MLB Opening Day Seoul Bound: Everything You Need to Know About I-5 Dodgers-Padres Feud

The opening day is finally here – at least for the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers! While the Blue Crews’ rivalry with the San Francisco Giants remains the premier feud of the West Coast, the tangle between the Padres and them isn’t any less intense. Ever since the Friars joined the NL West, there has been an intense dislike between the two fanbases. Connected by Interstate 5, this I-5 rivalry is now going international. 

So South Korea is about to witness a battle of wits and respect. A battle that has given countless memories to baseball fans. The history of this rivalry is a story in itself. The mythological tale of failures, “curses,” and an urge to get bragging rights. With the Seoul Series set to start on Wednesday, there’s a lot to understand about the Friars and their competition with the Men in Blue.

Can’t see eye to eye: Know the history between Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres feud 

The rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Padres stems from the economic rise of California. In the 1900s, South California emerged as the economic powerhouse of the United States. That created an economic rivalry between San Diego and Los Angeles. The entry of Dodgers in LA gave them bragging rights over San Diego – a city that famously couldn’t keep hold of its sports franchises. 

With teams like the Chargers (NFL)  and NBA’s Clippers leaving San Diego for LA, “America’s Finest City” held some grudges against the City of Angels. This hurt continued until 1969 when the San Diego Padres were formed. And so a rivalry was born. However, the rivalry remained one-sided in favor of the Dodgers.

This story continued for many years. The Dodgers dominated while the Padres became the forgotten child of the NL West. Until the 1980s when the Padres began improving. The 90s saw the Friars take control of the NL West while the Blue Crew went through a period of decline that continued till 2010. However, there was never a time when the two teams were great at the same time.

That changed in the 2010s and 2020s. The rivalry intensified and the two became powerhouses of the NL West. So naturally, there were some interesting moments in this rivalry.

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The moments: Top five moments that added fire to the rivalry 

1. Cody Bellinger’s athleticism and Manny Machado’s fury

The 2020 NLDS Game 2’s intensity was palpable. With the score being 3-4 in favor of the Dodgers, the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a huge ball over the center field. It was headed for a homerun when suddenly Bellinger hit the scene. Though the star had been trying to regain form throughout that season, in that moment he was in his MVP groove.

Belli took a phenomenal catch and Brusdar Graterol, the pitcher flipped his hat. That got Manny Machado furious and a war of words was fought. A spark was lit.

2. The April Explosions in 2021

After the 2020 NLDS lit a spark, the 2021 series turned that into a fire. The 7-match series was perhaps the closest both teams have come to being equally strong.  So with each game being decided by the slimmest of margins, there was never a dull moment in this series. Moments like Mookie Betts’ game-winning catch stole the show. And so did the two bench-clearing situations.

3. The Padres and their final push in 1996

1996 saw the Dodgers and Padres in a humongous contest. With NL West on the line, everything came down to the final weekend of that season. With the Blue Crew and Padres going head-to-head, the Friars needed a sweep. And against all odds, they got it and victory was theirs. Till now this was the final team, where both teams excelled together to such a level.

4. Steve Garvey becomes a Padre

The Dodgers legend Steve Garvey joined the Padres in 1982. The World Series winner and MVP’s joining signaled that the Friars were ready to take the next step. They did just that, the Friars won their first NL pennant in 1984 and the team was no more the forgotten child of the NL West division.

5. The shock of 2022

Dodgers fans remember 2022 as a nightmare – a dream that was shattered. The team had won 111 games in 2022. It was only a matter of time until they won the World Series but then the Padres crashed the party. In a surprising twist of fate, the Friars qualified for the NLDS and got hot. That season the Dodgers had beaten them 14 times but NLDS saw the Pads win in 4 games. The Fall Classic dream was over – the rivalry grew stronger.

So with so many memorable moments between these two teams, one wonders what’s next. With the two entering Seoul in search of bragging rights this story has just begun.

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