Clayton Kershaw’s retirement closes a chapter in Padres-Dodgers rivalry

For nearly two decades, Padres fans have lived with the shadow of Clayton Kershaw looming over the NL West. Every trip to Dodger Stadium felt like a guaranteed date with the future Hall of Famer, and every matchup came with that familiar pit in the stomach — could San Diego finally break through this time? Now, with Kershaw officially announcing he will retire at the end of the 2025 season, the rivalry takes on a bittersweet note. Padres fans won’t miss the dominance, but they’ll recognize the gravity of what it means to see one of baseball’s greatest pitchers step away.

This isn’t just a Dodgers legend calling it quits. For San Diego, it’s the closing of a chapter in a rivalry that has helped define the franchise’s last 18 years. Kershaw wasn’t just another arm in Los Angeles’ rotation, he was the obstacle for well over a decade, the measuring stick, and the ultimate reminder of just how much work the Padres needed to do to topple the Dodgers. His name became synonymous with heartbreak, frustration, and every so often, sweet, fleeting moments of triumph when the Friars managed to get to him.

Clayton Kershaw retirement ends 18-year rivalry chapter with Padres

Over the course of his career, Kershaw faced San Diego 48 times. The numbers speak volumes: a 2.17 ERA, 320 strikeouts across 305 1/3 innings, and a suffocating .195 batting average against. For Padres fans, those stats weren’t just lines on a Baseball Reference page — they were lived experiences. Nights where Petco Park fell silent as another Kershaw curveball froze a batter, or road games where his slider carved up the lineup before fans even had time to grab their Dodger Dog. It was dominance, plain and simple.

And yet, the rivalry had its turns. As Kershaw aged into the back end of his career, Padres hitters began finding cracks in the armor. In 2023, they hit .400 against him. In 2024, they followed up with a .316 clip. It wasn’t the Kershaw of 2014 through 2017 anymore, but for San Diego, those games felt symbolic — proof that the balance of power in the division could finally tilt. For fans who had endured his peak years, those rare wins felt sweeter because of the mountain they had to climb.

Padres-Dodgers has never needed extra fuel, but Kershaw’s presence made every series personal. His duels with San Diego became a storyline in itself, one that stretched across eras of Padres baseball — from the rebuilding years to the rise of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, to the core now defining the future. Whether he was the villain or the ultimate competitor depends on who you ask, but the truth is simple: Kershaw helped give this rivalry teeth.

So as the curtain closes on his career, Padres fans will feel a mix of relief and respect. Relief that they’ll never again have to watch their team chase that curveball in a must-win series, but respect for a pitcher who represented the very best of what baseball has to offer. In rivalries, greatness is what gives victories meaning. And for 18 years, Clayton Kershaw was greatness defined.

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