The Giants and Dodgers franchises played their first regular season game on May 3, 1890. Since then, through the clubs’ last meeting July 7, they have gone head to head 2,368 times. The Giants have won 1,196 and the Dodgers 1,172, meaning the Giants hold a 24-game lead. To be fair, the West Coast Giants probably shouldn’t get too smug because they owe their advantage to the success of the New York Giants. From 1890 to 1957, the Giants led the Dodgers 722 to 671. But the Dodgers hold a 501-474 lead over the Giants from 1958 to 2013. Still, the Giants should have the overall lead when the teams meet for the 1,000th time on the West Coast at the end of the 2014 season. Interesting to see how much this season’s powerful Dodgers team can chip away at that 24-game lead as they meet the Giants seven times in September.