday’s Cactus League game against the Dodgers a Camelback Ranch.
