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The Dodgers championship defense officially starts on Thursday afternoon, battling the Rockies at Coors Field in Denver in a game that will be televised both locally and nationally.
The Dodgers and Rockies are the second game of an ESPN opening day quadrupleheader, starting at 1 p.m. PT, with Dave Flemming and Jessica Mendoza on the national call. ESPN on Thursday will also have Blue Jays-Yankees at 10 a.m. PT, Mets-Nationals at 4 p.m., and Astros-A’s in the nightcap at 7 p.m.
Locally the game will also be on SportsNet LA, with Joe Davis, Orel Hershiser, and Kirsten Watson on the call, including pregame coverage beginning at noon.
Dodgers-Rockies schedule
| Date | Pitchers | Time (PT) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Pitchers | Time (PT) | TV |
| Thu, Apr 1 | Kershaw (L) v. Marquez | 1:10 p.m. | SNLA, ESPN* |
| Fri, Apr 2 | Bauer v. Senzatela | 5:40 p.m. | SNLA |
| Sat, Apr 3 | Buehler v. Gray | 5:10 p.m. | SNLA, FS1 |
| Sun, Apr 4 | Urías (L) v. Gomber (L) | 12:10 p.m. | SNLA |
Believe it or not, this is the first time the Dodgers and Rockies will have played each other on opening day. This is the 29th year of existence for the Rockies, and in that time the Dodgers have played the Giants on opening day seven times, the Padres six times, and the Diamondbacks (whose first year was in 1998) four times. Hell, the Dodgers even played the Marlins — who began in 1993, just like Colorado — three times on opening day.
Clayton Kershaw will start on opening day for the ninth time — most in franchise history — and his first since 2018. Kershaw has a 4.44 ERA in 23 career starts at Coors Field, though in the last three seasons it’s just 3.15 in three starts, with 20 strikeouts and one walk in 20 innings.
German Marquez, who led the National League with 81⅔ innings pitched last season, is on the mound for the Rockies, his second straight opening day start.
After the postgame show, SportsNet LA will re-air its “This is Our Year: The 2020 World Champion Dodgers” production.
Thursday isn’t the only national game in this series. Saturday’s game, a 5:10 p.m. PT start, will also be televised by FS1, with Adam Amin and Eric Karros on the call.
Opening day game info
- Teams: Dodgers at Rockies
- Location: Coors Field
- Time: 1:10 p.m. PT
- Local TV: SportsNet LA (Joe Davis, Orel Hershiser, Kirsten Watson)
- National TV: ESPN (Dave Flemming, Jessica Mendoza)
- Streaming: Watch ESPN