Dodgers–Padres rivalry

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Dodgers–Padres rivalry
LocationSouthern California
First meetingApril 15, 1969
Dodger Stadium
Dodgers 14, Padres 0
Latest meetingMarch 21, 2024
Gocheok Sky Dome
Padres 15, Dodgers 11
Next meetingApril 12, 2024,
Dodger Stadium
Statistics
Meetings total947
Most winsDodgers
Regular season seriesDodgers, 519–420–1 (.553)[1]
Postseason resultsDodgers, 4–3
Largest victoryDodgers: 15–0 (2004), (2016)
Padres: 14–3 (1993)
Longest win streak
  • Padres: 10 (1996–1997)
  • Dodgers: 16 (1973–1974)
Current win streakPadres, 1
Post-season history
Locations of Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres

The Dodgers–Padres rivalry is a Major League Baseball (MLB) National League divisional rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, based in the two biggest cities in Southern California. The Dodgers and Padres are both members of the National League (NL) West division. It's occasionally called the I-5 rivalry because Los Angeles and San Diego lie approximately 130 miles apart along Interstate 5.

Background

The rise of Southern California as a major region of the United States brought about a significant economic rivalry between neighboring Los Angeles and San Diego. Through the years, San Diego proved to be an unstable home to its sports franchises as the NFL's Chargers and NBA's Clippers both relocated to Los Angeles. The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers have been rivals ever since the Padres joined the National League West Division.[2] The Dodgers have traditionally been the much better team in this rivalry, though most San Diego fans particularly harbor most of their animosity towards LA.[3][4] Both the Dodgers and Padres had recently bolstered their rosters in their quests for a playoff run. The Dodgers swept the Padres in the NLDS, culminating in a World Series championship in 2020 on top of four consecutive appearances in the NLCS, while the Padres appeared in the 2022 NLCS and lost to the Philadelphia Phillies.[5] Both stadiums are accessible via Amtrak as The Pacific Surfliner connects the two cities given Petco Park's proximity to San Diego Station and Dodger Stadium's shuttle to and from LA Union Station.

As of 2023, the Dodgers currently lead the rivalry 518–417 in the regular season and 4–3 in postseason play.

History

Petco Park (left), the home of the Padres, and Dodger Stadium (right), home of the Dodgers.

1960s

The first meeting between the two teams occurred during the seventh game of the 1969 season at Dodger Stadium on April 15, 1969. In the beginning, it seemed like it could be a pitchers’ duel. With Johnny Podres on the mound for the Padres, facing his old team in his final season in the majors, and Claude Osteen for the Dodgers, the first four innings passed quickly and uneventfully. But things fell apart for the Padres in the bottom of the fifth inning: A groundout gave way to a walk, three consecutive singles, and yet another walk, before Andy Kosco hit a grand slam that put the Dodgers ahead 6-0. Afterwards, Osteen limited the Padres to only three hits, the Dodger lineup piled eight more runs with the final score being 14-0. It was the Padres’ fourth consecutive loss after beginning their existence with a sweep of the Houston Astros before getting swept by the San Francisco Giants. The next day, they piled another nine runs on the Padres, who only mustered a lone run in response. The Padres finished their inaugural season with a 52–110 record and did not have a winning season for nearly a decade.

1970s

The Padres' fortunes began to shift near the end of the 1970s as they had their first winning season in 1978, though they failed to qualify for the postseason as the Dodgers won the division en route to a World Series appearance. Despite the lone winning season in 1978, the Padres' only successes were two seasons at .500 in 1982 and 1983, while the Dodgers had three World Series appearances during the 1970s, in 1974, 1977, and 1978 (losing in all three).

1980s

The Padres broke through with an appearance in their first World Series in 1984, but they fell to the Detroit Tigers in five games. The Dodgers, meanwhile, won a pair of championships in 1981 and 1988.

1990s

The Dodgers teams soon waned in competition through the 1990s, only winning the division in 1994 (unofficially, because the end of the regular season and the World Series were canceled) and 1995. In 1995, the Dodgers appeared in the NLDS but were swept by the Reds. Meanwhile, the fortunes had alternated in favor of the Padres during the 1996 season, when they made a thorough push to the NLDS but were then swept by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Padres won the pennant in 1998, but were swept by the New York Yankees in the World Series.

2000s

Both franchises enjoyed success and encountered problems in the 2000s. The Dodgers won the division three times but were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS in both 2008 and 2009. The Frank Mccourt–led ownership proved to be largely flawed as the Dodgers often boasted immensely talented rosters but constantly fell short of a World Series appearance throughout the decade until Mccourt's forced sale of the team in 2011. The Padres had back-to-back division wins in 2005 and 2006 but fell to the St. Louis Cardinals both times in the NLDS. Notably, the rivals were the only two teams to play spring training in China as a part of the MLB China Series in 2008.

