NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers
Dodger Stadium · Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team in the National League West division.
NL West Rivalry
Dodgers–Padres
California's hottest NL feud
An NL West rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, two Southern California clubs separated by roughly 120 miles. Once lopsided in Los Angeles's favor, it has become baseball's most charged divisional feud in the 2020s.
The Rivalry
When San Diego entered the National League as an expansion club in 1969, it began life far behind its established neighbor, and the Dodgers dominated the matchup for decades. The competitive balance shifted dramatically around 2020, when San Diego pursued an aggressive, big-spending roster strategy, building around stars such as Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado and later adding Juan Soto. The clubs have met three times in the postseason, and each meeting deepened the bad blood: the Dodgers swept the 2020 NL Division Series on their way to a title, the Padres pulled a stunning upset in the 2022 NLDS, and Los Angeles edged a five-game 2024 NLDS. Hit-by-pitch incidents and ejections have since added genuine animosity.
What's at Stake
The rivalry now routinely decides the NL West and often shapes the broader National League playoff picture, with both rosters stacked with stars and enormous payrolls. The geographic angle is potent: two large, proud Southern California fan bases competing for regional supremacy, with San Diego fans especially eager to topple their wealthier northern neighbor. Postseason history and a string of contentious on-field incidents mean every series carries weight far beyond the standings.
Famous Moments
- 1969 — In the franchises' first-ever meeting, the Dodgers crushed the expansion Padres 14-0 at Dodger Stadium.
- 2020 — The Dodgers swept San Diego in the NL Division Series and went on to win the World Series.
- 2022 — The Padres upset the 111-win Dodgers 3-1 in the NLDS, capping a Game 4 rally to reach the NLCS.
- 2024 — Los Angeles rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win the NLDS 3-2.
- 2025 — Multiple hit-by-pitch incidents, including Shohei Ohtani being struck by a 100 mph fastball, escalated tensions.
The Two Teams
Plan the Trip
Catching a Dodgers-Padres series is a Southern California baseball must, and the short drive between the two cities makes a two-ballpark trip easy. Dodger Stadium, a storied 1962 ballpark cradled in the Los Angeles hills, contrasts with San Diego's downtown Petco Park, ringed by the Gaslamp Quarter and sea air. Pairing a game in each city, roughly two hours apart, delivers two distinct ballpark atmospheres and one of the sport's most heated current rivalries.
Frequently Asked Questions: Dodgers–Padres
The two teams first met in 1969. An NL West rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, two Southern California clubs separated by roughly 120 miles. Once lopsided in Los Angeles's favor, it has become baseball's most charged divisional feud in the 2020s.
The rivalry now routinely decides the NL West and often shapes the broader National League playoff picture, with both rosters stacked with stars and enormous payrolls. The geographic angle is potent: two large, proud Southern California fan bases competing for regional supremacy, with San Diego fans especially eager to topple their wealthier northern neighbor. Postseason history and a string of contentious on-field incidents mean every series carries weight far beyond the standings.
Yes — as NL West division rivals they face off many times across the 2026 MLB season.
Los Angeles Dodgers host at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles; San Diego Padres play at Petco Park in San Diego.
