The Padres are headed south of the border in 2023 as they will take on the Giants in Mexico City in April, Major League Baseball has announced.
The games are set for Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú on April 29 and 30, part of the recently announced 2023 schedule, according to MLB.com.
The stadium is home to the Diablos Rojos of the Mexican League and seats 20,000, less than half of Petco Park’s capacity. The three-year-old ballpark is named after Helú, a Padres minority owner.
The Padres were last in Mexico City for the opening of the stadium, where they played an exhibition game against the Rojos.
Though these will be MLB’s first regular-season games in Mexico City, it will be the fourth time the Padres have traveled to Mexico for contests that count. They last played in Monterrey in 2018.
Padres CEO Erik Greupner said in a statement. “it will be an honor to showcase our team in Mexico’s capital city.”
MLB had been set to make its bow in Mexico City in 2020, with the Friars taking on Arizona, but COVID-19 ended those plans.
It will be the Giants’ first time playing abroad. The Padres will serve as the home team in the series, perhaps fitting, as Greupner says, “we are fortunate to have a loyal and passionate fan base in Mexico.”