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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN editor
NEW YORK — As Game 4 evolved and the margin dwindled, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was faced with an interesting choice — the type one rarely faces in the high-stakes environment of a World Series. One was to use his best relievers in hopes that his offense would come back all the way, giving the Dodgers the best possible opportunity to clinch a title. The other was basically punting, using low-leverage relievers to save his best arms for another day.
Roberts clearly chose the latter approach in Tuesday’s 11-4 loss to the New York Yankees. The hope – with his team still up 3-1 and one win away from a championship – is that it will pay off in the very near future.
“It’s a challenge,” Roberts said. “I think you have to make sure you can score some runs. Any guy we use tonight definitely wouldn’t have been able to pitch tomorrow.”
The Dodgers burned six high-leverage relievers who combined to throw 100 pitches in Game 3 on Monday. This earned them a victory that gave them a sizable lead in this best-of-seven series, but it seriously compromised the bullpen play that would be organized. 24 hours later.
The Dodgers used unheralded Ben Casparius and Landon Knack to tackle six of the first seven innings of Game 4, in which they allowed just two runs. When the eighth inning came around, LA was down by two. But rather than tear off his high-leverage arm group — led by Blake Treinen, who warmed up in Game 3 but didn’t throw — Roberts handed the ball to Brent Honeywell, a long reliever who did a Yeoman job bailing out the ball. bullpen in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, but he’s nonetheless low in the pecking order.
Honeywell gave up five runs, turning Game 4 into a rout.
Asked if it was tempting to go for victory in this situation, Roberts replied: “No. Not 6-4 in the eighth, that wasn’t the case. No.”
The limitations of the Dodgers bullpen presented themselves much earlier. Freddie Freeman had once again given Los Angeles an early lead with a two-run homer in the first inning to set a record for homering in six consecutive World Series games dating back to 2021, when he was with the Atlanta Braves. But the Yankees managed a run in the second and managed four more runs in the third off Daniel Hudson, the only high-leverage reliever the Dodgers ended up using in Game 4.
Hudson, who also threw 22 pitches in Game 3, overthrew Aaron Judge, gave up a single to Jazz Chisholm Jr., walked Giancarlo Stanton and, after bringing up Anthony Rizzo for the second out, was tagged for a grand slam by Anthony. Volpe, giving the Yankees a 5-2 lead. That third round, Roberts said, was Hudson’s to win, regardless of how it played out.
“That was his sleeve,” Roberts said. “I think he was on 20 pitches, something like that. He had Volpe up, so I’m not going to ask someone in the third inning to catch Volpe when he just popped a guy. “
The Dodgers successfully used a bullpen game to keep their season alive in Game 4 of the NL Division Series, then again to clinch a pennant in Game 6 of the NLCS. But it also backfired in Game 2 of the NLCS and in Game 4 of this round. They’re done with it now. If the World Series extends far enough to return to Los Angeles, the Dodgers will have Yoshinobu Yamamoto ready to take the ball in Game 6 and Walker Buehler in line to start a winner-take-all Game 7.
Before that, for Game 5 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, it will be Jack Flaherty against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. But Flaherty will have help. Treinen, who has been used for four or more outs four times during these postseasons, will be four days removed from his final appearance. Brusdar Graterol, Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, Ryan Brasier and Michael Kopech will be available after a day off, with another to follow, if necessary.
The Dodgers essentially lost a game in the hopes that it will help them win another.
“We knew it was a bullpen game,” Roberts said. “As far as results go, having six guys in your bullpen feeling good and rested, I feel good. And going 3-1.”
