Dodgers and Giants Face Off at Oracle Park

On May 3, 1890, the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Bridegrooms met successful their archetypal regular-season game. Brooklyn won, 7-3.

Thus began a coast-to-coast rivalry that has been one of the longest and astir storied matchups successful each of sports.

The teams present known arsenic the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers person played 2,535 times since that time successful 1890, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Through each that time, however, they person ne'er met successful the postseason. (While the teams person antecedently met successful playoffs to determine the regular season, those games don’t number arsenic the postseason.)

That volition alteration astatine 6:30 this evening erstwhile the teams look disconnected astatine Oracle Park for Game 1 of a National League part series.

The 131-year-old Giants-Dodgers rivalry has been afloat of epic moments, similar Bobby Thomson’s 1951 location tally — the changeable heard circular the world — that defeated the Dodgers and won the Giants the National League pennant. Or Steve Finley’s walk-off expansive slam successful 2004 that won the Dodgers the National League West. There person besides been debased points, similar a 1965 pennant contention whose representation is marred by 1 of the ugliest incidents successful shot history: an August crippled wherever Giants pitcher Juan Marichal deed Dodgers catcher John Roseboro over the caput with a bat.

This twelvemonth was arguably the champion contention yet. The teams stayed cervix and cervix the full season, and finished with 107 wins (Giants) and 106 (Dodgers). It’s go a cliché of the 2021 postseason to accidental it ever had to beryllium this way. But it did ever person to beryllium this way.

Below, Conor Dougherty, a Times economics newsman and Giants fan, and Jim Tankersley, a Times White House analogous and Dodgers fan, talked astir their feelings going into the series.

Conor Dougherty: Jim, are we acceptable for this?

Jim Tankersley: On 1 level, it’s agelong overdue; it seems weird that I had overmuch much puerility October anxiousness astir Jack Clark (on the ’85 Cardinals) than Will Clark (the saccharine Giant slugger). But possibly the oddities of geography and winning cycles that kept our teams from facing each different successful the playoffs until present was really for our ain good. I’m not definite my bosom could person handled thing similar the ’04 Yankees-Red Sox series. But present we are.

CD: This rivalry mightiness person begun successful New York, but it feels precise tied up successful NorCal vs. SoCal. I emotion Southern California and lived successful L.A. and San Diego for 8 years, but I’m NorCal calved and bred (and presently unrecorded successful Oakland). So for maine Giants fandom is mostly an look of determination pride.

In 2017 I got crucified by Giants fans for saying I was kinda-sorta rooting for L.A. to bushed Houston (and possibly it did?). My feeling astatine the clip was I’d alternatively basal for California than Texas.

So, my question is: If the Giants should prevail, could you basal for them?

JT: I hatred the thought of losing to the Giants successful a playoff series, but if the Giants win, I privation them to triumph the Series this year. It would wounded little to cognize they were an existent Team of Destiny — and not conscionable different spoiler of a large Dodgers season.

CD: Something astir this twelvemonth has truly rekindled my Dodgers hate. In 2017 the Giants were truthful pitiful. I didn’t person it successful maine to attraction astir a rivalry erstwhile we had the worst grounds successful baseball. But present that we person the champion record, I deliberation if we lost, I’d beryllium excessively bitter to basal for the Dodgers, though that could change, peculiarly if it is Dodgers-Astros again.

Either way, these adjacent games could beryllium large baseball. I mean, if this were the World Series pundits would beryllium calling it 1 of the top matchups ever. And it’s lone the archetypal round!

JT: I’m expecting magic. In the ’88 World Series, erstwhile the Dodgers bushed a Bay Area team, Vin Scully famously said their M.V.P. each twelvemonth had been Tinker Bell. I person a existent feeling we’re going to spot a batch of her successful this series. I’m conscionable not definite what jersey she’ll beryllium wearing.

Tell america about your favourite Dodgers vs. Giants matchups oregon stock what the teams mean to you astatine CAtoday@nytimes.com.

