Dodgers–Giants rivalry
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The Dodgers–Giants rivalry is a
rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
between the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
and
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB). It is regarded as one of the most competitive and longest-standing rivalries in American baseball, with some observers considering it the greatest sports rivalry of all time. The rivalry between the Giants and Dodgers began in the late 19th century when both clubs were based in New York City. The Giants played at the Polo Grounds in the borough of
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
and the Dodgers played in the
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...
of
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. After the season, Dodgers owner
Walter O'Malley Walter Francis O'Malley (October 9, 1903 – August 9, 1979) was an American sports executive who owned the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers team in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1979. In 1958, as owner of the Dodgers, he brought major league b ...
decided to move the team to Los Angeles for financial and other reasons. Along the way, he convinced Giants owner
Horace Stoneham Horace Charles Stoneham ( ; April 27, 1903 – January 7, 1990) was an American Major League Baseball executive and the owner of the New York / San Francisco Giants from 1936 to 1976. Inheriting the Giants, then one of the most prominent franch ...
(who was considering moving his team to
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
) to preserve the rivalry by bringing his team to
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
as well. New York baseball fans were stunned and heartbroken by the move, which left New York with only one baseball team, the
Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
. However, to supplant the absence of both the Dodgers and Giants, New York was granted a second baseball team, the
Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
who began play in 1962, and inherited the colors of the rivalry — orange from the Giants and blue from the Dodgers. Given that the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco have long been competitors in the economic, cultural, and political arenas, the teams' new homes in California were fertile ground for the rivalry's transplantation. Each team's ability to endure for over a century while moving across the country, as well as the rivalry's growth from a cross-city to a cross-state engagement, have led to the rivalry being considered one of the greatest in sports history. The Dodgers and Giants each have more
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
pennants than any other team: the Dodgers have 24 and the Giants have 23. While the Dodgers have won the
National League West The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...
19 times compared to the Giants' 9 times since the beginning of the Divisional Era in 1969, the Giants have more total wins, head-to-head wins, and
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
titles (8–7) in franchise history. Since moving to California, the Dodgers hold the edge in pennants (12–6) and World Series titles (6–3). The Giants' most recent World Series appearance and championship occurred in
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. The Dodgers last appeared in the World Series in
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, winning in six games. During their time on the East Coast, the Giants won the series 721–670–17 against the Dodgers. However, since the two teams moved to the West Coast, the Dodgers lead 592–552 as of the end of their 2022 regular season series. The two teams first met in the postseason in the
2021 National League Division Series The 2021 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-games series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine the participating teams of the 2021 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, seeded first through thir ...
, although they contested the 1889 World Series. They have played two tie-breaker series after ending the regular season tied for first place. Both series were best of 3 to decide the winner of the National League Pennant and both were won by the Giants 2–1 in 1951 and 1962. They are counted as part of the regular season.


Origins and early years

In the 1880s, New York City played host to a number of professional baseball clubs in the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
and the
American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...
. By
1889 Events January–March * January 1 ** The total solar eclipse of January 1, 1889 is seen over parts of California and Nevada. ** Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka experiences a vision, leading to the start of the Ghost Dance movement in t ...
, each league had only one representative in New York—the Giants in the NL and Dodgers (then known as the Bridegrooms) in the AA. The teams met in the 1889 World Series, in which the Giants defeated the Bridegrooms 6 games to 3. In 1890, the Dodgers entered the NL and the rivalry was officially underway. Although the two teams were geographically proximate rivals anyway, the animus between the two teams ran deeper than mere competitiveness. Giants fans were seen as well to do elitists of Manhattan while Dodgers fans tended to be more
blue collar A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and power ...
and had more Latino fans due to what was then the working class atmosphere of
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. In 1900, a year in which the Dodgers won the pennant and the Giants finished last, Giants owner Andrew Freedman attempted to have the NL split all profits equally, irrespective of the teams’ individual success or failure. In the early 1900s, the rivalry was heightened by a long-standing personal feud (originally a business difference) between Charles Ebbets, owner of the Dodgers, and John McGraw, manager of the Giants. The two used their teams as fighting surrogates, which caused incidents between players both on and off the field, and inflamed local fans' passions sometimes to deadly levels. In 1940, umpire George Magerkurth was brutally beaten during a game by an enraged Dodgers fan ostensibly for making a pro-Giants call. The rivalry is said to have been the motive for multiple fan-on-fan homicides, in 1938 and 2003. Future Dodgers manager
Joe Torre Joseph Paul Torre (; born July 18, 1940) is an American professional baseball executive, serving as a special assistant to the Commissioner of Baseball since 2020. He previously served in the capacity of Major League Baseball's (MLB) chief baseb ...
recalled how he felt threatened being a Giants fan growing up in Brooklyn in the series. During the latter years for both teams in New York, players often engaged in purposeful, aggressive, physical altercations. In 1965, Giants pitcher
Juan Marichal Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20, 1937), nicknamed "the Dominican Dandy", is a Dominican former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams from 1960 to 1975, almost entirely the San Francisco Giant ...
knocked Dodgers catcher
John Roseboro John Junior Roseboro (May 13, 1933 – August 16, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1957 until 1970, most prominently as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. A four ...
in the head with a bat.


A long and balanced history

In , the Dodgers and Giants played their 2,500th game against each other, becoming only the third set of teams in the four major North American sports leagues to do so, joining the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs and the Pirates and
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
. One notable characteristic of the rivalry is how both have often played meaningful games late in the year. Since 1951, the Giants and Dodgers have finished first and second 11 times. Just as important is the role one team has played as spoiler to the other in the years when they were not directly competing in a pennant race. The New York Giants won the 68-year series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, 721–670–17. But since relocating to the West Coast in 1958, the Dodgers are ahead in the games played between the two teams, 592–552. On July 14, 2005, the Giants became the first professional sports team to win 10,000 games with a 4–3 win over the Dodgers. Two Dodgers benefited from controversial calls against the Giants to keep streaks alive that continue to be Major League Records. In 1968, Don Drysdale set the current record for consecutive complete game shutouts (6) with a call against
Dick Dietz Richard Allen Dietz (September 18, 1941 – June 28, 2005) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1966 to 1973, most prominently as a member of the San Francisco Giants wher ...
for not attempting to avoid a bases loaded hit by pitch. In 1988,
Orel Hershiser Orel Leonard Hershiser IV (born September 16, 1958) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 2000. He later became a pitching coach for the Texas Rangers from 2002 to 2005 and a bro ...
established the current record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched (59) with the benefit of an interference call against Brett Butler for breaking up a double play. The Dodgers' 2014 and 2016
National League West The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...
championships were both won by overcoming leads by the Giants. Los Angeles overcame a game lead by the Giants in 2014, and in 2016, despite the Dodgers missing star pitcher
Clayton Kershaw Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) . He has played for the Dodgers for the entirety of his MLB career. A left-handed starting pi ...
for an extended amount of time, the Giants were unable to hold an eight-game lead over their rivals. In both seasons, though, the Giants won one of the Wild Card spots. During the 2010s, the Giants won three World Series titles, while the Dodgers had to wait until 2020 to win their first World Series since 1988.


