San Francisco Rivalry

Lore & 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. The Dodgers have traditionally been the much more successful team in this rivalry, though most of the animosity in the rivalry is directed against LA by fans of San Diego. This is showcased by Padres fans and the organization embracing the "Beat LA" chant. Dodgers fans have often said that they do not view the Padres as a true rival, reserving that honor for the San Francisco Giants. However, this view of the rivalry has likely changed following the Padres' aggressive roster moves since 2020.

In Their Own Story

The air in Dodger Stadium hung heavy with the scent of orange slices and nervous electricity. Across the diamond, the Giants dugout sat deceptively quiet, their navy caps glinting under the relentless California sun. A veteran Dodgers pitcher wiped sweat from his brow, locking eyes with an opposing batter who had inherited the weight of this specific hatred from a grandfather's war stories. There were no cities left—only two teams fighting over the soul of a single baseball legacy.

Reader's Guide

The first meeting between the two teams occurred during the seventh game of the 1969 season at Dodger Stadium on April 15, 1969. The Dodgers won 14–0. The Padres finished their inaugural season with a 52–110 record. The Padres' fortunes began to shift near the end of the 1970s as they had their first winning season in 1978. The Padres broke through with an appearance in their first World Series in 1984, but fell to the Detroit Tigers in five games. In 1996, the Padres recorded a three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium to win the division crown. In 1998, the Padres had their most wins in franchise history with 98, won the NL West again, and won the National League pennant for the first time since 1984, but were swept in the World Series by the New York Yankees. In the 2020s, the Dodgers swept the Padres in the NLDS in 2020, while the Padres knocked the Dodgers out of the 2022 NLDS. In 2024, the Dodgers came back from a 2–1 series deficit in the NLDS to defeat the Padres in five games. As of the 2025 season, the Dodgers lead the rivalry 532–431–1 in the regular season and 7–5 in postseason play.

Did You Know?

• The rivalry is occasionally called the I-5 rivalry because Los Angeles and San Diego lie approximately 120 miles apart along Interstate 5.
• The Dodgers have won 5 World Series Championships since the Padres came into existence in 1969; the Padres are still yet to win a title.
• In 1988, Orel Hershiser broke Don Drysdale's 58+2⁄3 scoreless inning streak against the Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium.
• On September 18, 2006, the Dodgers hit four consecutive home runs in an inning to tie the game, then won 11–10 on a walk-off home run by Nomar Garciaparra.