2010s

In 2016, both teams met for the league season opener. Both teams began the season with new managers, including Dave Roberts, the former Padres manager who had signed with the Dodgers during the offseason.[6] The Dodgers won 15–0. [7] The Dodgers made two World Series appearances, in 2017 and 2018, but controversially fell in both to the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox, respectively. The Dodgers led the NL West division for a seven-year stretch from 2013 to 2020 while the Padres failed to make the postseason from 2006 to 2020.

2020s

The 2020 season was limited to 60 games by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dodgers won the division title while the Padres finished in second. The two teams met in the Division Series, played in Arlington, Texas, under COVID-19 contingencies.

The Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Dodgers' Mookie Betts both came within reach of winning National League MVP in 2020.

2020 NLDS

In Game 1, Mike Clevinger returned to the mound for the Padres but was pulled after one inning after a noticeable drop in velocity. The game remained scoreless until the fourth inning, when the Padres scored on a two-out hit from Austin Nola. San Diego enjoyed their lead briefly – until the Dodgers scored on an error in the fifth. Then a game that had been well-pitched to that point boiled over in the sixth, when the Dodgers put up four runs to win, 5–1 score. Just like Game 3 of their wild card win over the Cardinals, the Padres used nine pitchers and walked ten batters, along the way.[8] The Padres took an early lead in the second inning when Wil Myers hit a double to center field that scored Tommy Pham. The Dodgers took the lead for good in the third inning on a two-run double by Corey Seager and a single by Max Muncy, and padded their lead the next inning on a Cody Bellinger home run. The Padres began the sixth inning with back-to-back home runs by Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer that reduced their deficit to one, but Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw retired the next three batters to end the inning. The Padres threatened again in the seventh inning, when Bellinger made a spectacular catch over the center-field wall that would otherwise have been a go-ahead two-run home run by Fernando Tatís Jr. The Dodgers padded their lead in the bottom of the seventh on a Justin Turner sacrifice fly and a single by Muncy. The Padres threatened in the top of the ninth inning, scoring two runs and once again reducing their deficit to one and load the bases, however. Joe Kelly got Hosmer to ground out to end the game. In Game 3, the Dodgers took an early lead in the second inning that was quickly erased when the Padres scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning. The Padres' lead was also short-lived, as the Dodgers scored five runs in the third inning en route to a blowout win. Though he did not start the game, erstwhile Dodgers starter Julio Urías pitched five innings in relief, allowing one run on one hit, striking out six Padres, and getting credited as the winning pitcher. The Padres, meanwhile, used 11 pitchers – a postseason record for a nine-inning game.[9][10] The Dodgers advanced to their fourth NLCS in five seasons, ultimately winning the World Series.

After trading for Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and Blake Snell in the off-season, the Padres looked like their fortunes would continue to reverse during the 2021 season, but the San Francisco Giants made an unexpected push to win the division with the Dodgers finishing in second. The Padres only posted a 79-83 record, missing the postseason.[11][12] After the season, Padres manager Jayce Tingler was fired and was replaced by long-time Oakland A's manager Bob Melvin. At the 2022 trade deadline, the Padres acquired Juan Soto, Josh Bell, Brandon Drury, and Josh Hader, going all-in to beat the Dodgers and win their first World Series. Padres owner Peter Seidler described the situation as such. "They're the dragon up the freeway that we're trying to slay," Seidler said during an in-game interview on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball when describing the Dodgers-Padres dynamic.[13] The Dodgers finished 2022 going 14-5 against San Diego, not dropping a single series against the Padres. Things grew worse for San Diego as Fernando Tatis Jr. (who was gearing up for make his debut on the season from an off-season injury to his shoulder) was suspended for 80 games on August 12 after testing positive for Clostebal; a banned steroid.[14] On top of leading the series through the 2022 season, the Dodgers led the league with 111 wins, winning the division in the process.

2022 NLDS

The Padres rebounded towards the end of the season and earned a wild card spot, where they defeated the New York Mets 2–1 in the Wild Card Series. The Dodgers and Padres played each other in the 2022 National League Division Series. During Game 2, a goose landed on the field of Dodger Stadium, with both fanbases claiming it as a rally goose and a curse for their team. The Padres won the series 3–1 in an upset over the Dodgers, whose 111 wins in the regular season were the fourth most in MLB history and 22 more than San Diego's 89. The only time in league playoff history that a team defeated an opponent who was more than 22 wins better was in the 1906 World Series, when the 93-win Chicago White Sox defeated the 116-win Chicago Cubs. The win advanced San Diego to their first NLCS since 1998.[15] However, their victory was short-lived as they were upset as well, this time by the 6th seed Philadelphia Phillies, who defeated them in 5 games to win their first pennant since 2009.

