Game Thread: Opening Day 04/05 Padres vs. Dodgers

Today's the day, everyone. Last September, we said goodbye to the 2011 season and started counting down to this day. And now, 190 days later, we are still here. We survived an offseason that had us saying goodbye to Heath Bell and Mat Latos, among others. We made it through Spring Training in Peoria. And now the baseball gods will bestow upon us a day that could be the beginning of something great. Greatest season evar? You never know. All we know is that today, despite the clouds in our usually sunny San Diego sky this morning, the world looks a whole lot brighter because Padres baseball is back. So let us all hold virtual hands and give each other virtual hugs and Orlando-Hudson-style butt slaps in celebration of the beginning of this 2012 season.

So begins our 2012 journey, at our home in downtown San Diego against our rivals just to the north, the Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw will be starting for L.A. I don't know if you guys know this, but I'm not a huge fan of this guy. So it would make my day (which also just happens to be the anniversary of my birth, just saying) to beat him and to make the Dodger fans crowding our stadium cry so hard that when they wipe their eyes, their Sharpie eyebrows smear all over their faces.

Tim Stauffer was placed on the 15-day DL today (retroactive to April 4th). Edinson Volquez, as announced on April 1st, will be our Opening Day starter. He was the Opening Day starter last season for the Reds, but didn't fare so well. So today he is looking for, not only redemption for his shaky start last season, but a strong start to his career with the Padres. Yonder Alonso, who came over with Volquez in the Mat Latos deal, will also be making his Padres debut today. Here is how the rest of the team will line up against Kershaw:

#Padres lineup vs. #Dodgers: Maybin 8, Denorfia 9, Headley 5, Guzman 7, Hundley 2, Alonso 3, Hudson 4, Bartlett 6, Volquez 1.

— Follow The Padres (@FollowThePadres) April 5, 2012

Smile, guys. Here's to the start of another wonderful season with Gaslamp Ball and our Padres!

GO FRIARS!! KEEP THE FAITH!! BEAT LA!!