Best Dodgers Games Of 2018 Season: No. 7, Matt Kemp Hits Pinch-Hit Home Run Off Archie Bradley To Beat Diamondbacks

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.

Coming in at No. 7 on the 2018 list was a memorable game against the Arizona Diamondbacks to kick off the month of September. With first place in the National League West on the line, the Dodgers found themselves trailing, 2-0, going into the bottom of the eighth.

Clayton Kershaw got the start on the mound and turned in a solid performance, although he left trailing after allowing two solo home runs to Eduardo Escobar and Christian Walker in seven innings.

Archie Bradley came in to protect the 2-0 lead for the Diamondbacks in the eighth, although he was not able to do that. Justin Turner got that rally started with a one-out single, and Manny Machado followed with the walk.

That set the stage for pinch-hitter Matt Kemp to come up to the plate representing the go-ahead run. The 2018 season had a lot of ups and downs for the Dodgers, who began with a World Series hangover from the previous year.

But one constant was the play of Kemp, as he was not only a starter in the All-Star Game, but he also was named NL Comeback Player of the Year. What’s so ironic about that is that when the Dodgers brought Kemp back in a salary-motivated trade with the Atlanta Braves the previous offseason, he wasn’t expected to ever suit up with L.A.

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was unable to trade him though, and he won the starting left field job in Spring Training and never looked back.

Kemp’s most memorable swing of the season came in this game. Ahead in the count 1-2, Bradley decided to throw a breaking ball to Kemp and left it up just a little too much. Kemp did what he does best, sitting back and launching it to straightaway center for a go-ahead, three-run home run as the Dodger Stadium crowd erupted with joy.

Kenley Jansen then completed the save in the bottom of the ninth, getting a little help from Kiké Hernandez on an acrobatic diving play at second base.