Pennant races

* One of the most famous pennant races in MLB history is that of . The Dodgers held a -game lead over the Giants as late as August 11. Led by rookie
Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays Jr. (born May 6, 1931), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid" and "Buck", is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Regarded as one of the greatest players ever, Mays ranks second behind only Babe Ruth on most all-tim ...
, however, the Giants charged through August and September to catch and pass the Dodgers. The Dodgers won the final game of the season, tying the Giants for first place and necessitating a three-game tiebreaker for the pennant. The Giants won the first game, the Dodgers the second, with the Giants winning the third game with a dramatic ninth-inning home run by
Bobby Thomson Robert Brown Thomson (October 25, 1923 – August 16, 2010) was a Scottish-born American professional baseball player, nicknamed the "Staten Island Scot". He was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants (1946–53, 1957), M ...
, a play known as the Shot Heard 'Round the World. * In , the Giants led the Dodgers by three games as late as September 6. However, a late-year three-game sweep of the Giants both eliminated San Francisco from contention and allowed the Dodgers to catch the Milwaukee Braves, whom they defeated two games to zero in a three-game tiebreaker en route to winning the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
. This started a string of pennant races between the two teams in the 1960s, in which the Giants and Dodgers finished no further than four games apart from each other and first place four times through . In 1965, the Giants went on a 14-game winning streak in early September to take a -game lead, but the Dodgers responded with a 13-game winning streak and won 15 of their final 16 games to beat out the Giants by two games. In 1966, a three-way race between the Dodgers, Giants, and Pittsburgh Pirates came down to the last day of the season. The Dodgers went into the second game of a doubleheader with the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of the Giants by one game. Had the Dodgers lost, the Giants would have been ½ game out and would have had to fly to Cincinnati to make up a game that had been rained out earlier in the season. If the Giants won that game, they would then have met the Dodgers in a playoff. But the Dodgers won the second game in Philadelphia to win the pennant by games. In 1971, the Dodgers rallied from a -game September deficit to get within a game of the
National League West The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...
-leading Giants with one game to play. But while the Dodgers were defeating the Houston Astros, the Giants beat the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
to win the division. * The closest finish came in , when the Dodgers, battling injuries, blew a late lead, producing a Giants-Dodgers tie atop the National League standings at the end of the regular season. In the ensuing three-game tiebreaker for the pennant, the Giants took two out of three, with the deciding blow being four runs by the Giants in the ninth inning (as the visiting team this time) to take the series and the pennant. This would prove to be the last best-of-three tiebreaker, as the National League switched to a single-game tiebreaker in 1969. As with 1951, that playoff win turned out to be the Giants' high-water mark of the season, as they lost the World Series to the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
on both occasions. * The Dodgers returned the favor in . After almost every reliever in the Giants bullpen had attempted to preserve a 3–0 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, several walks and an error set the stage for
Steve Finley Steven Allen Finley (born March 12, 1965) is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for eight teams between 1989 and 2007, most notably the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks; he is one of only two play ...
's dramatic grand slam off of
Wayne Franklin Gary Wayne Franklin (born March 9, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros (2000-2001), Milwaukee Brewers (2002-2003), San Francisco Giants (2004), ...
, which clinched the division title for the Dodgers. Even with the wild card still up for grabs, this proved disastrous for the Giants – despite ace Jason Schmidt's fine performance in a 10–0 rout over the Dodgers the following day, an Astros win during the game eliminated the Giants from playoff contention. Had the Giants maintained their lead in the previous game and Schmidt performed similarly, the Giants would have forced a one-game tiebreaker against the Dodgers for the division crown. * In ,
Clayton Kershaw Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) . He has played for the Dodgers for the entirety of his MLB career. A left-handed starting pi ...
and the Dodgers shut down the Giants 5–1 late in the season, giving the Dodgers their second straight NL West crown. Kershaw and fellow Dodgers starter
Zack Greinke Donald Zackary Greinke ( ; born October 21, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He made his MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2004 and has also played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers, Los An ...
went a combined 8–0 against the Giants. The Giants qualified for the playoffs two days later, earning the NL's second wild card. However, the Dodgers were eventually eliminated by the Cardinals in their
NLDS In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
, after which the Giants defeated the Cardinals in the NLCS and ultimately won the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
over the Kansas City Royals.


Spoilers

When not tied for first during the last few days of the season, both teams have a long and storied history of eliminating their rival from playoff contention. *Prior to the season, Giants manager Bill Terry was asked his opinion of various teams for the upcoming campaign, including the Dodgers. His response of "Are they still in the league?" was to prove provocative. While the Dodgers struggled, the Giants found themselves tied with the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
atop the National League with two games left to play, and facing the sixth-place Dodgers for a two-game series in Brooklyn. Despite winning 14 of 22 from the Dodgers that year, the Giants lost those last two to the "Flatbush spoilers" and the pennant to the Cardinals, who won their final two games. * In , the Dodgers blew an eighth-inning lead at San Francisco in the last game of the second-to-last series of the year. This loss dropped the Dodgers three games behind the Houston Astros and cost them the chance to win the
National League West The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...
division outright when they swept Houston in the final three games of the year. Instead, they were forced to play the Astros in a one-game tiebreaker – which they lost 7–1. * In , the Dodgers and Giants were tied for second in the NL West, both one game behind the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
, as they faced each other in the final three games of the year. The Dodgers won the first two games 4–0 and 15–4 to eliminate the Giants, but then the Giants knocked the Dodgers out of the pennant race on the season's last day on a go-ahead three-run home run by
Joe Morgan Joe Leonard Morgan (September 19, 1943 – October 11, 2020) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Colt .45s / Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, ...
in the seventh inning, eventually winning the game 5–3. Thus, the Braves finished first by one game. * The Giants did it again in , as the Dodgers finished one game behind the Braves after losing two of three in San Francisco over the final weekend. Trevor Wilson tossed a complete game shutout on the day in which the Dodgers were eliminated. * The Dodgers returned the favor in , as two
Mike Piazza Michael Joseph Piazza ( ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1992 to 2007. He currently serves as the manager of the Italian national baseball te ...
home runs and a dominant complete-game performance by
Kevin Gross Kevin Frank Gross (born June 8, 1961) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1983 through 1997. Gross played for five different teams during his career: the Philadelphia Phillies (1983–1988), Montreal Expos (1989–1990), Los ...
resulted in a 12–1 win on the final day of the season that kept the 103-win Giants out of the playoffs. True to the balanced spirit of the rivalry, despite winning the first three games of that four-game series in Los Angeles, the Giants were unable to sweep the Dodgers at their home park in a four-game series for the first time since , and the Braves won the division by one game. * In , a late September two-game sweep of the Dodgers at Candlestick Park highlighted by Barry Bonds' twirl after a home run in the first game and
Brian Johnson Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Rol ...
's home run in the bottom of the 12th in the second tied the Giants with the Dodgers for first place and eventually propelled them into the playoffs. The impact on both organizations was significant; Fred Claire, who was then general manager of the Dodgers, said "those two days have stayed with me for the last 10 years", and ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' sports columnist Bill Plaschke argued that "it led to an organizational upheaval...(from which) (i)t has taken the Dodgers nearly a decade to recover." In contrast, the Giants' run from 1997 through 2003 produced the most playoff appearances in that stretch for the franchise since the 1930s. * The Dodgers have done their best to return the favor, however. In , the Giants finished two games behind the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
as the Dodgers took two of the final three games of the year in San Francisco, despite Giants' outfielder Barry Bonds hitting an MLB record 73 home runs that season. * In 2012, the Dodgers and Giants met in the final series of the regular season. The Giants had already clinched the NL West, but the Dodgers were in the wild card race. The Dodgers took 2 out of 3, but their 4–3 loss in game 2 of the series eliminated them from wild-card contention, giving the lower wild-card seed to St. Louis. All of these events and their associated quirks and symbols are relished by the fans of these two teams.


