-
Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
NEW YORK — As Game 4 unfolds and the gap narrows, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has an interesting choice to make – one that’s not often faced in the high-stakes environment of the World Series. One was to use his best reliever in the hopes that his offense would be fully restored and give the Dodgers the best chance to win a title. The other was essentially a punt, taking advantage of a lower leverage reliever and saving his best arm for another day.
Roberts clearly chose the latter approach in Tuesday’s 11-4 loss to the New York Yankees. His hopes will be rewarded in the near future, as his team is still 3-1 and within reach of a championship.
“It’s challenging,” Roberts said. “I think we need to be confident that we can score some runs. Certainly the guys we used tonight probably wouldn’t be able to pitch tomorrow.”
The Dodgers combined six high-leverage relief pitchers to throw 100 pitches in Game 3 on Monday. The victory gave him a commanding lead in the best-of-seven series, but it also took a toll on his scheduled bullpen game. 24 hours later.
The Dodgers, using unheralded Ben Casparius and Landon Knack, pitched six of the first seven innings of Game 4, allowing just two runs in that span. At the end of the eighth inning, LA led by just two runs. But rather than pull from a team with strong weapons, led by Blake Treinen, who warmed up in Game 3 but did not pitch, Roberts handed the ball to long reliever Brent Honeywell. He was in the bullpen for Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, but was still ranked low.
Honeywell allowed five runs and lost Game 4.
Asked if pursuing a win in that situation was appealing, Roberts said, “No. It wasn’t 6-4 in the 8th inning. That didn’t happen.”
The Dodgers’ bullpen limitations first appeared a long time ago. Freddie Freeman hit a two-run home run in the first inning to put Los Angeles ahead once again, setting a record for home runs in six consecutive World Series games dating back to 2021, when he was with the Atlanta Braves. However, the Yankees scored one run in the second inning, and scored four more in the third against Daniel Hudson, the only high-leverage relief pitcher the Dodgers used in Game 4.
Hudson, who threw 22 pitches in Game 3, hit Aaron Judge with a plank, allowed a single to Jazz Chisholm Jr., walked Giancarlo Stanton, and allowed Anthony Rizzo to come out with two outs. He hit a grand slam against Anthony Volpe. It gave the Yankees a 5-2 lead. Coach Roberts said Hudson would have gotten a takedown in those three innings, regardless of the outcome.
“That was his inning,” Roberts said. “I think he had about 20 pitches. He had Volpe, so you’re not going to take somebody to Volpe in the third inning when he just got a guy out.”
The Dodgers made good use of their bullpen game in Game 4 of the NL District Series to tie the season together, and clinched the pennant in Game 6 of the NL CS. However, it backfired in Game 2 of the NLCS and Game 4 of this round as well. That’s it. If the World Series is extended and returns to Los Angeles, the Dodgers are expected to have Yoshinobu Yamamoto take the ball in Game 6 and Walker Buehler to start in a winner-take-all Game 7.
Before that, Jack Flaherty will face Yankees ace Gerrit Cole in Game 5 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night. But Flaherty will help. Treinen, who has been used with four outs or more four times this postseason, will be four days removed from his last appearance. Brusdar Graterol, Alex Beshear, Anthony Banda, Ryan Brazier and Michael Kopech are expected to return from one off, followed by another.
The Dodgers basically lost one game, but were hoping that would lead to another win.
“We knew this was a bullpen game,” Roberts said. “Result-wise, I think it’s good to have six guys in the pen who are feeling good and rested, and going 3-1.”
