Dodgers 2017 schedule breakdown, notes & quirks

Major League Baseball released its tentative 2017 schedule on Wednesday, and after a little more digging into the minutiae here are some quirks and notes about the Dodgers’ schedule for next season.

The MLB season opens on Sunday, April 2 with three games on ESPN — the Yankees at the Rays, the Giants at the Diamondbacks in a battle of 2015-16 offseason champions, and an undetermined third game, likely the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game, to be announced at a later date. This third game will be a rescheduled game from one of the other opening series.

After the Dodgers play the Padres for four games at home, they hit the road starting with three weekend games against the Rockies in Denver. It is the first time in 25 years of franchise existence that Colorado will host the Dodgers in their home opener.

Jackie Robinson Day, Saturday, April 15, is a home game for the Dodgers, against the Diamondbacks.

That Dodgers’ second homestand includes series against the Diamondbacks and Rockies, but is split in an odd fashion. The first four games of the homestand are against Arizona, a rare four-game home wraparound series starting on Friday and ending on Monday, followed by two games against the Rockies.

There is no weekend wraparound series on the road on the schedule.

The Dodgers have two three-city road trips, the longest coming Sept. 11-21, a 10-game, 11-day road trip to San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, playing the Phillies for four games.

The other long road trip is 9 games over 10 days from Aug. 1-10, with three games apiece in Atlanta, New York (Mets) and Phoenix.

There is only one scheduled stretch of 20 straight games, from June 13 to July 2. It comes in one of the best scenarios possible.

That stretch starts with six games in Ohio against the Indians and Reds, but then the Dodgers don’t leave southern California for three weeks heading into the All-Star break. The only road games during that stretch are two in Anaheim and three in San Diego, meaning the Dodgers could at least in theory (they will probably have hotel accommodations in Anaheim if needed) sleep in their own beds 18 times in a 21-day stretch, followed by the break.

The homestand during that stretch is the second-longest of the season, a nine-gamer at Dodger Stadium against the Mets (4 games), Rockies, and Angels (2 games).

The Dodgers have more off days (8) in July than road games (7), and two of those road games are the first two days of the month in San Diego.

The longest homestand for the Dodgers is 10 games in 11 days from July 20-30, against the Braves (4 games), Twins and Giants.

Memorial Day is the opener of a four-game series against the Cardinals in St. Louis.

The Dodgers are home on Tuesday, July 4, hosting the Diamondbacks.

Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4, is a home game for the Dodgers, hosting the Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers have four different off days in the middle of homestands in 2017 — Monday, May 22; Thursday, June 8; Thursday, July 27; and Monday, Aug. 14.

The Dodgers play 20 games against NL West teams in April, 13 in May, 4 in June, 8 in July, 9 in August, and 22 in September/October.

The game times won’t be finalized until some time after the new year, but for the moment it looks like there is one weekday day game scheduled for Dodger Stadium (outside of the 1:10 p.m. start on opening day) — the series finale on Wednesday, June 7 against the Nationals, in what could be an NLDS rematch.

The Dodgers’ home and road splits by month:
April: 13 home / 13 away
May: 16/13
June: 15/13
July: 16/7
August: 8/19
September: 13/16

LA’s home schedule consists of 6 four-game series, 17 three-game series, and 3 two-game series.

On the road, the Dodgers play 5 four-game series, 19 three-game series, and 2 two-game series.

The Dodgers end their season in Colorado for just the second time, and the first time since 1997.

Credit: Dodgers