Postseason meetings

In the 131-year history of the rivalry, the Giants and Dodgers had never faced each other in the postseason until the
2021 NLDS The 2021 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-games series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine the participating teams of the 2021 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, seeded first through thir ...
. *In the 2014 postseason, the Dodgers entered as NL West champions and the Giants a Wild Card team. The Giants defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Wild Card Game and the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
in the
Division Series The Division Series is the quarterfinal round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Four series are played in this round, two each for both the American League and the National League. 1981 season The first use of the term "Division Series" date ...
3–1 to qualify for the
National League Championship Series The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two Nation ...
. The Dodgers on the other hand lost to the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
in the Division Series. Had the Dodgers won, they would have faced each other in the NLCS. *In 2016, the Dodgers came into the postseason as NL West champions, while the Giants again entered as a Wild Card team. The Dodgers defeated the Nationals in the
Division Series The Division Series is the quarterfinal round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Four series are played in this round, two each for both the American League and the National League. 1981 season The first use of the term "Division Series" date ...
to advance to the
National League Championship Series The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two Nation ...
. The Giants defeated the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
in the Wild Card Game. However, the Giants lost to the Chicago Cubs in the Division Series, preventing a Dodgers-Giants matchup in the NLCS. *On the final day of the shortened 2020 regular season, the Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers were fighting for the 8th and final seed in the expanded playoff tournament. For the Giants to clinch the 8th seed, they needed a win against the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
and both a Brewers and Phillies loss, which would've set up a matchup against the Dodgers in the
Wild Card Series The Wild Card Series (formerly known as Wild Card Game from 2012 to 2019 and in 2021) are games that serve as the opening round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Major League Baseball postseason, postseason. A single wild card game was first ...
. However, the Giants were eliminated from postseason contention when they were defeated by the Padres. *In 2021, the Giants clinched the
National League West The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...
division over the Dodgers, which snapped a streak of 8 consecutive division championships for Los Angeles. The Giants also clinched the best record in the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
which meant they would have to face the winner of the
2021 NL Wild Card Game The 2021 National League Wild Card Game was a play-in game during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2021 postseason contested between the two wild card teams in the National League (NL): the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was p ...
(between LA and the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
) in the
NLDS In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
. The Dodgers defeated the Cardinals off a Chris Taylor
walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will no ...
, and met the Giants for the first time ever in the postseason. *In the
NLDS In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
, the Dodgers and Giants played in their first postseason meeting in history. This series was evenly matched especially with both sides exchanging big moments towards each other. Logan Webb dominated the Dodgers through 7 2/3 innings as the Giants shut out the Dodgers in Game 1, 4–0. The Dodgers answered back with a 9–2 victory in Game 2, including a home run by
Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his acting career starring as a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom '' The Fresh ...
to even the series. The series shifted to Dodger Stadium in what would be a battle between
Max Scherzer Maxwell Martin Scherzer (born July 27, 1984) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, and L ...
and Alex Wood, however the Giants would pull away with Game 3 thanks to a home run by
Evan Longoria Evan Michael Longoria (born October 7, 1985), nicknamed "Longo", is an American professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2008 through 2017, and the S ...
to give the Giants a 1–0 win. With the Dodgers facing elimination in Game 4, they sent out
Walker Buehler Walker Anthony Buehler (born July 28, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores and was a member of their 2014 College W ...
on 3 days rest to start, the Dodgers would even up the series once more thanks to home runs by
Mookie Betts Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts (born October 7, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Boston Red Sox. In 2018, while with the Red Sox, he became ...
and Will Smith (his second of the series) in a 7–2 victory. With both teams' seasons on the line, now headed back to San Francisco tied at 2 games apiece, the Giants sent out Logan Webb to try and clinch the series. Originally, the Dodgers had Julio Urias to be the starter, but instead started reliever Corey Knebel. The two teams remained scoreless until a
Corey Seager Corey Drew Seager (born April 27, 1994), nicknamed "Seags", is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Seager was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the 2012 Ma ...
RBI double broke the tie in the 6th to give them the lead. However, the Giants answered back on a solo home run by
Darin Ruf Darin Cortland Ruf (born July 28, 1986) is an American professional baseball first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). Ruf was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and played at Westside High Sch ...
off of Urias, but that would be all the Giants would score for the rest of the game. The game once again remain tied until the top of the 9th when Cody Bellinger drove in Justin Turner to give the Dodgers a 2–1 lead off of Camilo Doval. Max Scherzer came in to close out the bottom half of the 9th. Crawford was the first batter retired, but an error by Justin Turner on a batted ball from
Kris Bryant Kristopher Lee Bryant (born January 4, 1992), nicknamed "KB", is an American professional baseball third baseman and outfielder for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs and San ...
would give the Giants life in the inning. Scherzer struck out LaMonte Wade and Wilmer Flores to give the Dodgers the series win and a trip to the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves. This was also the first career save for Max Scherzer in his professional career.


Pennants and championships

The Dodgers won the National League pennant 12 times in Brooklyn and 12 times in Los Angeles. The Giants won the National League pennant 17 times in New York and 6 times in San Francisco. When the teams were based in New York, the Giants won five world championships, whereas the Dodgers won one. After the move to California, the Dodgers have won six, the Giants three. Prior to the 2020s, in both New York and in California, all of one team's world championships preceded the other's first one in that region to date. The Giants' five world championships won in New York preceded the Dodgers' only one in Brooklyn, in . The Dodgers' first five world championships won in Los Angeles preceded the Giants' first one in San Francisco, in . All but one of the Dodgers' world championships are sandwiched by the Giants' final world championship in New York () and their first in San Francisco (). Since 2000, the Giants have advanced to the postseason eight times while the Dodgers have advanced thirteen times. In that time, the Giants appeared in four World Series, winning in 2010,
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
,
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, and losing in 2002. The Dodgers made three World Series appearances after losing the Series in
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
and
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
and winning in
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
.


