By Jon Weisman
This year isn’t over, but who doesn’t want a peek at next year?
The Dodgers will open their 2016 regular season April 4 in San Diego, with their home opener coming April 12 against Arizona.
Enjoy these notes about the 2016 schedule (and click the image above to enlarge):
Freeway Series: The annual exhibition games against the Angels will take place March 31 and April 1 at Dodger Stadium, followed by an April 2 game at Anaheim.
In the regular season, there are four games against the Angels, at home May 16-17 and immediately followed on the road May 18-19.
More interleague play: In 2016, the National League West is matched up against the American League East. Dodger Stadium will host Baltimore (July 4-6), Tampa Bay (July 26-27) and Boston (August 5-7), while the Dodgers will travel to play Tampa Bay (May 3-4), Toronto (May 6-8) and the New York Yankees (September 12-14).
In 2013, the Dodgers went 10-6 against the AL East.
Jackie Robinson Day: The Dodgers will play the Giants on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15 (a Friday).
Holiday games: Dodger Stadium will be the place to be on Father’s Day (June 19 vs. Milwaukee), Independence Day (July 4 vs. Baltimore) and Labor Day (September 5 vs. Arizona). The Dodgers are on the road for Mother’s Day and Memorial Day.
Longest homestand: July 1-10, leading into the All-Star Break, the Dodgers have a 10-game homestand against the Rockies, Orioles and Padres.
Longest roadtrip: September 9-18, the Dodgers will be winging their way to Miami, Yankee Stadium and Arizona for a 10-game trip.
Colorado or bust: This was weird. Twice in August, the Dodgers have roadtrips that only go to Colorado for three games: August 2-4 and August 29-31. It’s within a July 26-September 7 stretch in which the Dodgers play 26 out of 39 games at home.
Most consecutive games: From May 6-25, the Dodgers play 20 consecutive days. The stretch begins in Toronto, followed by a nine-game homestand against the Mets, Cardinals and Angels, then a short five-game trip to Anaheim and San Diego, before coming home again for a three-game homestand against the Reds.
Los Angeles plays 13 straight days after the May 26 off day, so that means 33 games in 34 days from May 6 through June 8. The Dodgers also close the 2016 season with 23 games in the final 24 days.
Off days: For the most part, breaks are pretty evenly distributed. Three off days in April (including the day before Opening Day), followed by three off days in May, two in June, three in July (in addition to the All-Star Break), three in August and three in September.
In 2015, the Dodgers were scheduled for games 58 out of 61 days in May and June.
Rest and Rays: Oddly, the Dodgers have off days before and after each of their two-game series with Tampa Bay. No games on May 2 or May 5, and again no games on July 25 and July 28.
The only other time the Dodgers have off days on both sides of a series is in August, when they host the Pirates in between off days on August 11 and 15.
After the All-Star Break: The Dodgers begin the second half of the season on the road for the fourth consecutive year and ninth time in the past 12 seasons. Since 2005, the Dodgers are 25-27 in those post-All-Star roadtrips, even including a 6-0 trip in 2013.
Here’s the past 11 years of trips immediately after the All-Star Game (homestands in italics)
- 2015 — at Nationals (2-1), at Braves (1-2), at Mets (2-2)
- 2014 – at Cardinals (1-2), at Pirates (1-2), at Giants (3-0)
- 2013 – at Nationals (3-0), at Blue Jays (3-0)
- 2012 – vs. Padres (1-2), vs. Phillies (1-2)
- 2011 – at Diamondbacks (1-2), at Giants (1-2)
- 2010 – at Cardinals (0-4)
- 2009 – vs. Astros (2-2), vs. Reds (3-0), vs. Marlins (1-2)
- 2008 – at Diamondbacks (2-1), at Rockies (1-2)
- 2007 – at Giants (3-0)
- 2006 – at Cardinals (0-4), at Diamondbacks (1-3)
- 2005 – vs. Giants (1-3)
At the finish: The Dodgers close the season with three games against the Giants at AT&T Park from September 30-October 2. Los Angeles’ first set of games against rival San Francisco will be at home April 15-17.
berkowit28
Once upon a time, the Dodgers playing in Yankee Stadium in mid-September would have had more significance than in 2016.
The off-days around the two-day Tampa Bay series will have more to do with fitting in to league schedules where most or all other teams are playing three-day series than anything else. The Dodgers might be ready to play the next team but that team is still busy playing another one.
Don Bright
First time Dodgers will play Yankees on the road since 81 World Series (unless of course they meet in this years World Series). I always thought it was a travesty the Dodgers weren’t scheduled to play at old Yankee Stadium before it was torn down. Yankees have played at Dodger Stadium I believe 3 times since Interleague has come into play.
oldbrooklynfan
I see, The Dodgers are in my town May 27, 28 & 29 and Sept 12, 13 & 14.