2023

During the 2023 season, tensions began to rise between the two teams yet again after a May 6 game in San Diego in which the Padres media team displayed a photoshopped meme of Clayton Kershaw crying in an effort to taunt the Dodgers.[16] The image led to controversy by fans and sportswriters. Following the incident, the Padres lost 10 out of their next 12 games, including 5 consecutive losses to the Dodgers. This caused fans to believe that the scoreboard image cursed the team, jokingly labeling the incident "Curseshaw". The image came after the Padres took the season series opener, 5-2. Following the gesture, the Padres only won one series against the Dodgers the entire season. Overall, what looked like a passing of the guard during the 2022 NLDS, when the Padres knocked off the Dodgers, did not occur the following season, as the Los Angeles Dodgers once again cruised to a National League West title, while San Diego missed the postseason entirely.

2024

Both teams are scheduled to open the 2024 MLB season for a 2 game series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea on March 20 and 21, 2024.[17]

Postseason series

The first postseason matchup between the two teams occurred during the 2020 National League Division Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, as a part of the playoff bubble created for the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dodgers swept the Padres 3–0.

The second postseason matchup between the two teams occurred during the 2022 National League Division Series with the Padres winning once at Dodgers Stadium and twice at Petco to defeat the Dodgers 3-1.

Season-by-season results

Dodgers vs. Padres Season-by-Season Results
1960s (Dodgers, 12–6)
Season Season series at Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Overall series Notes
1969 Dodgers 12–6 Dodgers, 8–1 Padres, 5–4 Dodgers
12–6
From the end of the very first game on April 15, the Dodgers have not relinquished a series lead to this day.
1970s (Dodgers, 109–71)
Season Season series at Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Overall series Notes
1970 Dodgers 11–7 Dodgers, 6–3 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers
23–13
1971 Dodgers 13–5 Padres, 5–4 Dodgers, 9–0 Dodgers
36–18
1972 Dodgers 13–5 Dodgers, 6–3 Dodgers, 7–2 Dodgers
49–23
1973 Tie 9–9 Padres, 7–2 Dodgers, 7–2 Dodgers
58–32
1974 Dodgers 16–2 Dodgers, 8–1 Dodgers, 8–1 Dodgers
74–34
Dodgers lose 1974 World Series
1975 Dodgers 11–7 Dodgers, 6–3 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers
85–41
1976 Padres 12–6 Padres, 6–3 Padres, 6–3 Dodgers
91–53
1977 Dodgers 12–6 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers, 7–2 Dodgers
103–59
Dodgers lose 1977 World Series
1978 Tie 9–9 Dodgers, 7–2 Padres, 7–2 Dodgers
112–68
Dodgers lose 1978 World Series
1979 Tie 9–9 Dodgers, 6–3 Padres, 6–3 Dodgers
121–77
1980s (Padres, 95–78–1)
Season Season series at Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Overall series Notes
1980 Tie 9–9 Dodgers, 7–2 Padres, 7–2 Dodgers
130–86
1981 Dodgers 6–5 Tie, 3–3 Dodgers, 3–2 Dodgers
136–91
Strike-shortened season
Padres' San Diego Stadium renamed Jack Murphy Stadium
Dodgers win 1981 World Series
1982 Tie 9–9 Dodgers, 6–3 Padres, 6–3 Dodgers
145–100
1983 Padres 12–6–1 Padres, 7–2 Padres, 5–4–1 Dodgers
151–112–1
1984 Dodgers 10–8 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers
161–120–1
Padres lose 1984 World Series
1985 Padres 10–8 Padres, 5–4 Padres, 5–4 Dodgers
169–130–1
1986 Padres 12–6 Padres, 6–3 Padres, 6–3 Dodgers
175–142–1
1987 Dodgers 11–7 Dodgers, 6–3 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers
186–149–1
1988 Padres 11–7 Dodgers, 5–4 Padres, 7–2 Dodgers
193–160–1
Dodgers win 1988 World Series
1989 Padres 12–6 Padres, 6–3 Padres, 6–3 Dodgers
199–172–1
1990s (Padres, 71–68)
Season Season series at Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Overall series Notes
1990 Tie 9–9 Dodgers, 6–3 Padres, 6–3 Dodgers
208–181–1
1991 Dodgers 10–8 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers
218–189–1
1992 Tie 9–9 Dodgers, 5–4 Padres, 5–4 Dodgers
