Game 4 of the 2020 World Series was a tense back and forth battle between the Dodgers and the Rays. Dodger’s manager Dave Roberts decided to make all the wrong decisions in one game tonight. He pulled Julio Urias too soon after 4.2 innings. He left Pedro Baez in far too long after he gave up four runs which included two home runs, a three-run shot to Brandon Lowe in the sixth, and a solo shot to Kevin Kiermaier in the seventh that tied the game.
He ordered Enrique Hernandez, (clutch Kike) to sacrifice bunt a runner from second to third that nearly destroyed a seventh inning rally for the Dodgers. He allowed Kenley Jansen who has been cooked for the past two seasons to throw 88 MPH flat cutters to blow the game in the bottom of the ninth. The fact that he was unable to get Brett Phillips out, a minor league utility guy who has been sitting on the Ray’s bench for most of the postseason is quite honestly pathetic.
World Series Game 4
Dodgers 7 15 1
Rays 8 10 0
WP-Curtiss-1-0
LP-Jansen-0-1
HR-Turner-2-Seager-2-Arozarena-2-Renfroe-1-Lowe-3-Kiermaier-2
I could go on and on forever, but the end result was another Dodgers World Series disaster on Saturday night allowing Tampa Bay to tie the World Series at two games each. Nobody can be surprised by this at all. The Dodgers do this every year. Dave Roberts does this every year.
The Dodgers scored about 20 runs with two outs, and the lead changed hands constantly throughout the game. What really ticked me off was Kenley Jansen not covering home plate on that final play in the bottom of the ninth. He trotted back to the dugout with his head down. He should not pitch again for the rest of the series. Even more pathetic than Kenley’s awful pitching is Cody Bellinger injuring his back while sleeping and not being able to play center field.
Corey Seager and Justin Turner were the stars of the night for the Dodgers, each tallying four hits, and each hitting a home run. Turner is now the Dodger’s all-time leader in postseason home runs, moving ahead of Duke Snider in the record book.
Now the World Series rests in the hands of Clayton Kershaw, the game 5 starter for the Dodgers on Sunday. Tampa Bay will send Tyler Glasnow out to try and give the Rays the series lead. We’ve seen how this movie ends before haven’t we? Let’s pray somebody has rewritten the script with the good guys winning for once. Because I’m tired of seeing the same sequel over and over again.
Disappointing loss. Wasted efforts by Urias, Seager, and JT.
Not much to say. Just poor relief pitching and lineup decisions by DR. When Belli was scratched in CF, and Barnes sat. I knew something was not right. Barnes should have started, period. If Austin was catching, he would have called a better game, and definitely would have made that play at home in the ninth. Why didn’t Kenley back up the play at home? Smith called some bad pitches, leading to 2 jacks each off of Urias and Baez.
Another game they should have won, lost due to poor play and pitching decisions.
4-16 RISP. Batters left 22 runners on base. That is atrocious! Betts did not show up, Belli stunk as DH…. should have stayed in bed. They fought and scratched, and lost a heartbreaker. Jansen was one strike away from a save, but he threw a meatball to a career Mendoza Line hitter, Phillips, who got a lucky hit. Jansen had said Philips just got a soft hit, but the problem is, Jansen, he should not have gotten the hit, PERIOD. Then the Dodgers fumbled this game away. Jansen back in old form with a blown save and loss. Really thought he was back on track, but I was wrong.
Dodgers in 6, and I’m sticking to it.
BTW, when will the Dodgers stop hitting right into that darn shift? And, when was it legal to tackle the runner and pull him off the base?
Oh well. Still alive. Three-game wild card mini-series now. Dodgers have Kershaw and Buehler in two of them. One game at a time.
Meanwhile….
Jansen said, “Ain’t no time to hang our heads.” Well, what was he doing after he gave up the single to Phillips? He was hanging his head in shame, walking to the dugout, instead of backing up the throw to Smith at the plate.
Jansen said (of facing Arozarena), “Attack him, be aggressive with him (but) can’t let him beat you there.” Well, if that was an aggressive attack, then Randy was not scared. Actually worked out better that Kenley walked him, BUT you do not say “Attack him, be aggressive” if you pitch around him and put the winning run on base.
Jansen said, “I didn’t give up one hard hit, what can I do? Can’t do anything with that. I threw pitches where I wanted to…”. Well, if he calls a batting practice meatball to a benchwarmer, career Mendoza Line dreamer, then he might as well hang up his cleats, and sit out the rest of the playoffs. Jansen definitely made Phillips’ dream come true. Phillips can tell his grandkids that he got a game winning hit against Kenley Jansen in the World Series.
Jansen said, “It (doesn’t) matter, Tomorrow is another day. We’re positive in there, that is what we do to whole year, we pick each other up.” Well, Jansen, speak for yourself. I do not thing your teammates are “positive” in the clubhouse after your meltdown. “We pick each other up”. Well, all Jansen has done is bring his team down “the whole year”.
Jansen said, “We have been here before. We’ve just have to let it go and come and play baseball.” Well, Jansen…. “Let it go”? Easier said than done. One thing I agree with what he said, “”We have been here before”. Yes Jansen, we have been here before, we have definitely been here before.
Meanwhile…. we got Game 5 tonight.
The issue that Jansen clearly evades is that to be a great (or even good) closer you have to MISS BATS.
Otherwise Graterol or Treinen would already be the de facto closer.
When closers don’t miss bats, things like tonight happen. Walks (as batters stay alive), fluke hits, errors.
The Dodgers are the better team. They shouldn’t have to overcome their manager’s short-comings, but this year they will have to.
Sad isn’t it, Bluto. They are a better team. They lost two games they should have won. Leads to only one thing, actually two. DR’s erratic lineup and bullpen decisions and obviously Jansen’s shortcomings.
Lots of pressure on Kershaw and Buehler. Betts has to snap out of his offensive slump. Muncy has to cutback on strikeouts.
Fixed your final two sentences:
Roberts has to be better.
The Dodgers are now hitting .358 with runners in scoring position and 2 outs in this postseason.
All other teams are hitting.185
that is an incredible stat. Amazing.