If you work 1 story, marque it this

This location was a representation of California’s suburban past. Now it’s a projection of a denser future.

The remainder of the news

• Arson spree: A California criminology prof has been charged with setting a spot of Sierra Nevada wood ablaze.

• Tesla relocation: In a stroke to California, Elon Musk revealed connected Thursday that Tesla would move its office to Austin, Texas.

• Investigation: California chronically undercounts the decease toll of utmost vigor by arsenic overmuch arsenic sixfold, The Los Angeles Times reports.

• Too overmuch turnover: Roughly a 4th of University of California lecturers don’t instrumentality each year, acold higher than the complaint for different acquisition workers, CalMatters reports.

• Tennis tournament: BNP Paribas Open has returned to Indian Wells, headlined by the 18-year-old tennis prima Emma Raducanu.

• The occupation hunt: College seniors and graduates are again successful request arsenic companies revive recruiting.

• “Stealthing” law: Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a measure making it amerciable to region a condom during intercourse without consent, making California the archetypal authorities to walk specified legislation, according to The Associated Press.

• Secret colony ban: An existing instrumentality prohibiting concealed settlements for intersexual battle oregon favoritism cases was expanded to see different types of favoritism cases, specified arsenic those involving race, religion oregon gender, The Associated Press reports.

• Cleaning house: Thrift shops are booming amid a flurry of pandemic decluttering.

• Football season: Explore each team’s way to the N.F.L. playoffs using our interactive calculator.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

• Oil spill: Video of the ruptured pipeline shows a bladed ace on the apical that could bespeak a dilatory leak that was initially hard to detect, The Associated Press reports.

• Rapid coronavirus tests: A caller Southern California-made at-home trial is connected the way, ABC7 reports.

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

• Weather warning: Snow is expected connected Friday successful Yosemite National Park supra 7,000 feet.

• The past fluent talker of Wukchumni: For galore years, Marie Wilcox was the guardian of 1 of respective Indigenous languages that were erstwhile communal successful Central California but person astir oregon wholly disappeared. She died astatine 87.

• Drought: A authorities instrumentality coming into effect volition bounds the usage of aquifers. For farmers who trust connected the underground h2o supply, the consequences could beryllium significant, NPR reports.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

• Weather warning: There volition beryllium captious occurrence conditions Monday and Tuesday passim overmuch of the state, including the East Bay and North Bay, the Sacramento region and Lake, Mendocino and Trinity Counties.

• Lifting disguise rules: As coronavirus cases fall, San Francisco officials announced connected Thursday that radical would beryllium permitted to region their masks successful offices, gyms and much if everyone contiguous was vaccinated.

• The Zodiac Killer: A squad of backstage investigators accidental they person identified the notorious serial killer, but F.B.I. and constabulary officials accidental the Zodiac lawsuit remains unsolved, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Where we’re traveling

Today’s question extremity comes from Barbara Grob, a scholar who lives successful San Francisco:

Crissy Field is 1 of the astir beauteous municipality hikes successful San Francisco. The wetlands successful the historical Presidio were restored implicit the past 20 years. The casual hike from the Marina Green to Fort Point astatine the ft of the Golden Gate Bridge is stunning, particularly arsenic the prima sets. Plus tons of blessed dogs.

And earlier you go, immoderate bully news

One fortunate Californian is astir to go a millionaire.

The winning summons for the $700 cardinal Powerball jackpot announced this week was sold astatine a market store successful Morro Bay, The Associated Press reports.

The prize is the seventh largest successful U.S. lottery history.

Thanks for reading. I’ll beryllium backmost connected Monday. Enjoy your weekend. — Soumya

P.S. Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: If you unrecorded successful this benignant of house, you shouldn’t propulsion stones (5 letters).

Steven Moity, Shivani Gonzalez and Mariel Wamsley contributed to California Today. You tin scope the squad astatine CAtoday@nytimes.com.

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