There are a lot of odd matchups around MLB to close out the 2026 regular season, but the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants don’t qualify for that.
They’re a marquee matchup, a clash of rivals, and it’s a fun way to finish off the campaign before the playoffs.
Of course, one side of this rivalry has more baseball to play. The Dodgers are NL West Division champs again, and they’ll be trying to make it a three-peat of World Series titles.
The Giants, meanwhile, are miles off the pace and will have their season end when Sunday’s action concludes.
Still, it’s always a little extra special when the Dodgers and Giants meet.
And on Friday night, in a 2-0 Dodgers win, they combined for some history that they haven’t achieved since 1958.
Dodgers-Giants Friday Night History
The Dodgers and Giants made history thanks to the time of their game.
They finished in 1 hour and 53 minutes.
They haven’t played a shorter game against one another since Aug. 30, 1958, when they finished the second game of a doubleheader in 1 hour and 50 minutes, according to MLB Network’s Sarah Langs.
1:53!
That’s the shortest Giants/Dodgers game since Aug. 30, 1958, second game of a doubleheader , 1:50
These are their two fastest games against each other since moving to California https://t.co/vbjxFLsZqI
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 26, 2026
This is a good excuse to flash it back quick to that 1958 game. The Giants won it, 3-1.
Mike McCormick was the winning pitcher for the Giants in a complete game, allowing five hits while striking out four and throwing 94 pitches.
The Dodgers’ lone run came on a sacrifice fly by Bob Lillis that scored Carl Furillo. Don Zimmer was the only L.A. player with two hits that day.
The Giants had just five hits — but the key blast was a two-run, go-ahead home run by Willie Mays in the eighth inning off Clem Labine.
Felipe Alou had a double, and the pitcher McCormick even had a single.
Orlando Cepeda was hitless for the Giants, while Gil Hodges had a single for the Dodgers.
Yep, those are some classic names, and they now find a way to flash into the present for a bit.
How Dodgers Won Friday Night
The key for the Dodgers on Friday night back in the present is that Tarik Skubal was untouchable.
The dominant lefty went 7.0 innings, allowing three hits and striking out 10. Combined with Roki Sasaki and Tanner Scott, the Dodgers’ pitchers didn’t walk anyone all night.
The Dodgers got both their runs with solo home runs in the second inning from Teoscar Hernandez and Andy Pages, and L.A. totaled seven hits overall, including three from Will Smith.
And maybe the Dodgers got a bit of extra sleep — when you finish a game that quickly, efficiency should get added all the way around.
Dodgers Make Baseball History vs. Giants Dating to 1958