Season-by-season results

, - , 1890 , style=";" , Bridegrooms , style=";" , 10–8 , Tie, 5–5 , Bridegrooms, 5–3 , Dodgers (then known as the Brooklyn Bridegrooms) move to the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
, win 1890 NL pennant , - ,
1891 Events January–March * January 1 ** Paying of old age pensions begins in Germany. ** A strike of 500 Hungarian steel workers occurs; 3,000 men are out of work as a consequence. ** Germany takes formal possession of its new Af ...
, style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 11–8 , Giants, 7–3 , Grooms, 5–4 , Bridegrooms change their name to "Grooms." , - ,
1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies fo ...
, Tie , 7–7 , Grooms, 4–3 , Giants, 4–3 , , - ,
1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...
, Tie , 6–6 , Grooms, 5–1 , Giants, 5–1 , , - ,
1894 Events January–March * January 4 – A military alliance is established between the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire. * January 7 – William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film in the United S ...
, style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 7–5–1 , Giants, 4–2–1 , Tie, 3–3 , , - ,
1895 Events January–March * January 5 – Dreyfus affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his army rank, and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. * January 12 – The National Trust for Places of Histor ...
, style=";" , Grooms , style=";" , 9–3–1 , Grooms, 5–1–1 , Grooms, 4–2 , , - ,
1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that ...
, style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 8–4 , Tie, 3–3 , Giants, 5–1 , On August 11, Giants take a 50–49–2 series lead, a lead the Giants have not relinquished to this day. , - ,
1897 Events January–March * January 2 – The International Alpha Omicron Pi sorority is founded, in New York City. * January 4 – A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosere, son-in-law of the ruler. This leads to a puni ...
, style=";" , Giants , style=";" , , Giants, 5–1–1 , Giants, 4–2–1 , Grooms change their name to "Bridegrooms" , - ,
1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...
, style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 11–3 , Giants, 4–3 , Giants, 7–0 , , - ,
1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...
, style=";" , Superbas , style=";" , 10–2 , Superbas, 5–2 , Superbas, 5–0 , Bridegrooms change their name to "Superbas," win 1899 NL pennant. , - , - ,
1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...
, Tie , 10–10 , Superbas, 6–4 , Giants, 6–4 , Superbas win 1900 NL pennant. , - ,
1901 Events January * January 1 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton becomes the first Prime Minist ...
, style=";" , Superbas , style=";" , 11–6 , Superbas, 5–3 , Superbas, 6–3 , , - ,
1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world' ...
, Tie , 10–10 , Giants, 6–4 , Superbas, 6–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 12–7–2 , Giants, 7–3 , Giants, 5–4–2 , First year of organized Major League Baseball , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 19–3 , Giants, 9–2 , Giants, 10–1 , Giants win 1904 NL Pennant, refuse to participate in No World Series. , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 15–7 , Giants, 8–3 , Giants, 7–4 , Giants win 1905 World Series , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 13–9 , Giants, 6–5 , Giants, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 12–10–1 , Tie, 6–6 , Giants, 6–4–1 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 16–6 , Giants, 9–2 , Giants, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 15–7 , Giants, 7–4 , Giants, 8–3 , , - , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 14–8 , Tie, 6–6 , Giants, 8–2 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 16–5–1 , Giants, 9–2 , , Giants lose 1911 World Series , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 16–6 , Giants, 8–3 , Giants, 8–3 , Giants lose
1912 World Series The 1912 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1912 season. The ninth edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion Boston Red Sox and the National League champion New York Giants. The R ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 14–8 , Giants, 8–3 , Giants, 6–5 , Giants lose 1913 World Series , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 13–9 , Giants, 8–3 , Robins, 6–5 , Superbas change name to "Robins" , - , , style=";" , Robins , style=";" , 12–8 , Robins, 7–4 , Giants, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Robins , style=";" , 15–7 , Robins, 7–4 , Robins, 8–3 , Robins lose
1916 World Series The 1916 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1916 season. The 13th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion Boston Red Sox against the National League champion Brooklyn Robi ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , , Giants, 6–3–1 , Giants, 7–6–1 , Giants lose
1917 World Series The 1917 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1917 season. The 14th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion Chicago White Sox against the National League champion New York Giants ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 12–8 , Robins, 5–4 , Giants, 8–3 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 12–8 , Giants, 7–3 , Tie, 5–5 , , - , - , , style=";" , Robins , style=";" , 15–7 , Robins, 8–3 , Robins, 7–4 , Robins lose
1920 World Series The 1920 World Series was the championship series for Major League Baseball's 1920 season. The series was a best-of-nine format played between the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians and the National League (NL) champion Brooklyn ...
, - , , style=";" , Robins , style=";" , 12–10 , Robins, 7–4 , Giants, 6–5 , Giants win
1921 World Series The 1921 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1921 season. The 18th edition of the World Series, it matched the National League champion New York Giants and the American League champion New York Yankees. T ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 14–8–1 , Giants, 8–4 , Giants, 6–4–1 , Giants win
1922 World Series The 1922 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1922 season. The 19th edition of the World Series, it matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion New York Yankees. ...
, - , , Tie , 11–11 , Robins, 6–5 , Giants, 6–5 , Giants lose
1923 World Series The 1923 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1923 season. The 20th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion New York Yankees against the National League champion New York Giants ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 14–8 , Giants, 6–5 , Giants, 8–3 , Giants lose
1924 World Series The 1924 World Series was the championship series of the 1924 Major League Baseball season. A best-of-seven playoff, the series was played between the American League (AL) pennant winner Washington Senators and the National League (NL) pennan ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 12–10 , Robins, 6–5 , Giants, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 13–9 , Robins, 6–5 , Giants, 8–3 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , , Robins, 6–5–1 , Giants, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 13–9–1 , Robins, 6–5–1 , Giants, 8–3 , , - , , style=";" , Robins , style=";" , 14–7 , Robins, 8–3 , Robins, 6–4 , , - , - , , style=";" , Robins , style=";" , 13–9 , Robins, 6–5 , Robins, 7–4 , , - , , Tie , 10–10 , Robins, 6–3 , Giants, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 15–7 , Giants, 6–5 , Dodgers, 10–1 , Robins change their name to "Dodgers" , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 14–8–2 , Giants, 7–4–1 , Giants, 7–4–1 , Giants win
1933 World Series The 1933 World Series was the championship series of the 1933 Major League Baseball season. The 30th edition of the World Series, it matched the National League (NL) pennant winner New York Giants and the American League (AL) pennant winner Wa ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 14–8 , Giants, 7–4 , Giants, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 13–9 , Giants, 6–5 , Giants, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 13–9 , Dodgers, 6–5 , Giants, 8–3 , Giants lose
1936 World Series The 1936 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1936 season. The 33rd edition of the World Series, it matched the New York Yankees against the New York Giants, with the Yankees winning in six games to earn t ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 16–6 , Giants, 8–3 , Giants, 8–3 , Giants lose 1937 World Series , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 14–8 , Giants, 7–4 , Giants, 7–4 , Giants win 12 straight meetings (October 1937 – July 1938) , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 12–10 , Dodgers, 7–4 , Giants, 6–5 , , - , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 16–5 , Dodgers, 7–3 , Dodgers, 9–2 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 14–8 , Dodgers, 6–5 , Dodgers, 8–3 , Dodgers lose 1941 World Series , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 14–8–1 , Dodgers, 9–2 , Giants, 6–5–1 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 14–8 , Dodgers, 10–1 , Giants, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 12–10 , Dodgers, 6–5 , Giants, 7–4 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 15–7 , Dodgers, 9–2 , Dodgers, 6–5 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 15–7 , Dodgers, 10–1 , Giants, 6–5 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 14–8 , Dodgers, 9–2 , Giants, 6–5 , Dodgers 2B Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American player in MLB history. Dodgers lose 1947 World Series , - , , Tie , , Giants, 6–5–1 , Dodgers, 6–5 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 14–8 , Dodgers, 8–3 , Dodgers, 6–5 , Dodgers lose
1949 World Series The 1949 World Series featured the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in five games for their second defeat of the Dodgers in three years, and the 12th championship in team history. This victory would start a record ...
, - , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , , Dodgers, 7–5 , Tie, 5–5 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , , , , Giants overcome a game deficit to the Dodgers late in the season and tie the Dodgers after 154 games and force a three-game tiebreaker. Giants win the series 2–1 on
Bobby Thomson Robert Brown Thomson (October 25, 1923 – August 16, 2010) was a Scottish-born American professional baseball player, nicknamed the "Staten Island Scot". He was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants (1946–53, 1957), M ...
's game-winning home run in the 9th inning of Game 3, known as the Shot Heard 'Round the World. Giants lose
1951 World Series The 1951 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the New York Giants, who had won the National League pennant in a thrilling three-game playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers on the legendary home run by Bobby Th ...
. , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 14–8 , Giants, 7–4 , Giants, 7–4 , Dodgers lose
1952 World Series The 1952 World Series featured the 3-time defending champions New York Yankees beating the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games. The Yankees won their 4th consecutive title, tying the mark they set in 1936–1939 under manager Joe McCarthy, and Cas ...
, - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 15–7 , Dodgers, 8–3 , , Dodgers lose
1953 World Series The 1953 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1953 season. The 50th edition of the World Series, it matched the four-time defending champions New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a rematch of t ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 13–9 , Giants, 7–5 , Giants, 6–4 , Giants win
1954 World Series The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since , defeating the heavily favored Ind ...
, - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 13–9 , Dodgers, 7–4 , Dodgers, 6–5 , Dodgers win
1955 World Series The 1955 World Series matched the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Yankees, with the Dodgers winning the Series in seven games to capture their first championship in franchise history. It would be the only Series the Dodgers won while based ...
, - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 14–8 , Dodgers, 7–4 , Dodgers, 7–4 , Dodgers lose 1956 World Series , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 12–10 , Dodgers, 6–5 , Dodgers, 6–5 , Dodgers and Giants final season in New York , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 16–6 , Giants, 7–4 , Giants, 9–2 , Dodgers and Giants relocate to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
and
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, respectively , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 14–8 , Giants, 6–5 , Dodgers, 9–2 , Dodgers win 1959 World Series , - , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , , , Giants, 7–4 , Giants move to
Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 12–10 , Dodgers, 7–4 , Giants, 8–3 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 11–10 , Dodgers, 7–4 , Giants, 7–3 , Dodgers open
Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ...
. NL expansion reduces schedule to 18 meetings per year. Giants and Dodgers tied atop the NL after 162 games, requiring a three-game tiebreaker. Giants win the series 2–1. Giants lose
1962 World Series The 1962 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1962 season. The 59th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the defending American League (AL) and World Series champion Ne ...
. , - , , Tie , 9–9 , Dodgers, 6–3 , Giants, 6–3 , Dodgers win
1963 World Series The 1963 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1963 season. The 60th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the American League (AL) champion and two-time defending World Se ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 12–6 , Giants, 5–4 , Giants, 7–2 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 10–8 , Dodgers, 5–4 , , MarichalRoseboro incident. Dodgers win
1965 World Series The 1965 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1965 season. The 62nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the Amer ...
, - , , Tie , 9–9 , Dodgers, 5–4 , Giants, 5–4 , Dodgers lose
1966 World Series The 1966 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1966 season. The 63rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Baltimore Orioles and National League ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 13–5 , Giants, 8–3 , Giants, 9–2 , , - , , Tie , 9–9 , Giants, 5–4 , Dodgers, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 13–5 , Giants, 8–3 , Giants, 9–2 , , - , - , , Tie , 9–9 , Giants, 5–4 , Dodgers, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , , Dodgers, 5–4 , Dodgers, 7–2 , , - , , Tie , 9–9 , Giants, 6–3 , Dodgers, 6–3 , , - , , Tie , 9–9 , Giants, 5–4 , Dodgers, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , , Dodgers, 5–4 , Dodgers, 7–2 , Dodgers lose
1974 World Series The 1974 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1974 season. The 71st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion (and two-time defending World ...
, - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , , Dodgers, 6–3 , Giants, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , , Giants, 6–3 , Dodgers, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , , Dodgers, 6–3 , Dodgers, 8–1 , Dodgers win 13 straight meetings in San Francisco (August 1976 – September 1977). Dodgers lose
1977 World Series The 1977 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1977 season. The 74th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the Natio ...
, - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , , Dodgers, 6–3 , Dodgers, 5–4 , Dodgers lose
1978 World Series The 1978 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1978 season. The 75th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the Natio ...
, - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , , Dodgers, 8–1 , Dodgers, 6–3 , , - , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , , Dodgers, 7–2 , Dodgers, 6–3 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 7–5 , Tie, 3–3 , Dodgers, 4–2 ,
Strike Strike may refer to: People * Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...
-shortened season results in only 12 meetings. Dodgers win
1981 World Series The 1981 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1981 season. The 78th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the Nati ...
. , - , , Tie , 9–9 , Giants, 5–4 , Dodgers, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 13–5 , Giants, 6–3 , Giants, 7–2 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 10–8 , Dodgers, 6–3 , Giants, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 11–7 , Dodgers, 6–3 , Dodgers, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 10–8 , Dodgers, 5–4 , Giants, 6–3 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 10–8 , Dodgers, 5–4 , Dodgers, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 12–6 , Dodgers, 6–3 , Dodgers, 6–3 , Dodgers win
1988 World Series The 1988 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1988 season. The 85th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Oakland Athletics and the N ...
, - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 10–8 , Dodgers, 7–2 , Giants, 6–3 , Giants lose
1989 World Series The 1989 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1989 season. The 86th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Oakland Athletics and the Nat ...
, - , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , , Giants, 5–4 , Giants, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , , Dodgers, 5–4 , Giants, 6–3 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , , Giants, 6–3 , Giants, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 7–6 , Dodgers, 4–3 , Tie, 3–3 , NL expansion reduces schedule to 12–13 meetings per season. Dodgers defeat the Giants 12–1 in game 162 in San Francisco to eliminate the Giants from winning the NL West. , - , , Tie , 5–5 , Giants, 2–1 , Dodgers, 4–3 ,
Strike Strike may refer to: People * Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...
-shortened season , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 8–5 , Dodgers, 5–1 , Giants, 4–3 ,
Strike Strike may refer to: People * Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...
-shortened season , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 7–6 , Dodgers, 4–3 , Tie, 3–3 , , - , , Tie , 6–6 , Dodgers, 4–2 , Giants, 4–2 , , - , , Tie , 6–6 , Dodgers, 4–2 , Giants, 4–2 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 8–5 , Dodgers, 4–3 , Dodgers, 4–2 , Giants final season in
Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 ...
, - , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 7–5 , Tie, 3–3 , Dodgers, 4–2 , Giants open
Pacific Bell Park Oracle Park is a Major League Baseball stadium in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Since 2000, it has been the home of the San Francisco Giants. Previously named Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park, and AT&T Park, the stadium's curre ...
(now known as Oracle Park). , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 11–8 , , , MLB changes to an "unbalanced schedule", resulting in 18–19 meetings per year. Giants' LF Barry Bonds sets the record for home runs in a season with 73. , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 11–8 , Giants, 7–3 , Dodgers, 5–4 , Giants lose
2002 World Series The 2002 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s 2002 season. The 98th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Anaheim Angels and the National Lea ...
, - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , , Giants, 5–4 , Giants, 8–2 , Dodgers' P Eric Gagne converts 55 of 55 save opportunities, tying the NL record for saves in a season. This was part of a string of 84 consecutive saves from 2002 to 2004. , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 10–9 , Dodgers, 5–4 , Tie, 5–5 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 10–9 , Dodgers, 5–4 , Giants, 6–4 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 13–6 , Dodgers, 6–4 , Dodgers, 7–2 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 10–8 , Giants, 6–3 , Dodgers, 7–2 , Dodgers win 11 straight games in San Francisco (August 2006 – July 2007). Giants LF Barry Bonds sets career home run record with 762. , - , , Tie , 9–9 , Dodgers, 5–4 , Giants, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 11–7 , Dodgers, 6–3 , Giants, 5–4 , , - , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 10–8 , Giants, 5–4 , Giants, 5–4 , Giants win 2010 World Series , - , , Tie , 9–9 , Dodgers, 5–4 , Giants, 5–4 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , , Giants, 5–4 , Giants, 5–4 , Giants win 2012 World Series , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 11–8 , Tie, 5–5 , Giants, 6–3 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 10–9 , Giants, 6–4 , Dodgers, 6–3 , First season in which both teams qualify for the postseason. Giants win
2014 World Series The 2014 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2014 season. The 110th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion San Francisco Giants and the Ameri ...
. , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 11–8 , Dodgers, 6–3 , Giants, 8–2 , , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , 11–8 , Dodgers, 6–3 , Giants, 8–2 , Second season in which both teams qualify for the postseason. Giants defeat the Dodgers in San Francisco in game 162 to clinch the final NL Wild Card spot. , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 11–8 , Dodgers, 6–3 , Tie, 5–5 , Dodgers lose
2017 World Series The 2017 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2017 season. The 113th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion Los Angeles Dodgers and th ...
, - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 10–9 , Tie, 5–5 , Dodgers, 5–4 , Dodgers lose
2018 World Series The 2018 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's 2018 season. The 114th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National L ...
, - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 12–7 , Dodgers, 6–4 , Dodgers, 6–3 , , - , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , , Dodgers, 4–3 , Dodgers, 2–1 , Season shortened to 60 games (with 10 meetings) due to
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Mookie Betts Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts (born October 7, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Boston Red Sox. In 2018, while with the Red Sox, he became ...
signs with Dodgers. Penultimate game of season series in San Francisco was deliberately postponed due to players on both teams protesting the
Shooting of Jacob Blake On August 23, 2020, Jacob S. Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was shot and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sheskey shot Blake in the back four times and the side three times after Blake opened the driv ...
as part of the
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police br ...
movement. The last two games were played as a seven-inning doubleheader, in which the Dodgers shut out the Giants in both games. Dodgers win
2020 World Series The 2020 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's 2020 season. The 116th World Series was a best-of-seven-playoff between the American League (AL) champion Tampa Bay Rays and the National League (NL) champion Los Ang ...
. , - , , style=";" , Giants , style=";" , , Giants, 6–4 , Dodgers, 5–4 ,
Jimmie Sherfy James Harold Sherfy (born December 27, 1991) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played college baseball at the University of Oregon. Sherfy was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the tenth round of the 2013 Major League B ...
became the first pitcher to ever appear in games for both the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers in the same season. No pitcher had appeared in games for both franchises since 1943 when
Bill Sayles William Nisbeth Sayles (July 27, 1917 – November 20, 1996) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Boston Red Sox in the 1939 season, and for the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943. Born in ...
pitched for the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers. Giants and Dodgers led MLB with 107 and 106 wins, respectively. , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,
2021 NLDS The 2021 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-games series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine the participating teams of the 2021 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, seeded first through thir ...
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Fan reaction

