The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The Padres first played their home games at San Diego Stadium until 2004, when they moved into Petco Park. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honor, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. The Padres have used 24 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 42 seasons. The 24 starters have a combined Opening Day record of 15 wins, 14 losses and 13 no decisions. No decisions are only awarded to the starting pitcher if the game is won or lost after the starting pitcher has left the game.
The Padres' first Opening Day starting pitcher was Dick Selma, who received a win against the Houston Astros. Randy Jones, Eric Show and Jake Peavy tie the Padres' record for most Opening Day starts with four. Peavy has the most consecutive Opening Day starts with four (2006–2009). Jones and Andy Benes each have had three consecutive Opening Day starts. Benes has the most consecutive Opening Day losses with three from to .
Overall, the Padres' Opening Day starting pitchers have a record of eight wins and five losses at San Diego Stadium and two wins and one loss at Petco Park. Although the Padres were nominally the home team on Opening Day 1999, the game was played in Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. The Padres' Opening Day starting pitchers' combined home record is 11 wins and six losses, and their away record is four wins and eight losses. The Padres went on to play in the MLB post-season five times, winning the National League Championship Series (NLCS) in 1984 and 1998. In those five seasons, the Opening Day starting pitchers had a combined record of three wins and 0 losses.
Key
SeasonEach year is linked to an article about that particular Padres season.WWinLLossND (W)No decision by starting pitcher; Padres won gameND (L)No decision by starting pitcher; Padres lost gameFinal score (#)Game score with Padres runs listed first; extra innings are in bracketsLocationStadium in bold for home gamePitcher Number of appearances as Opening Day starter with the Padres*Advanced to the post-season**Won the National League Championship Series
Pitchers
SeasonPitcherDecisionFinalscoreOpponentLocationAttendanceRef.1969WHouston AstrosSan Diego Stadium23,3701970WAtlanta BravesSan Diego Stadium25,1251971LSan Francisco GiantsSan Diego Stadium34,5541972WAtlanta BravesSan Diego Stadium16,6551973 WLos Angeles DodgersSan Diego Stadium32,0191974LLos Angeles DodgersDodger Stadium31,5661975ND (L)San Francisco GiantsSan Diego Stadium17,6701976 WAtlanta BravesSan Diego Stadium44,7281977 LCincinnati RedsRiverfront Stadium51,9371978ND (W)San Francisco GiantsCandlestick Park36,1311979 WLos Angeles DodgersDodger Stadium46,5361980 WSan Francisco GiantsSan Diego Stadium29,5351981ND (W)San Francisco GiantsCandlestick Park54,5201982LAtlanta BravesJack Murphy Stadium30,1881983WSan Francisco GiantsCandlestick Park50,5421984**WPittsburgh PiratesJack Murphy Stadium44,5531985ND (L)San Francisco GiantsCandlestick Park52,7141986 LLos Angeles DodgersDodger Stadium49,4441987 ND (L)San Francisco GiantsCandlestick Park52,0201988ND (L)Houston AstrosAstrodome39,9061989 LSan Francisco GiantsJack Murphy Stadium52,7631990LLos Angeles DodgersDodger Stadium48,6861991 ND (W)San Francisco GiantsJack Murphy Stadium48,0891992 ND (W)Cincinnati RedsRiverfront Stadium55,3561993LPittsburgh PiratesThree Rivers Stadium44,1031994 LAtlanta BravesJack Murphy Stadium42,2511995 LHouston AstrosJack Murphy Stadium41,9611996*ND (L)Chicago CubsWrigley Field38,7341997WNew York MetsJack Murphy Stadium43,0051998**WCincinnati RedsCinergy Field54,5781999 LColorado RockiesEstadio de Béisbol Monterrey27,1042000ND (L)New York MetsShea Stadium52,3082001LSan Francisco GiantsPacific Bell Park40,9302002ND (W)Arizona DiamondbacksChase Field47,0252003ND (L)San Francisco GiantsQualcomm Stadium61,7072004 WLos Angeles DodgersDodger Stadium53,8502005* ND (L)Colorado RockiesCoors Field47,6612006*WSan Francisco GiantsPetco Park43,7672007 WSan Francisco GiantsAT&T Park42,7732008 WHouston AstrosPetco Park44,9652009 LLos Angeles DodgersPetco Park45,4962010LArizona DiamondbacksChase Field49,1922011ND (W)St. Louis CardinalsBusch Stadium46,3682012LLos Angeles DodgersPetco Park42,9412013 LNew York MetsCiti Field41,0532014ND (W)Los Angeles DodgersPetco Park45,5672015ND (L)Los Angeles DodgersDodger Stadium53,5182016LLos Angeles DodgersPetco Park44,3172017LLos Angeles DodgersDodger Stadium53,7012018ND (L)Milwaukee BrewersPetco Park44,6592019WSan Francisco GiantsPetco Park44,6552020*WArizona DiamondbacksPetco Park02021ND (W)Arizona DiamondbacksPetco Park10,3502022* ND (L)Arizona DiamondbacksChase Field35,5082023LColorado RockiesPetco Park 45,1032024* ND (L) Los Angeles DodgersGocheok Sky Dome15,9522025* ND (W) Atlanta BravesPetco Park45,5682026L Detroit TigersPetco Park45,673
References