Pennant Race Daily: Game 163 Is Coming for All The Marbles

A moment is a memory. During a pennant race – there are lots of moments. I want you to remember them; so I’m going to write a nightly post that tells the tale of emotions of a pennant race and hopefully; a ride back to the World Series. On Sunday – the last day of the regular season (for most teams), the Dodgers won 15-0 for the sweep. Game 163 looms ahead, for all the marbles and division title is at stake.

These guys are unbelievable.

Undeniably, I felt that the Dodgers would need a sweep to have a shot at what is now reality. Still, I would have bet my life that Los Angeles dropped at least one game to their hated rivals in San Francisco over the weekend. With a sweep – I had a strong feeling that Colorado would drop one and a dream scenario would be achieved.

Before I could even feel dread, or distress, or any type of concern; the Dodgers were putting runs on the board on Sunday afternoon. Rich Hill cruised – and the lineup just kept piling up crooked numbers inning after inning. Emphatically, the Dodgers took the field Sunday and it was clear they were there to bury the opposition. All the while, they went about their business as if there was a much larger prize at stake. The Dodgers simply looked like a team doing a household chore in the series finale – with their real workday shortly ahead.

Next, baseball and the Dodgers fan base gets the ultimate reward. On Monday afternoon, Walker Buehler will take the ball in front of the home crowd on what is sure to be a picture-perfect day in Southern California. If the Dodgers can prevail after nine frames, they will have pulled off one of the most unlikely division titles in recent memory. Remember: this team got off to the worst start in Dodgers franchise history.

I mean; they really did it. Delivered with authority, in the face of all pressure and odds.

From Brian Dozier and Austin Barnes’ unlikely home runs to multi-hit games from Manny Machado, Matt Kemp, Kiké Hernandez, and David Freese. It seemed that everyone had a hand in this culmination win where this suddenly lovable group put their best foot forward.

And tomorrow when the sun rises, a little unprecedented history takes place. Sure, the Dodgers played in and lost the 1980 tie-breaker game to the Houston Astros. Although, an entire generation of fans who will be watching and attending tomorrow’s masterpiece weren’t yet born.

The stats tomorrow will count, and forever be a part of each guy’s baseball card back. And the final score will forever be on each team’s final scroll.

I’ve sensed and told anyone who would listen from twitter followers to the guy in the cube next to me at my office the same thing all year long. The sentiment I felt from the beginning of this season is the Dodgers were in for a finish that no one will ever forget. That part of my intuition has played out to be true.

The part of my vision that has never became clear to me – and scares me a little bit – is what happens next. By the time you read this, we’ll be just a few hours from seeing the insanity of a game 163 play out. May the baseball Gods shine upon this team one more time before the sun sets on this unforgettable season.