Sad Padres fans get blasted into the sun by Jeff Passan over little brother status

The Los Angeles Dodgers finished the 2024 regular season with the best record in Major League Baseball. While the accolade is worth celebrating, their billion-dollar shopping spree could only be justified by the postseason.

The Dodgers began their postseason run against the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series on Saturday, but Game 1 nearly turned disastrous. 

Los Angeles beat out the Padres for the NL West division crown, but the Dodgers know the playoffs can provide opportunity for redemption. After all, it was just two years ago that San Diego stunned them with a 3-1 series on the very same stage.

Early in Game 1 on Saturday, history appeared to be repeating itself. Padres third baseman Manny Machado hit an early home run to give San Diego a 3-0 lead, drawing unsavory memories in Dodger Stadium. This time, however, the Dodgers had Shohei Ohtani on their side. With one swing, Ohtani tied the game and sparked a 7-5 victory for the Dodgers.

Little brother syndrome? Jeff Passan responds to Padres fan

Much to the ire of San Diego fans, Ohtani’s three-run blast in the second inning drew plenty of attention on social media. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was among those who praised Ohtani for the home run.

When a Padres fan criticized the ESPN columnist for not celebrating Machado’s home run, Passan took the time to pour some salt in the wound.

“If you want to stop being treated like a little brother, stop acting like one,” Passan posted on X.

The Padres have lived in the Dodgers’ shadow for quite some time. For years, they have tried to shed the “little brother” title. The Dodgers have always proven to be too much to overcome.

After the 2022 NLDS win, San Diego believed the tide was turning.

“We were the little brother to the Dodgers for so many years,’’ Padres pitcher Drew Pomeranz said in 2023, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “They always had their way with us. But you could see the shift coming, and then it finally came when we beat those guys in the playoffs. That was so huge for our organization.’’

But even since then, the Padres haven’t been able to overtake the Dodgers. Even as San Diego have built a dangerous lineup, they haven’t been able to overtake the Dodgers in the NL West. Despite winning eight of 13 games this season, the Padres have now lost three consecutive games to Los Angeles. They’ve won just 20 of the last 50 games against the Dodgers. 

The Padres still have an opportunity to change the narrative in front of them. If San Diego wins the Division Series, it would give them two consecutive postseason series victories against Los Angeles. The clubs have met twice in the Division Series and split the meetings with one series win each. The Dodgers beat the Padres 3-0 in 2020, and the Padres beat the Dodgers 3-1 in 2022.

If the Dodgers eliminate the Padres, they’ll continue to chase after their elder brother for years to come.