The wait is over. Baseball is back. It’s hard to imagine a better opening act for the 2024 season than this: A clash between National League West rivals on the other side of the world, with the Major League’s first regular-season games in South Korea.
Set your alarms. The Padres and Dodgers will square off in Game 1 of the Seoul Series on Wednesday morning at 6:05 a.m. ET (3:05 a.m. PT).
The Gocheok SkyDome provides a grand stage for Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers debut. Ohtani — the offseason’s biggest signing and the face of baseball — will go up against one of baseball’s faces in South Korea. Padres’ shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, a native of the nearby city of Bucheon, has seen action in the same stadium during his time in the KBO.
Here’s what you need to know about Wednesday’s opener:
When is the game and how can I watch it?
The game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. local time in Seoul — which will be 6:05 a.m. ET (3:05 a.m. PT). The match will be broadcast locally by SportsNet LA in Los Angeles and Padres.TV in San Diego. Outside of the market, it will be available on ESPN.
Glasnow is slated to start Game 1 for Los Angeles, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto scheduled for Game 2. This duo represents the Dodgers’ biggest additions to the rotation in the offseason. Glasnow came over in a trade with the Rays in December. Wednesday will mark Glasnow’s second Opening Day start, following his outing for the Rays in 2021.
It’s the fourth Opening Day start for Darvish and his third as a member of the Padres, with San Diego opting to go with Darvish ahead of Joe Musgrove, who will start in Game 2. Darvish is coming off a 2023 marred by multiple injuries, with his campaign ending in August due to right elbow discomfort. However, in November, he was cleared to undergo his full offseason workout regimen and looked good throughout the preseason.
Dodgers: They fielded their star-studded lineup in both exhibition matches in Seoul. It’s a lineup that has the potential to be one of the most dominant in Major League history. Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman will lead the offense all season long.
