How the San Diego Padres helped create the LA Dodgers dynasty

It’s October 9, 2024.

The air in San Diego feels heavier than usual — like the ocean itself is holding its breath. The Padres have just battered the Los Angeles Dodgers in back-to-back games, outscoring them 16–7, and now stand on the edge of something they’ve never fully grasped: control.

Not just of a series. Of a story. Of a rivalry that has lived too long in someone else’s shadow.