Opening Day FAQ: Rockies vs. D-backs

PHOENIX -- Two familiar foes will square off against each other Thursday night when the Rockies and D-backs open the 2024 regular season at Chase Field.

It will be the ninth time these two teams, who share a Spring Training complex, have opened the regular season against each other.

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For the D-backs, it will be a night of celebration as they will unveil their 2023 National League Championship banner in a pregame ceremony.

“I love our fans,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “They're there to support us every single day. And there's more now than there ever has been. And we are going to embrace that and we're gonna have a connecting moment with them.”

The Rockies, meanwhile, welcome the fresh start that the new year brings after losing over 100 games for the first time in franchise history a year ago.

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When is the game and how can I watch it?

Rockies
Thursday, 8:10 p.m. MDT. It will be carried on the new ROCKIES.TV, which will provide in-market streaming for Rockies fans for the first time, and on radio via KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM and on At Bat, via the KOA Rockies Radio Network. For details on how to watch Rockies games, visit rockies.com/watch for a list of channel locations.

D-backs
Thursday, 7:10 p.m. MST. MLB will produce and distribute all D-backs games as it did for the second half of last season, with a list of cable and satellite channels available here. Additionally, fans will have the ability to stream on DBACKS.TV or MLB.TV. The game will also be broadcast on the radio on Arizona Sports 98.7 and Latino Mix 100.3.

What are the lineups?

Rockies
1. Charlie Blackmon, RF
2. Kris Bryant, 1B
3. Nolan Jones, LF
4. Brendan Rodgers, 2B
5. Ryan McMahon, 3B
6. Elias Díaz, C
7. Ezequiel Tovar, SS
8. Elehuris Montero, DH
9. Brenton Doyle, CF

D-backs
1. Ketel Marte, 2B
2. Corbin Carroll, RF
3. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., LF
4. Christian Walker, 1B
5. Gabriel Moreno, C
6. Eugenio Suárez, 3B
7. Blaze Alexander, DH
8. Alek Thomas, CF
9. Geraldo Perdomo, SS

Who are the starting pitchers?

Rockies
LHP Kyle Freeland
Freeland makes his third career Opening Day start. He is doing so after a strong Spring Training during which he showed off a fastball with velocity reminiscent of a few years back and flashed an effective changeup.

D-backs
RHP Zac Gallen
Gallen will be making his second consecutive Opening Day start, and the right-hander is coming off another outstanding campaign in which he finished third in the NL Cy Young Award voting. Gallen was brought along a little slower than usual this spring as a result of the heavy workload he shouldered in last year’s postseason, but he finished his last start of the spring at the pitch count he needed to in order to be able to throw as many as 90 or so pitches on Opening Day.

How might the bullpens line up after the starter?

Rockies
Right-hander Peter Lambert lines up as the long reliever, with lefty Jalen Beeks and righties Jake Bird and Tyler Kinley being prominent setup men for the closer, right-hander Justin Lawrence.

D-backs
As D-backs closer Paul Sewald will open the year on the injured list due to an oblique strain, the D-backs will likely turn to Kevin Ginkel to close out games -- though Lovullo does not want to anoint a closer at this point. Fellow right-hander Ryan Thompson could also see some late-inning work with Joe Mantiply an option to set up from the left side.

Any injuries of note?

Rockies
The Rockies are without a pair of righty starters because of Tommy John surgeries last year. Germán Márquez won't be available until around the All-Star break, and it's not clear if Antonio Senzatela will return at all this season. They will occupy the 60-day injured list. In the bullpen, left-hander Lucas Gilbreath is completing his return from Tommy John surgery, and righty Daniel Bard is coming back from a cleanup procedure on his left knee and PRP shots in his right forearm. Both will begin on the 15-day IL.

D-backs
Other than Sewald, the D-backs No. 3 starter, Eduardo Rodriguez, suffered a strained lat muscle last week and will start the year on the injured list. Arizona is hoping it’s not a long stay on the IL. Outfielder Randal Grichuk will open the year on the injured list as well following ankle surgery in January. He is not expected to be out for long.

Who’s hot and who’s not?

Rockies
By honing his approach, Díaz quietly put up a spring OPS well above .900, while McMahon and Rodgers had big springs in their efforts to put together a consistent, wire-to-wire season. Left-hander Austin Gomber, No. 3 in this rotation, had some difficult spring outings. Lawrence's overall spring numbers were poor, but he has been solid more often than not.

D-backs
Marte has swung a hot bat throughout the spring after a torrid postseason that saw him earn MVP of the NL Championship Series. Carroll also swung the bat well during the spring.