227–198–1
1993 Dodgers 9–4 Dodgers, 5–1 Dodgers, 4–3 Dodgers
236–202–1
1994 Dodgers 6–4 Dodgers, 5–2 Padres, 2–1 Dodgers
242–206–1
Strike-shortened season. Strike cancels postseason.
MLB adds Wild Card, allowing for both teams to make the postseason in the same year.
1995 Dodgers 7–6 Dodgers, 4–3 Tie, 3–3 Dodgers
249–212–1
1994 realignment increases meetings from 12 to 13 meetings per year.
1996 Padres 8–5 Padres, 5–1 Dodgers, 4–3 Dodgers
254–220–1
1997 Padres 7–5 Padres, 4–2 Tie, 3–3 Dodgers
259–227–1
Padres' Jack Murphy Stadium renamed Qualcomm Stadium
1998 Padres 7–5 Tie, 3–3 Padres, 4–2 Dodgers
264–234–1
MLB changed to an unbalanced schedule in 1998 to accommodate MLB's expansion and realignment, resulting in 12–13 meetings per year.
Padres lose 1998 World Series
1999 Padres 9–3 Padres, 4–2 Padres, 5–1 Dodgers
267–243–1
2000s (Dodgers, 90–89)
Season Season series at Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Overall series Notes
2000 Dodgers 8–5 Dodgers, 4–3 Dodgers, 4–2 Dodgers
275–248–1
2001 Padres 10–9 Padres, 7–2 Dodgers, 7–3 Dodgers
284–258–1
MLB changed to an unbalanced schedule in 2001, resulting in 18-19 meetings per year
2002 Dodgers 10–9 Dodgers, 6–4 Padres, 5–4 Dodgers
294–267–1
2003 Padres 11–8 Dodgers, 5–4 Padres, 7–3 Dodgers
302–278–1
2004 Dodgers 10–9 Tie, 5–5 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers
312–287–1
Padres open Petco Park
2005 Dodgers 11–7 Dodgers, 7–2 Padres, 5–4 Dodgers
323–294–1
2006 Padres 13–5 Padres, 7–2 Padres, 6–3 Dodgers
328–307–1
2007 Padres 10–8 Dodgers, 5–4 Padres, 6–3 Dodgers
336–317–1
2008 Dodgers 11–7 Dodgers, 6–3 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers
347–324–1
2009 Dodgers 10–8 Dodgers, 6–3 Padres, 5–4 Dodgers
357–332–1
2010s (Dodgers, 120–67)
Season Season series at Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Overall series Notes
2010 Padres 10–8 Padres, 5–4 Padres, 5–4 Dodgers
365–342–1
2011 Dodgers 13–5 Dodgers, 7–2 Dodgers, 6–3 Dodgers
378–347–1
2012 Dodgers 11–7 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers, 6–3 Dodgers
389–354–1
2013 Dodgers 11–8 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers, 6–4 Dodgers
400–362–1
Both AL and NL having balanced teams leads to a balanced schedule of 19 games per season.
2014 Dodgers 12–7 Dodgers, 7–3 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers
412–369–1
2015 Dodgers 14–5 Dodgers, 7–2 Dodgers, 7–3 Dodgers
426–374–1
2016 Dodgers 11–8 Dodgers, 6–4 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers
412–369–1
2017 Dodgers 13–6 Dodgers, 8–2 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers
450–388–1
Dodgers lose 2017 World Series
2018 Dodgers 14–5 Dodgers, 7–2 Dodgers, 7–3 Dodgers
464–393–1
Dodgers lose 2018 World Series
2019 Dodgers 13–6 Dodgers, 6–4 Dodgers, 7–2 Dodgers
477–399–1
2020s (Dodgers, 45–23)
Season Season series at Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Overall series Notes
2020 Dodgers 9–4 Dodgers, 4–2 Dodgers, 5–2 Dodgers
483–403–1
Season shortened to 60 games (with 10 meetings) by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dodgers win 2020 World Series
2020 NLDS Dodgers 3–0 Dodgers, 2–0 Dodgers, 1–0 Dodgers
486–403–1
First meeting in the postseason.
Dodgers win 2020 World Series.
2021 Dodgers 12–7 Dodgers, 7–3 Dodgers, 5–4 Dodgers
498–410–1
2022 Dodgers 15–8 Dodgers, 9–3 Dodgers, 6–5 Dodgers
512–415–1
2022 NLDS Padres 3–1 Tie, 1–1 Padres, 2–0 Dodgers
513–418–1
Second meeting in the postseason.
Padres lose 2022 NLCS.
2023 Dodgers 9–4 Dodgers, 4–2 Dodgers, 5–2 Dodgers
522–422–1
Schedule structure modified this season to allow every team to play one series against every interleague team. Shortening meetings from 19 to 13 games.
Summary of Results
Season Season series at Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Notes
Regular season games Dodgers 518–419–1 Dodgers, 274–197 Dodgers, 244–222–1
Postseason games Dodgers 4–3 Dodgers, 3–1 Padres, 2–1
Postseason series Tie 1–1 Dodgers, 1–0–1 Tie, 1–1
Overall Regular season and postseason Dodgers 522–422–1 Dodgers, 277–198 Dodgers, 245–224–1

