You might find a few other sports more thrilling and fast-going than baseball, but for simmering rivalries, it’s second to none. Yes, take the Yankees-Red Sox or Dodgers-Padres rivalries as an example; they redefine what it means to be a historic rivalry every time. And there’s more… Other than the Padres, ask the Giants to show what rivalry means against the Dodgers, and out comes the most brutal side. Reportedly, after Friday’s game, the Giants proved that when it comes to baseball rivalries, even the retiring legends shouldn’t be spared.

If you’re unaware, Friday was the final scheduled start for Clayton Kershaw. And if you know, he has seen the Giants more than any other team in his career. He’s faced them 62 times in the regular season, posting a 27–16 record with a stellar 2.08 ERA. Moreover, over 407.1 innings, he’s racked up 415 SOs, and along the way, he’s tossed six complete games, including five shutouts, against San Francisco.

So yeah, Kershaw had a dedicated rivalry with the Giants. And as expected, they shared a retirement message that might have rubbed a few noses wrong in the circuit. “Happy retirement, Clayton Kershaw,” the Giants’ NBC Sports affiliate shared a brief message over their X handle. While the caption seems all fine, it is the attached clip that couldn’t be more brutal.

The clip was a throwback to Kershaw giving up a homer to Madison Bumgarner. Yes, the Giants couldn’t have a better moment to share than the 37-year-old getting hit by another pitcher. You could say that’s a savage move, but you also expect a similar reaction from the other side. It took no time for the Dodgers fans to take on the Giants, reminding them how Kershaw literally owned them all his career.

Moreover, while Kershaw did incur a homer against a pitcher, he did make a similar move against the Giants. On the Opening Day of the 2013 season, Kershaw hit a homer off the Giants’ reliever George Kontos. So, the Giants may have tried to relish the rivalry one more time with Kershaw, but the Dodgers fans are proving why they shouldn’t.

The Dodgers’ fans are taking on the Giants

Call it poetic justice or not, Kershaw couldn’t have had a better farewell than playing against the Giants — the team against which he still holds the most strikeouts (421) by a pitcher against a single team. Friday was no different: Kershaw again showed who’s boss one last time, allowing just 2 runs while striking out 6 batters!

And if you thought the Dodgers fans would stay mum, you thought wrong, as one fan wrote, “Hey Alexa, what pitcher has the most strikeouts against any team. Alexa: Clayton Kershaw holds the record with 421 strikeouts against the Giants.” The fans were quick enough to show that, despite the infamous event of incurring a home run against a part-time hitter, Kershaw’s career numbers are enough to prove who leads the rivalry.

“How nice. You posted that one time your team did something better than the Dodgers,” another fan added. Until now, the Dodgers and Giants have faced each other in 296  games, and the Dodgers have won 170 of them, with the Giants winning the other 122. This year, it’s the Dodgers leading with an 8-3 record against the Giants. Hence, the fans know why the Giants chose the specific event to share on Kershaw’s retirement. However, the fans are not even accepting the Giants’ move as a rival thing, as one user said, “Gross and shameful.”

“You only have 9 days left until you’ll have no games to post about. Get it all in,” one Dodgers fan gave a reality check to the Giants. Currently, the Giants are standing 6th in the NL Wild Card race and have a 4-game difference with the third-ranked Mets. So, other than any miracle, the Giants have the remaining days in the regular season to end this year. The last time they hit the playoffs was back in 2021. For the Dodgers, it’s their 13th consecutive time in the postseason. “Enjoy your extended off-season, again,” another user remarked.

So again, when it comes to relishing the rivalries, no one is greater than the MLB teams and their fans. And that’s what makes the sport more engaging for the fans. We surely love these banters…