The Los Angeles Dodgers blew a 4-0 lead in Game 4 of the World Series on Saturday night, and the team’s fans want manager Dave Roberts’ head.
Fans were all over Roberts for his pitching moves in the game, which included pulling Rich Hill in the 7th inning with a 4-0 lead. Why did he pull Hill, who had only allowed one hit? That was one of the top criticisms.
Maybe because Hill was getting close to running out of gas, which is why he told Roberts to watch him.
Dave Roberts said Rich Hill told him before the 7th to watch him, because he was starting to tire. Roberts said he had never heard Hill say something like that in the course of a game.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) October 28, 2018
Rich Hill said he did not specifically communicate to Dave Roberts that he was tiring, but he did tell the manager to keep an eye on him as the 7th progressed.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) October 28, 2018
Hill also has been proven to be great the first few times through the order. He was heading to face the Red Sox’s lineup for a fourth time. Roberts wanted to get ahead of a potential problem before it was too late to avoid the same issue Alex Cora had earlier in the game with Eduardo Rodriguez. Is it really so crazy for Roberts to think his bullpen can get 8 outs without allowing 4 runs? He gave them almost as clean of an inning as possible and they still screwed it up. That’s on the pitchers.
Keep in mind that Hill walked a man and then so did the next reliever, Scott Alexander. Two were on for Ryan Madson, who gave up a 3-run home run. That means all three pitchers failed that inning.
Then in the 8th, the Dodgers were up 4-3. Why did they bring in Kenley Jansen for a 6-out save? Why not Pedro Baez in that spot, many asked. Where was Julio Urias? Roberts said after the game that both were unavailable.
Roberts said Baez and Urias were not available tonight.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) October 28, 2018
Who else should Roberts have used in that case? Madson served up a big homer. Baez was unavailable. Urias unavailable. Alexander walked a guy. Yup, Kenley Jansen seemed like the best option. Jansen just gave up a home run to a hitter who’s delivered all postseason.
Then in the 9th, the Red Sox put up five runs. They smacked around Dylan Floro, Alex Wood, and Kenta Maeda. Everyone Roberts threw at them, the Red Sox hit.
How can you possibly blame a manager when every single one of his pitchers failed? It’s just easy and convenient to blame the guy in charge when a 4-0 lead evaporates, but this comes down to one single truth: The Red Sox are just better than the Dodgers. That’s down to the players, not the managers.
Boston won 108 games in the regular season. They led the majors in runs scored. They beat the Yankees in four games in the ALDS, handing them their worst playoff loss ever. They beat the Astros in five games in the ALCS, sweeping them in Houston while scoring 23 runs over a 3-game stretch.
Many thought that the extra-innings game in Game 3 benefited the Dodgers, but it turns out their bullpen may have been more devastated by it than Boston’s.
