SAN DIEGO -- Opening Day is now Opening Night at Petco Park.

Thursday’s scheduled season opener between the Rockies and Padres has been pushed to 6:40 p.m. PT/7:40 p.m. MT because of inclement weather. Rain is in the forecast in San Diego on Thursday morning into the early afternoon.

First pitch was originally slated for 1:10 p.m. PT/2:10 p.m. MT.

• Opening Day FAQ: Rockies vs. Padres

Gates at Petco Park will be opened to an expected sellout crowd at 4:30 p.m. PT. In a release announcing the change of start times, the Padres asked fans to arrive early and to pre-purchase parking.

Rockies right-hander Germán Márquez is slated to square off against Padres left-hander Blake Snell. (Advantage Padres? Márquez’s ERA last season was two full points higher in night games. Meantime, Snell’s ERA was nearly two full points lower at night.)

Thursday’s game will mark the first Petco Park Opening Day game to be played at night since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and the first with fans in attendance since the Padres beat the Dodgers on Sunday Night Baseball to begin the 2014 season.