Dodgers’ playoff history vs every 2022 NL postseason team

The Los Angeles Dodgers head into the postseason as the favorites to win the World Series after posting the best record in the regular season and setting a franchise record in wins. This is familiar territory for LA, who is riding the third-longest postseason streak in MLB history.

The team is well aware by now that being the most talented team isn’t enough to win a World Series. You have to play your best when the games matter the most, and there have definitely been years in which the Dodgers failed to do that.

Fans are hoping that the 2022 season does not yield those same results, especially considering the Dodgers got the short end of the stick with the playoff structure.

With LA being in the playoffs so much, they’re relatively familiar with every other National League team who made it this year, which could be an advantage. However, when we dive into LA’s postseason record against each team, it isn’t as promising as fans would have hoped.

Here’s the Dodgers playoff history vs each NL team in the 2022 postseason

Dodgers vs Padres playoff history:

• Series played: 1


• Series record: 1-0


• Overall record: 3-0

The Dodgers have owned the Padres recently and they also owned San Diego in the lone playoff series between the two teams. San Diego and Los Angeles squared off in the 2020 NLDS and, while it was a clean sweep for LA, there were plenty of memories in the process.

Walker Buehler clutching up and stranding the bases loaded in the second inning of Game 1 set the tone for the next three games as the Dodgers were very obviously the better team. Los Angeles won Game 1 behind a four-run sixth inning against San Diego’s bullpen.

Game 2 was a scare with Kenley Jansen and Joe Kelley nearly giving it away in the ninth inning, but they were able to buckle down and secure the win. Earlier in that game, Cody Bellinger made a game-saving catch and Brusdar Graterol became a team legend for a moment.

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Finally, Game 3 was a huge blowout with Will Smith making history with a 5-for-6 performance. As talented as the Padres are, fans would not complain if LA ends up playing their NL West foes in the NLDS.

Dodgers vs Phillies playoff history:

• Series played: 5


• Series record: 2-3


• Overall record: 9-13

The last time the Dodgers saw the Phillies in the playoffs it was a different era for both teams. Philadelphia had back-to-back World Series trips in 2008 and 2009 and went through Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers in both years.

Los Angeles fell four games to one in both NLCS series with the Phillies very obviously being the better team. Ramirez ignited the Dodgers during his short tenure in LA, but that Phillies team was simply more talented.

Thankfully, three years later, Frank McCourt would sell the team and kickstart the current run that the franchise is on as the most consistently successful team in MLB.

The Dodgers are actually riding a three-series losing streak to the Phillies as Mike Schmidt and Co. beat the Dodgers three games to one in the 1983 NLCS. After splitting the first two games of that series, the Phillies took Game 3 and 4 by a score of 7-2 in each contest.

Los Angeles was able to win the first two postseason series against the Phillies, dating back to 1977 and 1978. The Dodgers beat the Phillies in the NLCS in each of those years, losing in the World Series both times to the New York Yankees.

Dodgers vs Cardinals playoff history:

• Series played: 6 (counting 2021 Wild Card Game)


• Series record: 2-4


• Overall record: 10-14

The St. Louis Cardinals were the team that the Dodgers could not beat in the playoffs early in this nine-year stretch. Los Angeles faced St. Louis in both 2013 and 2014 and fell short against the Cardinals both times, doing so in heartbreaking fashion.

The 2013 NLCS saw the Dodgers’ World Series hopes get dashed when Joe Kelley plunked Hanley Ramirez with a fastball that broke his ribs. Clayton Kershaw pitched well in Game 2, but in Game 6 he allowed seven runs in just four innings of work.

Then, in the 2014 NLDS, the Cardinals proved they were still going to be a hard team to beat as Matt Carpenter fueled a massive comeback against LA that saw the Dodgers allow eight runs in the seventh inning in a 10-9 loss. St. Louis won in four games.

Luckily, the Dodgers were able to avoid a third-straight heartbreak at the hands of the Cardinals in 2021, when Chris Taylor launched a walk-off two-run home run in the NL Wild Card Series. If LA plays the Cardinals this year, it will be in the NLCS.

The only other time the Boys in Blue played the Cardinals in the NLDS was in 1985, where St. Louis won four games to two. Los Angeles blew a 2-0 lead in that series, scoring only 11 runs in the final four games.

Dodgers vs Braves playoff history:

• Series played: 5


• Series record: 3-2


• Overall record: 12-12

The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers have squared off in back-to-back NLCS and have been the last two World Series Champions. The road to winning it all goes through the Dodgers and Braves, and with Atlanta winning the NL East, these two teams could square off in the NLCS once more.

Dave Roberts and Co. are obviously hoping that the series doesn’t go like it did last year, where the Braves comfortably won in six games. Los Angeles was so visibly drained from a long division battle against the Giants and a grueling five-game series against San Francisco in the NLDS.

Hopefully, the Braves are the team that’s gassed when the NLCS rolls around and the Dodgers can take advantage. Although, selfishly, the Dodgers would probably rather play a team like the Phillies or Cardinals.

If the 1988 NLCS is the best playoff series in franchise history, then the 2020 NLCS might be second. The Dodgers overcame the odds and came back from a 3-1 deficit with some massive plays in key moments. There were far too many to count.

Prior to that, the Dodgers beat the Braves in two consecutive NLDS in this current nine-year playoff stretch. LA beat Atlanta in four games in both 2018 and 2013, with 2013 yielding the infamous Juan Uribe home run.

Before these four matchups in this nine-year stretch, LA and Atlanta faced each other just once: in the 1996 NLDS. Atlanta swept that series behind the trio of John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.

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