Ardent fans of each club would be likely to consider the other as their "most hated" rival, enjoying the other team's misfortune almost as much as their own team's success. A typical Giants fan may just as soon ask "Did the Dodgers lose?" as they would "Did the Giants win?" and vice versa. This view is supported by the consistently solid attendance figures for Giants-Dodgers games at both home fields, and increased media coverage as well. A good example of this is that during the final 3 game Dodgers-Giants series in , the Giants drew over 150,000 fans. The attendance for these 3 games represented almost of their total fans (1.7 million) ''for the entire 81 game home schedule'', and prompted at least one reporter on
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
to wonder if the euphoria in the Bay Area following the games reflected a delusion that the Giants had won the World Series rather than simply knocking the Dodgers out. In 2009, Forbes rated the Giants-Dodgers rivalry the most intense rivalry in baseball due to its lasting competitiveness through the 20th century and both fanbases' willingness to be overcharged for Dodgers-Giants game tickets with a ticket markup of 44% for the 2008 season. During games in Los Angeles, Dodgers fans will chant "Beat the Bay" when the Giants are in town and also used to chant "Barry Sucks", referring to former Giants outfielder Barry Bonds, often even when Bonds was not at bat or involved in a defensive play. In San Francisco, Giants fans will chant "Beat L.A." and the stadium used to have their screens read "Duck the Fodgers" when they were in town. A recent expression of these feelings was the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco, where the three Dodgers All-Stars (catcher Russell Martin and pitchers
Brad Penny Bradley Wayne Penny (born May 24, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Penny played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida / Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardi ...
and Takashi Saito) were roundly booed by partisan fans throughout the festivities. During the final rounds of the
2013 World Baseball Classic The 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, held from March 2 to March 19, 2013. This was the third iteration of the WBC, following the two previous tournaments, held in 2006 and 2009. Unlike t ...
, held at San Francisco's
AT&T Park Oracle Park is a Major League Baseball stadium in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Since 2000, it has been the home of the San Francisco Giants. Previously named Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park, and AT&T Park, the stadium's curren ...
, Dodgers infielder
Hanley Ramírez Hanley Ramírez (born December 23, 1983) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Florida / Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cleveland Indians. Ram ...
, competing for his home country, the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
, was consistently booed at every appearance and whenever his name was mentioned on the public-address system.


