What to Know
- The rivalry between the Giants and Dodgers is widely considered the oldest in baseball, and dates back to 1890
- This is the first time the Giants and Dodgers have met in the postseason, making for a series some fans say they've waited for their whole lives
- The Giants and Dodgers are baseball's two best teams in 2021, with 107 and 106 regular season wins, respectively
Staring into the sea of waving orange towels at Oracle Park on Friday and Saturday nights, it would be easy to think only Giants fans attended the first two games of the National League Division Series.
But look closely, and you'll begin to make out specks of the unmistakable color known as Dodger blue. You'll find it on hats and jerseys worn by Angelenos who made the 5-hour drive to San Francisco on just a few days' notice — but you might also find it on your friends, co-workers and loved ones: Dodgers fans who've somehow managed to carve out a peaceful existence for themselves right here in Giants territory.
By now, they've learned to handle the rivalry with their loved ones during the regular season. But many told us (with apologies for the cliché) the postseason is a whole different ballgame.
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"I think we don't really know the intensity of the trash talk because we haven't experienced the postseason trash talk," said Giants fan Derek of his romance with Dodgers fan Kimberly, speaking just ahead of Friday night's Game 1.
But for some couples, the tension's been brewing for weeks.
"A lot of mocking," confessed Dodgers fan Alexis Salinas of her relationship with Giants fan Carlos Mosqueda. "The game ends and we'll just turn opposite ways."
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But the two agree on one thing: Their rivalry has never threatened their romance.
"It makes it a little bit stronger," Mosqueda said.
Sometimes, pride can be costly, as it was for Dodgers fan Matthew Bragg.
"We bet on the NL West, and the bet was an authentic jersey," he said.
"Obviously, I won," interjected Bragg's co-worker, Chase Martinez, sporting his brand new authentic Giants jersey.
"It was $440," Bragg lamented. "Felt terrible."
But lost bets and trash talk notwithstanding, friendships and family bonds have endured.
"I've been a Dodger fan all my life," said Connie Mares.
And in her family, she's the only one. She sat in her full Dodgers uniform next to her granddaughter, Nina Muñoz, decked out in Giants gear.
"Grandpa, Dad and Uncle are Giants fans," Muñoz said. "So I was never allowed to be a Dodger fan."
A steady stream of text messages between them had been heating up throughout the regular season, Muñoz said, and reached a fever pitch by the start of the Division Series. But it's all in good fun.
"I love her," Muñoz said. "The only Dodger fan I'll ever love."
