Aug 1, 2025; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) looks on before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Laughed Off Padres Rivalry, Mason Miller's Comments

Originally posted on San Diego Padres on SI
By Jason Fray | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 9:00 PM ET

The San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers are about to kick off a three-game series in LA starting Friday night.

This will undoubtedly be the biggest series between the two teams since last year's electric NLDS series. The Padres were in a nine-game divisional hole before going on a huge streak and have since taken the lead in the division. The reeling Dodgers are beset by injury and inconsistency, and the vibe around the ballclub visibly seems to be a bit off.

In need of a win, the Dodgers are trotting out one of the best pitchers in the history of their franchise in Clayton Kershaw. The 37-year-old has been quite good this year — sporting a 6-2 record with a 3.14 ERA. While the lefty isn't blowing hitters away with a high-octane fastball, he is mixing his pitches as well as any point in his career.

Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register recently caught up with Kershaw. The future Hall of Famer is slated to start Friday evening versus the Friars in game 1 of a three-game series.

"They told me right away that we don't like those guys a whole lot."

Mason Miller is PUMPED to be part of the Padres rivalry with the Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/ix6wSkexxb
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 4, 2025

When asked specifically about the Mason Miller comments about the Padres telling him "right away" they don't like the Dodgers, the veteran left-handed pitcher laughed.

“That’s fine," Kershaw said. "I don’t feel any one way about them. I just want to win the division. I think every team goes through ebbs and flows when they’re good or not. In the whole time I’ve been here, it’s gone from the Giants to the Rockies to the Diamondbacks to the Padres to the Giants again. So … I think the one constant is we’re always in it. It’s just kind of the next-best team changes. Right now, it’s them.”

The Padres wasted no time letting new pitcher Mason Miller that they don’t like the Dodgers very much.

The man just got to San Diego!

Can’t wait for that next series this month.

Via @FoulTerritoryTV pic.twitter.com/8y81TTyJgG
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) August 5, 2025

For the Dodgers, the whole 'big brother/little brother' narrative is surely being thought about given Kershaw's comments.

However in all actuality, the Dodgers have blown a major division lead, and the Padres made several high-impact acquisitions at the deadline to put themselves in a position to win the World Series.

It would be foolish to think LA isn't looking at the Padres as major competition down the stretch with roughly a month to go in the regular season.