Player reaction

The rivalry extends to players as well. Jackie Robinson retired rather than report to the Giants after being traded to them by the Dodgers in December of . According to legend and his teammate
Tommy Lasorda Thomas Charles Lasorda (September 22, 1927 – January 7, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher and manager. He managed the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1976 through 1996. He was inducted into the Natio ...
, he did so because he had come to hate the Giants after ten years in Dodger Blue. This notion has been challenged on the grounds that Robinson would have been 38 years old when the new season began, and simply decided to retire. Nevertheless, in a gesture that transcends this heated rivalry, Robinson's retired blue Dodgers numeral '42' hangs in the Giants' home ballpark, Oracle Park, just as it does at all other MLB ballparks in remembrance of Robinson's breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Like Robinson,
Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays Jr. (born May 6, 1931), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid" and "Buck", is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Regarded as one of the greatest players ever, Mays ranks second behind only Babe Ruth on most all-tim ...
refused to sign with the Dodgers after the season, and was traded to the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
, the National League successor to both the Giants and Dodgers in New York. Cy Young Award winners
Tim Lincecum Timothy Leroy Lincecum ( ; born June 15, 1984), nicknamed "The Freak", "The Franchise", "The Freaky Franchise" and "Big Time Timmy Jim", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San ...
of the Giants and
Clayton Kershaw Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) . He has played for the Dodgers for the entirety of his MLB career. A left-handed starting pi ...
of the Dodgers have helped keep the rivalry alive in recent years, as both have been the anchors of their respective teams' postseason rotations since 2010. Both teams play in the
National League West The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed for the 1969 season when the National League expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. For purpose of keeping a re ...
division, and due to the unbalanced schedule, play 19 head-to-head games each year. This is comparable to the 22 games each year that they faced each other in New York and
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. In 2014, the rivalry intensified when Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig flipped his bat when hitting a home run off of Giants pitcher
Madison Bumgarner Madison Kyle Bumgarner (born August 1, 1989), commonly known by his nickname, "MadBum", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he pitched for the San Francisco Giants ...
. Since then, the two players had sparked some bench clearing incidents until Puig was traded to the Cincinnati Reds following the 2018 season. The Rivalry still exhibited notable moments following Puig’s trade to the Reds. On June 9, 2019, Dodgers’ infielder Max Muncy hit a home run off of Bumgarner into
McCovey Cove McCovey Cove is the unofficial name of a section of San Francisco Bay beyond the right field wall of Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, named after famed Giants first baseman Willie McCovey. The proper name for the cove is China Bas ...
. Muncy jokingly stared at the ball as it sailed over the outfield line, imitating
Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
. As Muncy rounded the bases, Bumgarner seemed visually unimpressed and began trading insults with Muncy as he rounded the bases. Once returned to home plate, Muncy retorted “If you don’t like it, you can go get it out of the ocean!”.


Notorious incidents


Marichal–Roseboro incident

At
Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 ...
on August 22, , Giants pitcher
Juan Marichal Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20, 1937), nicknamed "the Dominican Dandy", is a Dominican former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams from 1960 to 1975, almost entirely the San Francisco Giant ...
was involved in a major altercation with Dodgers catcher
John Roseboro John Junior Roseboro (May 13, 1933 – August 16, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1957 until 1970, most prominently as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. A four ...
. The Dodgers were involved in a tight pennant race late in the season, entering the game leading the Milwaukee Braves by game and the Giants by games.
Maury Wills Maurice Morning Wills (October 2, 1932 – September 19, 2022) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1959 through 1966 and the latter part of ...
led off the game with a bunt single off Marichal and, eventually scored a run when
Ron Fairly Ronald Ray Fairly (July 12, 1938 – October 30, 2019) was an American Major League Baseball player and broadcaster. Combining playing and broadcasting appearances, Fairly was involved in over 7,000 major league games from 1958 through 2006. Ea ...
hit a double. Marichal, a fierce competitor, viewed the bunt as a cheap way to get on base and took umbrage with Wills. When Wills came up to bat in the second inning, Marichal threw a pitch directly at Wills sending him sprawling to the ground.
Willie Mays Willie Howard Mays Jr. (born May 6, 1931), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid" and "Buck", is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Regarded as one of the greatest players ever, Mays ranks second behind only Babe Ruth on most all-tim ...
then led off the bottom of the second inning for the Giants and Dodgers' pitcher
Sandy Koufax Sanford Koufax (; born Sanford Braun; December 30, 1935) is an American former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. He has been hailed as one of t ...
threw a pitch over Mays' head as a token form of retaliation. In the top of the third inning, Marichal threw a
fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thr ...
that came close to hitting Fairly, prompting him to dive to the ground. Marichal's act angered the Dodgers sitting in the dugout and home plate umpire
Shag Crawford Henry Charles "Shag" Crawford (August 30, 1916 – July 11, 2007) was an American professional umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1956 to 1975. During his twenty seasons in the National League, Crawford worke ...
then warned both teams that any further retaliations would not be tolerated. Marichal came to bat in the third inning expecting Koufax to take further retaliation against him but instead, he was startled when Roseboro's return throw to Koufax after the second pitch either brushed his ear or came close enough for him to feel the breeze off the ball. When Marichal confronted Roseboro about the proximity of his throw, Roseboro came out of his crouch with his fists clenched. Marichal afterwards stated that he thought Roseboro was about to attack him and raised his bat, striking Roseboro at least twice over the head with his bat, opening a two-inch gash that sent blood flowing down the catcher's face that required 14 stitches. Koufax raced in from the mound to attempt to separate them and was joined by the umpires, players and coaches from both teams. A 14-minute brawl ensued on the field before Koufax, Mays, and others restored order. Marichal was ejected from the game and afterwards, National League president
Warren Giles Warren Crandall Giles (May 28, 1896 – February 7, 1979) was an American professional baseball executive. Giles spent 33 years in high-level posts in Major League Baseball as club president and general manager of the Cincinnati Reds (1937–1951 ...
suspended him for eight games, fined him a then-NL record US$1,750 (equivalent to $ in ), and also forbade him from traveling to
Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ...
for the final, crucial two-game series of the season. Roseboro filed a $110,000 damage suit against Marichal one week after the incident but, eventually settled out of court for $7,500. Marichal did not face the Dodgers again until spring training on April 3, . In his first at bat against Marichal since the incident, Roseboro hit a three-run home run. Giants General Manager
Chub Feeney Charles Stoneham "Chub" Feeney (August 31, 1921January 10, 1994) was an American front office executive in Major League Baseball. Feeney was vice president of the San Francisco Giants, president of the National League (NL), and president of the Sa ...
approached Dodgers General Manager Buzzy Bavasi to attempt to arrange a handshake between Marichal and Roseboro; however, Roseboro declined the offer. Years later, Roseboro stated that he was retaliating for Marichal having thrown at Wills. He explained that Koufax would not throw at batters for fear of hurting them due to the velocity of his pitches so, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He further stated that his throwing close to Marichal's ear was, "standard operating procedure", as a form of retribution. Dodgers fans were angry at Marichal for several years after the violent incident, and reacted unfavorably when he was signed by the Dodgers in
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
. However, by this time Roseboro had forgiven Marichal, and personally appealed to the fans to calm down. After years of bitterness, Roseboro and Marichal became close friends in the 1980s, getting together occasionally at Old-Timers games, golf tournaments, and charity events. Roseboro also personally appealed to the
Baseball Writers' Association of America The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) is a professional association for journalists writing about Major League Baseball for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying websites. The organization was founded in 1908, and is known ...
not to hold the incident against Marichal after it passed him over for election to the Hall of Fame two years in a row. Marichal was elected in
1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...
, and thanked Roseboro in his induction speech. When Roseboro died in 2002, Marichal served as an honorary pallbearer and told the gathered, "Johnny's forgiving me was one of the best things that happened in my life. I wish I could have had John Roseboro as my catcher."


