For Los Angeles Dodgers fans watching the National League Division Series between the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers and the San Diego Padres, visions of having a Southern California playoff series dance in their heads.

Entering Wednesday night, after the Dodgers dispatched the Atlanta Braves in four games to win that NLDS, all eyes and TVs were turned toward Petco Park in San Diego. The Padres staved off elimination on Tuesday night, only to turn around and duke it out with the Milwaukee Brewers again on Wednesday night.

Milwaukee held a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series and sent Robert Gasser out to the mound for a potential series-clinching win. 

Don't count San Diego out, though. That team has a few veteran players who know what is at stake and will do their best to extend that series to a Game 5. If the Padres do it on Wednesday night, then a return trip to American Family Field in Milwaukee awaits them.

There is no love lost between Los Angeles and San Diego. Would you believe (in a Maxwell Smart voice, no less) that the Dodgers and Padres have played in playoff series in 2020, 2022, and 2024? Los Angeles nabbed playoff wins in 2020 and 2024, but San Diego got its revenge in 2022 with a series victory.

In the 2020 NLDS, which took place in the pandemic-shortened season, these two played their playoff games at The Ballpark at Arlington in Arlington, Texas. Behind a triumvirate of Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, and wily veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw, it was a series sweep for the Dodgers.

But San Diego had revenge on its mind and got that in a big, big way. Entering the 2022 MLB postseason, the Dodgers recorded 111 regular-season wins. The Padres only had 89 victories, so obviously Los Angeles was picked to run away here in this NLDS.

Ah, well, not so fast on that one, boss.

In Game 4, with the Dodgers positioning themselves for a series-tying win, San Diego put together a five-run seventh inning. That proved to be the difference as the Padres earned that victory in front of the home crowd and sent the Dodgers up north on Interstate 5 wondering what happened.

Well, in 2024 in yet another NLDS, the battle was quite heated. San Diego earned wins in Games 2 and 3, heading home to Petco Park with a chance to get the best-of-five series in its back pocket.

Los Angeles, though, said no way and proved it on the field. The Dodgers shut out the Padres in Game 4 and, doggone it, did the same thing in Game 5. It took home runs from Kiké Hernandez and Teoscar Hernández to secure a 2-0 victory, giving Dodgers players a chance to pour onto their rival's home field and celebrate.

It's 2026, another even-numbered year. These two have clashed in three straight even-numbered years. Will the Padres make it a fourth consecutive even-numbered playoff series against the hated Dodgers?

Buckle up, Dodgers fans. The fun just might pick up here soon.