D-backs to face Rockies in Mexico for two games this weekend

The Arizona Diamondbacks will face the Colorado Rockies for a two-game series in Mexico this weekend, marking the 11th time the team has played games south of the border.

The 11 trips to Mexico are the most of any team in Major League Baseball.

Facing their NL West rivals in Monterrey, Mexico, on Saturday and Sunday, the D-backs will play outside of the city of Hermosillo in Mexico for the first time.

A roster of players making the trip to Mexico is set to include David Peralta, Eduardo Escobar, Ketel Marte, Steven Souza Jr. and Andrew Chafin. Back in Arizona, the D-backs will play split-squad games on Saturday against the Royals and on Sunday at the Reds.

“We are fortunate to have a huge following in Hermosillo and the state of Sonora, but we also want to be seen as Mexico’s team,” said D-backs President & CEO Derrick Hall, who sits on MLB’s international committee. “Our relationships with our friends in Mexico is incredibly important to us and we will continue to raise our hands to volunteer every time Major League Baseball looks to play games in Mexico and around the globe, as we know that is how we can grow both the game and our brand.”

The D-backs have previously played the Brewers (1998 and 1999), the Angels (2000), the Athletics (2001), the Padres (2002), the Royals (2003), the White Sox (2008), Team Mexico (2009) and the Rockies (2010 and 2015) in Hermosillo, Sonora. The D-backs also went to Australia to open the 2014 MLB regular season and play the Dodgers.

Not long after their trip to Monterrey, the D-backs will open their 2019 regular season campaign against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on March 28. The D-backs will then visit the San Diego Padres before playing their home opener on Friday, April 5, for a three-game series against former Diamondback J.D. Martinez and the Boston Red Sox.

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