fbpx

Best Games Of 2018 Season: No. 9, Dodgers Rout Giants To Force Game 163 Against Rockies For NL West Title

Matt Borelli
3 Min Read
Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

In light of Major League Baseball making every game from 2018 and 2019 available for free on MLB.TV, DodgerBlue.com has ranked the best streaming options for contests involving the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The list continues with No. 9 from the 2018 season, when the Dodgers routed the rival San Francisco Giants, 15-0, to force a Game 163 against the Colorado Rockies that would determine the National League West champion.

Facing Giants left-hander Andrew Suarez, the Dodgers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning courtesy of Justin Turner’s RBI double and David Freese’s run-scoring single.

L.A. would explode for seven more runs in the third inning, highlighted by Matt Kemp’s RBI double and Brian Dozier’s two-run home run off Hunter Strickland.

The Dodgers added three more runs in the fourth, extending their lead to 12-0. A two-run homer off the bat of Max Muncy in the fifth further cushioned the Dodgers’ advantage.

Austin Barnes’ solo shot in the ninth capped off a lopsided victory for the Dodgers, solidifying their first season sweep at AT&T Park since July 25-27, 2014. Rich Hill was dominant on the mound, allowing just two hits over seven shutout innings. He struck out seven batters, didn’t issue a walk and lowered his season ERA to 3.66.

Most importantly, by defeating the Giants, L.A. ensured an NL West-deciding Game 163 against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

The winner of the matchup would go on to face the Atlanta Braves in the NL Division Series, while the loser had to travel to Wrigley Field to take on the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wild Card Game.

The Dodgers, of course, defeated the Rockies, 5-2, and went on to defeat the Braves in four games in the NLDS. The Rockies pulled off an upset of the Cubs on the road, but were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.

The Dodgers went on to defeat the Brewers in seven games during the NL Championship Series and advanced to the World Series for a second consecutive year. L.A. matched up against the Boston Red Sox in the Fall Classic, but were bested in five games.

Best Dodgers games of 2018

No. 10: Record seven home runs hit in extra-innings win against New York Mets

Make sure to follow us on Instagram! It’s the best way to see exclusive coverage from games and events, get your questions answered, and more!

Matt Borelli covers the Los Angeles Dodgers as a staff writer for Dodger Blue and holds similar responsibilities for Lakers Nation, a sister site with an emphasis on the Los Angeles Lakers. He also contributes to RamsNewswire.com and RaidersNewswire.com. An avid fantasy sports player, Matt is a former 2014 MLB Beat the Streak co-champion. His favorite Dodgers moment, among a list of many, is Clayton Kershaw's no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies in 2014. Follow him on Twitter: @mcborelli.