The Los Angeles Dodgers officially kick off the 2018 regular season on Thursday, March 29 in the first of a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. When Los Angeles takes the field, it will mark the earliest start to a season for the club in Major League Baseball history.
The Dodgers’ Spring Training schedule was released on Monday, where the club will host the Chicago White Sox on Friday, Feb. 23 at Camelback Ranch.
ESPN, entering its 29th season of covering MLB, will nationally televise three games on Opening Day, including the Dodgers’ bout against the Giants. While a first pitch hasn’t been announced by the league, the network has revealed a preliminary start time of 7:00 p.m. PT at Chavez Ravine.
Later in the week, ESPN will air the finale of the series on its exclusive Sunday Night Baseball block. First pitch is tentatively scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT — a special start time, per the network’s press release.
Each game televised on ESPN won’t be subject to blackout in the Los Angeles market, meaning fans without access to Spectrum SportsNet LA will still be able to tune in without any restrictions.
For the first time since the 2013 season, Los Angeles will host San Francisco on Opening Day. In 2017, the Dodgers posted an 11-8 record against their rival — including a 6-3 showing at home. The Giants look to rebound from one of their worst seasons in franchise history that saw them place last in the National League West behind a 64-98 record.
The Dodgers, coming off a heartbreaking Game 7 World Series loss to the Houston Astros, look to build off on an otherwise historic 2017 season that featured a Los Angeles-best 104 wins and 57 victories at Dodger Stadium.
