SCOTTSDALE, AZ (NEXSTAR) — The Dodgers may have beat the Giants in their first Spring training game Monday afternoon — but win or lose, Giants infielder Joe Panik says the storied rivalry is always fun.
“When we get to April, when we face them, that’s when it gets real,” Panik said. “It’s always intense. It’s always fun playing them whether it’s at our place or theirs.”
The LA-SF rivalry dates back more than a century when the two teams played in New York. Prior to the teams’ move to California in 1957, the Dodgers and Giants were given an ultimatum — both teams move to California together or both stay in New York. In the end, the teams made the move to the West Coast, marking a new beginning between the two competing franchises.
The teams have met nearly 2,500 times in baseball history — but don’t worry Giants fans, San Francisco still holds the winning record, according to baseball-reference.com.
The 2018 Giants season may have ended tragically, with a 15-0 loss against Los Angeles, but the 2019 season is getting closer — and like Panik said, April is when the rivalry and games get real.
The teams will meet again in the regular season on April 1.