Reggie Smith incident

In the season as a member of the Dodgers,
Reggie Smith Carl Reginald Smith (born April 2, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and afterwards served as a coach and front office executive. He also played in the Nippon Profe ...
was taunted by Giants fan Michael Dooley, who then threw a batting helmet at him. Smith then jumped into the stands at
Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 ...
and started punching him. He was ejected from the game, and Dooley was arrested. Five months later, Smith joined the Giants as a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
.


Fan violence

Giants fan Marc Antenorcruz was shot and killed by Dodgers fan Pete Marron on September 19, 2003, in the parking lot of
Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ...
, following a late-season Dodgers-Giants game. Marron was convicted of
first degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the ...
and sentenced to 50 years in prison. A second defendant, Manuel Hernandez, pleaded
no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neith ...
to
voluntary manslaughter Voluntary manslaughter is the killing of a human being in which the offender acted during ''the heat of passion'', under circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed to the point that they canno ...
and had his 15-year sentence suspended. There has also been Opening Day violence between the two teams' fans at Dodger Stadium. In 2009, Arthur Alverez, a reputed gang member, went to the Dodgers’ home opener with a couple and another man. After the game, Alverez and the other man, a Dodgers fan, began quarreling in the stadium parking lot. Alvarez stabbed the 30-year-old victim several times in the arm, back, and torso. He was arrested in May for suspicion of attempted murder. The trial by jury, held in August 2009, acquitted Alvarez on the charge of attempted murder.


Bryan Stow beating

On March 31, 2011, a 42-year-old Giants fan, Bryan Stow of
Santa Cruz, California Santa Cruz ( Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 62,956. Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a po ...
, was critically injured when he was beaten by two Dodgers fans in the Dodger Stadium parking lot after the Dodgers and Giants opened the 2011 season. The suspects subsequently fled the scene in a vehicle driven by a woman. Stow sustained severe injuries to his skull and brain and was placed into a medically induced coma after the incident. An early suspect, a 31-year-old man was arrested in his
East Hollywood East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
home in May 2011 in connection with the crime. The man was never formally charged and was declared innocent in July 2011 when Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood, of
Rialto The Rialto is a central area of Venice, Italy, in the ''sestiere'' of San Polo. It is, and has been for many centuries, the financial and commercial heart of the city. Rialto is known for its prominent markets as well as for the monumental Ria ...
, were arrested and charged in the crime. Lawyers for Stow say his medical care is expected to cost more than $50 million. On May 24, 2011, Stow's family filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Dodgers for $37.5 million for his lifetime care and compensation of lost earnings. On September 27, 2011, relatives reported that Stow showed signs of improvement. Stow began an intensive therapy program in the Rehabilitation Trauma Center at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center on October 11. Doctors have told his family that he will never fully recover. On December 19, 2011,
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
aired the interview with Stow on the program ''
Rock Center with Brian Williams ''Rock Center with Brian Williams'' was an American weekly television newsmagazine that was broadcast on NBC from October 31, 2011 to June 21, 2013 and hosted by former ''NBC Nightly News'' anchor Brian Williams. It aired on Mondays until January ...
''. On October 25, 2012, he attended Game 2 of the 2012 World Series in San Francisco. In April 2013, Stow's insurance company stopped paying for his full-time care in a residential rehabilitation facility and he moved into his parents' home in
Capitola, California Capitola is a small seaside town in Santa Cruz County, California. Capitola is located on the northern shores of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. The city had a population of 9,938 at the 2020 census. Capitola is a popular tour ...
.Norwood, Robyn. (2013, June 26).'' As Others Move On, Stow, Family Struggle''. USA Today, p 1C. Stow returned home on June 13, 2013, for the first time since the attack two years earlier. On February 20, 2014, Sanchez and Norwood pleaded guilty. Under the plea bargain, Sanchez was sentenced to eight years in prison for felony mayhem and Norwood received four years for felony assault. On July 9, 2014, a jury found the Dodgers organization negligent in Stow's beating. The jury awarded $18 million in damages to Stow; the Dodgers are responsible for $13.9 million of this total. The remaining amount is to be split between Sanchez and Norwood. On April 9, 2021, Stow threw the
ceremonial first pitch The ceremonial first pitch is a longstanding ritual of baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from their seat in the grandstand to ...
for the Giants’ home opener against the Colorado Rockies.


Death of Jonathan Denver

On September 25, 2013, after a Dodgers-Giants night game in San Francisco, a man, in self-defense, stabbed a Dodgers fan to death six blocks from AT&T Park. The San Francisco medical examiner's office identified the deceased man as Jonathan Denver, 24, of
Fort Bragg, California Fort Bragg, officially the City of Fort Bragg, is a city along the Pacific Coast of California along Shoreline Highway in Mendocino County. The city is west of Willits, at an elevation of . Its population was 6,983 at the 2020 census. Fort ...
. Two people were arrested in connection with Denver's death. San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr told the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' earlier that the victim of the attack was a Dodgers fan and was wearing Dodgers gear. Michael Montgomery, 21, of Lodi was arrested on suspicion of murder. Montgomery was later released, prosecutors citing insufficient evidence to charge him. His father claimed the stabbing was done in self-defense. On March 12, 2014, San Francisco District Attorney
George Gascón George Gascón (born March 12, 1954) is an American attorney and former police officer who is the district attorney of Los Angeles County. A member of the Democratic Party and a former Republican, Gascón served as the district attorney of Sa ...
said that his office could not prove that Michael Montgomery did not act in self-defense when he stabbed Denver. According to Gascón, both Denver and his brother collectively weighed about 150 pounds more than Montgomery. According to witnesses, Montgomery had a bottle in his hand for self-defense while Denver was punching him. After Denver's brother grabbed an aluminum chair and hit Montgomery on the head with it, Montgomery dropped the bottle, took out a knife, and stabbed Denver. San Francisco prosecutors ultimately declined to file charges in connection with the case. Ironically, Gascon would proceed to become the Los Angeles District Attorney in 2020.


See also

*
Chargers–Raiders rivalry The Chargers–Raiders rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders that has transcended two leagues and a combined five relocations. Since debuting in the inaugural AFL season, in 1 ...
*
49ers–Rams rivalry The 49ers–Rams rivalry is a rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). The rivalry began in and became one of the most intense in the NFL in the 1970s as the two California based t ...
* Kings–Sharks rivalry *
California Clásico The California Clásico is the name given to the soccer rivalry between the LA Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes. This Major League Soccer rivalry reached its zenith from 2001 to 2005, during which time the Earthquakes and the Galaxy combined ...
*
Major League Baseball rivalries Throughout its history, Major League Baseball rivalries have occurred between many teams and cities. Rivalries have arisen for many different reasons, the primary ones including geographic proximity, familiarity with opponents, various incidents, ...
* 1889 World Series


References

;Inline citations ;Bibliography *


External links


Dodgers-Giants: Baseball's Greatest Rivalry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodgers-Giants Rivalry Major League Baseball rivalries Los Angeles Dodgers San Francisco Giants