There will be regular season games in Monterrey, Mexico in May 2018, when the San Diego Padres host the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game set. The series will take place at Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey from May 4-6, 2018.
The games, which will serve as Padres home games, will represent the third regular season series ever to be played in Monterrey, and the first since the Padres and the Colorado Rockies played in MLB’s first-ever international Opening Day on April 4, 1999. The Padres have been a part of all three MLB visits to Monterrey, as they also played a three-game series against the New York Mets at the ballpark on August 16-18, 1996.
Major League teams most recently visited Mexico in March 2016, when the Padres and Houston Astros met for two exhibition games at Fray Nano in Mexico City. In addition, a Qualifier round for the 2017 World Baseball Classic was staged in Mexicali, Mexico in March 2016, while Jalisco, Mexico hosted Pool D of the WBC earlier this March. The Dodgers last participated in an international event in the 2014 Opening Series in Sydney, Australia, where they played two games against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“As a team with a bi-national fan base and reach that extends into Baja California and throughout Mexico, we are excited to once again play regular season games in Monterrey and help grow the popularity of our great game,” said Padres COO Erik Greupner. “Baseball fans in Mexico are passionate about the game and we look forward to deepening our connection with them.”
“The Dodgers are excited and extremely proud to be returning to Mexico as a team for the fourth time in our history,” Dodger President and CEO Stan Kasten said. “These games will also mark the first time that the Dodgers are playing regular season contests in Mexico, something long overdue, given our rich player history and strong community ties to the country. The Dodgers have always been at the forefront of growing the game of baseball internationally and this trip reinforces this commitment, while at the same time giving our many fans in Mexico a chance to see us compete.”
“I’m extremely excited about returning home to Mexico to play a series against my former team, the Padres,” said Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Born in the U.S. and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, Adrian added, “This series will be memorable for all involved, as we visit Monterrey to repay the baseball fans in Mexico for their never-ending support of the game we all love.”
“We look forward to playing in Mexico in front of some of the most passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans in the world. Both teams have a strong following south of the border and we anticipate a very warm and spirited reception when we visit Monterrey,” said Padres first baseman Wil Myers.