Fans pack Dodger Stadium as California allows full-capacity games

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated "Reopening Day" as California lifted most of the state's COVID-19 restrictions Tuesday.

Tuesday's night game against the Philadelphia Phillies marked the first time since 2019 that the Boys in Blue played in front of a packed ballpark with no cardboard cutouts taking over seats and no sections being tarped off due to social distancing measures. 

Officials announced later in the evening that the attendance of the Dodgers-Phillies game was 52,078.

For vaccinated Dodgers fans, it has been a long time being able to grab a Dodger dog and not have to worry about putting on a mask between each bite. After the Dodgers' 2019 season ended on a highly disappointing after falling to the Washington Nationals in the NLDS, fans were not allowed back at Dodger Stadium for all of 2020, the year the Boys in Blue redeemed themselves and won the World Series.

While fans were allowed back on Opening Day in April of 2021, California's tier system only let a certain number of fans inside the ballpark until the state's highly-anticipated reopening day went into effect Tuesday, June 15.

Prior to first pitch Tuesday night, the Dodgers shared a "We can't wait to see you" video narrated by Vin Scully on how excited the team was to have Dodger Stadium filled at full capacity.

Down the 5 Freeway, the Los Angeles Angels will celebrate their version of reopening night Thursday night against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium. The Halos are currently in the Bay Area as they take on AL West rival, the Oakland Athletics. 

Both the Angels and the Dodgers had on-site vaccination stations outside the ballpark for fans to take their COVID-19 shots this week.