Sun, Surf & Sluggers: San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Rivalry

When Do the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres Play Next?

Los Angeles Dodgers tickets and San Diego Padres tickets can be found on their respective team pages, along with schedule information.

Are the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres Rivals?

Yes, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres are rivals. The rivalry stems from both teams belonging to the MLB National League West Division and their regional proximity in Southern California.

Who Are the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Biggest Rivals?

The Dodgers’ biggest rivals are the Arizona Diamondbacks, the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres within the National League West division, plus the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. From the American League, the Dodgers hold rivalries with the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West and the New York Yankees in the AL East.

Who Are the San Diego Padres’ Biggest Rivals?

The Padres’ biggest rivals are the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and the Seattle Mariners in the AL West.

Game Results Between the Los Angeles Dodgers & San Diego Padres

As fierce rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres have a long-standing history of intense head-to-head matchups. Below is a table of their recent results that showcases the competitive nature of their rivalry:

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres History

The rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres dates back to the Padres’ inaugural MLB season in 1969. For more than 50 years, the Padres and Dodgers have shared both the National League and Southern California locale as members of the National League West Division with home fields approximately 125 miles apart.

Although the rivalry between the Dodgers and Padres has been fairly one-sided, with the Dodgers winning three World Series titles to the Padres’ zero, the intensity has been reignited due to heated playoff matchups.

After a rocky launch for the Padres, the Dodgers and Padres began to match in skill throughout the 1980s. The Dodgers remained solid, with World Series wins in 1981 and 1988, whille the Padres took their first steps in the right direction when they made their first World Series appearance in 1984. A memorable moment in the rivalry came when All-Star Dodgers’ pitcher Steve Garvey was signed to the Padres in 1983, which led to the Padres winning their first National League Pennant in 1984.

The 1990s and 2000s were underwhelming for both franchises. Neither team made it to the World Series, as both teams were in a rebuilding phase. However, one moment stands out during this period in 1996 when the Padres swept the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in the final three games of the season to win the NL West Division.

The 2010s was the decade of the bench-clearing brawls: 2013 and 2017 each saw huge fights break out between the Dodgers and Padres. In 2013, Zack Greinke of the Dodgers hit power-hitter Carlos Quentin of the Padres, who charged the mound and broke Greinke’s collarbone, inciting a team-on-team brawl. Later, in 2017, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pushed Padres manager Andy Green after an altercation with an umpire, leading to another bench-clearing brawl between both teams and a one-game suspension for Roberts.

The Dodgers and the Padres met for the first time in the postseason in 2020. Although the Dodgers swept the Padres, 3-0, in the National League Division Series, it was a promising momentum builder for the Padres. In the 2022 NLDS, the Padres shocked the baseball world with a 3-1 series victory over the Dodgers, who had earned the fourth-most MLB regular season wins in history with 111. Ultimately, the Dodgers got their revenge in the 2024 NLDS with a 3-2 series win over the Padres.

Where Do the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres Play?

The Los Angeles Dodgers play at Dodger Stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Opened in 1962, Dodger Stadium is the third-oldest active stadium in Major League Baseball. The ballpark has a seating capacity of 56,000. Dodger Stadium hosted the MLB All-Star Game in 1980 and MLB All-Star Week in 2022, along with 12 of the Dodgers’ 13 World Series matchups since opening.

The San Diego Padres play their home games at Petco Park in San Diego, California. Petco Park has a capacity of 42,445 and has been the Padres home since it opened in 2004. The stadium hosted MLB All-Star Week in 2016 for its first time and the franchise’s third overall. In October 2024, Petco Park notched its highest attendance at 47,773 fans in a matchup between the Padres and the Dodgers.

Other MLB Rivalries