Redefining the concept of “home game” here a bit. Not the first time the D-backs have been screwed over by the schedule makers. If I remember correctly, when we played the Dodgers in Sydney to kick off the 2014 campaign, those were also considered to be “home games” for Arizona. Admittedly, it probably won’t make any difference in the final reckoning, any more than it did then. In 2014, the D-backs ended the year 64-98, thirty games back of the Dodgers. So the head-to-head record was unimportant. But it’s still slightly galling that these aren’t pulled equally from the two sides making the trip.

It isn’t the first time the D-backs have been scheduled to face the Padres in Mexico. They were originally planned to meet up in April 2020, but that got canceled for obvious reasons. Arizona have also played a number of spring training games down there, though it has been a while. The most recent was more than seven years ago, when they faced the Rockies for a couple of games in Monterrey on March 9-10, 2019. The Diamondbacks lost the first 3-1, but won the second 5-2. Four D-backs remain from the squads who took the field there. Ketel Marte and Ildemaro Vargas on the position player side, while Taylor Clarke and Kevin Ginkel pitched in those contests.

I suspect it’s going to be an offensively-driven series. Four teams have played two-game series in the Alfredo Harp Helú stadium, and only the Rockies scored less than fifteen runs in their contests. The last time the Padres were there, in 2023, they scored twenty-two runs, including a 16-11 slugfest victory over the Giants. All told, there have also been twenty-two home-runs over the four games. So, keeping the ball in the park – and, ideally, on the ground – is going to be important. Interesting the team is going with Ryne Nelson on Sunday, who has been the most fly-ball prone pitcher in our rotation. Let’s hope that doesn’t come back to bite them.