Connections between the teams

Name Position(s) Dodgers' tenure Padres' tenure
Andy Ashby Pitcher 2001–2003 1993–1999
2004
Matt Beaty First baseman, outfielder 2019–2021 2022
Milton Bradley Switch hitter 2004–2005 2007
Kevin Brown Pitcher 1999–2003 1998
Yu Darvish Pitcher 2017 2021–present
Steve Garvey First baseman 1969–1982 1983–1987
Adrián González First baseman 2012–2017 2006–2010
Yasmani Grandal Catcher 2015–2018 2012–2014
Dave Hansen Pinch hitter 1990–1996
1999–2002
2003–2004
Rich Hill Pitcher 2016–2019 2023–present
Matt Kemp Outfielder 2006–2014, 2018 2015–2016
Grady Little Manager, hitting coach 2006–2007 (as manager) 1996 (as coach)
Manny Machado Third baseman, shortstop 2018 2019–present
Greg Maddux Pitcher 2006, 2008 2007–2008
Fred McGriff First baseman 2003 1991–1993
Mark McGwire Hitting coach 2013–2015 2016–2018
Chan Ho Park Pitcher 1994–2001
2008
2005–2006
Mike Piazza Catcher 1992–1998 2006
Johnny Podres Pitcher 1953–1966 1969
Dave Roberts Manager, outfielder 2001–2004 (as player)
2016–present (as manager)
2005–2006 (as player)
2011-2015 (as coach and interim manager)
Gary Sheffield Outfielder 1998–2001 1992–1993
Fernando Valenzuela Pitcher 1980–1990 1995–1997
Shane Victorino Outfielder 1999–2002
2012
2003
David Wells Pitcher 2007 2004, 2006–2007
Randy Wolf Pitcher 2007, 2009 2008

See also

References

Inline citations
  1. ^ "Head-to-Head Records". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  2. ^ Felt, Hunter (May 4, 2021). "Why the Dodgers-Padres turbo-charged rivalry is great for baseball". The Guardian. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  3. ^ Diamond, Jared (April 15, 2021). "Dodgers-Padres has become Baseball's next best rivalry". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  4. ^ Lore, Michael (April 29, 2021). "Dodgers-Padres Rivalry Is 'Great For The Game Of Baseball'". Forbes.
  5. ^ Verducci, Tom (February 15, 2021). "MLB's Next Great Rivalry Is Here". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  6. ^ Ortiz, Jorge (April 6, 2016). "Padres suffer worst three-game start in MLB history". USA Today. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  7. ^ "Dodgers vs. Padres summary April 4, 2016".
  8. ^ Franco, Anthony (October 7, 2020). "Padres Remove Mike Clevinger From NLDS Roster". MLBTraderumors. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  9. ^ Berry, Adam (October 5, 2020). "Dodgers, Padres Rivalry Renewed in NLDS". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  10. ^ Castillo, Jorge (October 8, 2020). "Dodgers sweep Padres in NLDS behind stellar pitching and offense". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  11. ^ Gonzalez, Alden; Schoenfield, David (August 24, 2021). "Is Dodgers-Padres still MLB's best rivalry? Breaking down both teams as they battle for the playoffs". ESPN. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  12. ^ Castillo, Jorge (April 18, 2021). "Dodgers' winning streak ends, but rivalry against the Padres has only just begun". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  13. ^ Gonzalez, Alden (August 9, 2022). "'They're the dragon up the freeway': Three things the Padres must do to (finally) beat the Dodgers". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  14. ^ "Fernando Tatis Jr Apologizes for PED use; Will Undergo Shoulder Surgery".
  15. ^ Miller, Scott (October 16, 2022). "To Chants of 'Beat L.A.!', the Padres Eliminate the Dodgers". The New York Times. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  16. ^ "San Diego Padres Jumbotron Trolls Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw".
  17. ^ "Dodgers-Padres to open 2024 season in Seoul". ESPN. July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.