In an effort to promote Major League Baseball globally, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres will square off at Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey. The Mexico Series, a three-game weekend set, begins Friday evening.
It’s the Dodgers’ first trip to Monterrey since 1991 and their first international visit since 2014, when the club took on the Arizona Diamondbacks in Australia for the Opening Series.
Los Angeles boasts one of the strongest Hispanic fanbases in all of baseball, so a big turnout of support is expected in the crowd for the three-game set against San Diego.
That has led to excitement for closer Kenley Jansen, who believes the environment in Mexico will be electric, per Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times:
“It’s going to be awesome,” Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen said. “The Dodger fans, the majority of them, are Mexicans. No disrespect to any other people.
But the Dodgers’ Latino fan base extends well beyond Los Angeles. “Everywhere,” Jansen said. “Here. Mexico. I can’t wait to see how the environment will be. I think it will be awesome.”
A typical series between the Dodgers and Padres at Petco Park is usually one-sided in terms of fan support. Dodgers fans are known to pack the stadium and effectively give the club a home field advantage despite being on the road.
The same is expected at Estadio de Beisbol, though the Padres have their fair share of support in Mexico as well. Working in their favor is rookie third baseman Christian Villanueva, who hails from Guadalajara, Jalisco in Mexico.
The Dodgers included Julio Urias and Fernando Valenzuela in their traveling party. Valenzuela is throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before Friday’s game.
