This day in Los Angeles Dodgers history saw a series opener against the San Diego Padres postponed because of a rare rainout at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers and Padres were scheduled to begin a three-game series on April 12, 1976, but the home opener was washed away after a 75-minute delay. It was the first rainout at Dodger Stadium during the regular season since April 21, 1967.
That snapped a streak of 724 consecutive Dodgers home games being played. Dodger Stadium opened on April 10, 1962, and there were 737 consecutive games played prior to the 1967 rainout.
The Dodgers wound up losing the two remaining games on the schedule to start their homestand in 1976, and also the contest that was made up on October 2 of that season.
The 1976 Dodgers finished 92-70, but 10 games behind the Cincinnati Reds for first place in the National League West.
Overall, there have been 17 rainouts in the history of Dodger Stadium. Nine of those rainouts occurred in April, including the last five. Furthermore, six of the rainouts have come during scheduled games against the Padres.
The most recent rainout at Dodger Stadium was April 17, 2000, when the Houston Astros were in town. From that date to 2018, the Dodgers played 1,471 consecutive home games without a rainout, which is the longest streak in MLB history.
The 2023 Dodgers home opener appeared to be at risk because of inclement weather, but rain cleared from Dodger Stadium prior to first pitch.
When was the last rain delay at Dodger Stadium?
The last rain delay at Dodger Stadium came during the 2024 season, when the Padres and Dodgers had back-to-back games impacted by weather on April 13 and 14.
Prior to that, there hadn’t been a Dodger Stadium rain delay since April 7, 2015, which coincidentally was against the Padres as well. It was the first rain delay since May 23, 2008.
When looking beyond Dodger Stadium history, the Dodgers have been part of several rain delays or postponed games while on the road due to inclement weather.
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