The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers have been rivals ever since the Padres joined the National League West Division. With both teams located in the state of California, it is natural for the Padres and Dodgers to be rivals on the field. This rivalry doesn’t always get talked about in terms of the best in baseball, but fans of both teams will express their hatred for the opposition.
The Dodgers have traditionally been the much better team in this rivalry, but it is hard to make a prediction on what will come of this rivalry in future seasons. Each franchise has a slew of Hall of Famers enshrined in Cooperstown, and odds are that there will be many more to come. The Dodgers and Padres give baseball fans in California plenty to root for and talk about during each Major League Baseball season.
History of Padres and Dodgers Rivalry
The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers have been playing since the 1969 season, and both teams have belonged to the National League West during this time. The California rivals have played each other 858 times since 1969, and the Dodgers have had a clear advantage in the head-to-head matchup. Los Angeles has won 464 games while losing just 393 times. The Dodgers have outscored the Dodgers by exactly 500 runs in the 858 career games between the teams.
The Dodgers didn’t begin playing games in Los Angeles until before the 1958 season. Los Angeles has played in legendary Dodger Stadium since the 1962 season, and still play there to this day. The Dodgers got their start in Brooklyn back in 1883, and was an original member of the National League since its creation in 1890. Jackie Robinson is the most well-known player in Dodgers history, and is famous for beating the odds by being the first African American player in the Major Leagues. Los Angeles is one of the most successful franchises in Major League Baseball, and they have been dominant in the National League of late.
The San Diego Padres came into the Major Leagues in 1969 as one of four expansion teams to the league. Many people made a prediction that the Padres would be wildly successful on the field in San Diego, but that wasn’t the case in the beginning. The Padres finished in last place in the National League West division in each of the first six seasons in the Major Leagues. Right fielder Tony Gwynn is arguably the most famous player in the history of the Padres organization, and was given the nickname, Mr. Padre. Despite getting off to a very rough start as a franchise, the Padres have had moments of greatness.
Head to Head Comparison of Padres and Dodgers
While the Padres have had several successful seasons in their franchise history, they haven’t come close to matching the success of their rival. The Padres are one of seven Major League Baseball teams that have never won a World Series. San Diego has made just five playoff appearances in the 50 year history of their team, but have never overcame the odds to win it all. The Dodgers have won the National League pennant 23 times, and have six world championships to their credit. If you make a prediction that they Dodgers will make the playoffs every year, odds are that you will be correct.
Despite not winning any World Series titles, the Padres had two of the best right fielders in the history of baseball. Mr. Padre, Tony Gwynn, and Dave Winfield are two of the three Padres to be enshrined in Cooperstown. In 2018, closer Trevor Hoffman joined the outfielders to give the Padres a third Hall of Famer. The Dodgers have a much more decorated past, and the Baseball Hall of Fame is full of players from the legendary franchise. A total of 55 players, managers, and executives from the Dodgers organization has gotten the call to Cooperstown.
Glance at the Previous 20 Games between the Padres and Dodgers
When taking a look at the last 20 games between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, it is pretty clear to see that these teams are not on the same level. The Dodgers won 15 of the last 20 games over the Padres dating back to 2017, and the odds are that the trend will continue this season as well.
Los Angeles began the season by winning four straight games over the Padres, and wrapped up the 2018 season by winning seven of their final eight games against the Padres. The Dodgers dominated the Padres at home and on the road in the last 20 games, posting an 8-2 record at Dodger Stadium, and going 6-1 at Petco Park. The California rivals did play a series in Mexico in 2018, and the Padres went 2-1 in that series.
Detailed Series Split for Padres-Dodgers Rivalry
Looking back at the last 20 games between the Padres and Dodgers should give us a better chance at making a prediction for the upcoming season. Every game between the rivals a season ago had a run line of 1.5. The San Diego Padres were never able to win a game over the Dodgers in which they were favored by 1.5 runs. The Dodgers were able to cover -1.5 twelve different times during the 2018 season. We can also take a look at the over/under results from a season ago to hopefully give us an idea of run scoring trends between the rivals.
The Dodgers and Padres hit the over 11 different times during the 2018 season, while going under seven times. The NL West rivals pushed one time during the 2018 regular season. Making predictions for next season are always risky, but history has painted a pretty clear picture of who has the upper hand in this rivalry.
The San Diego Padres have been steadily of improving of late, and could threaten the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West soon. The Dodgers have dominated this rivalry with the Padres, just like they have dominated the rest of the NL. These two teams have been playing against each other for more than 50 years, and the odds are that they will play for 50 more. The Padres have a proud and historic franchise, but they still have a long way to go to catch their LA rivals.
