Dave Roberts lets Game 4 get away with an eye on the World Series trophy

All the Los Angeles Dodgers wanted to do on Tuesday was beat the New York Yankees and sweep the World Series. It didn't happen. So they did what they believed to be the next best thing. They definitely didn't win. But they found the most convenient way to lose Game 4 while improving their chances for Game 5.

They are defeated. The final score was New York 11, Los Angeles 4, with a scheduled bullpen day being a messy affair for the Dodgers. This group needed bullpen games for every round of the playoffs: They entered October with an isolated rotation, just three healthy starters, and so they had no other options. The strategy has worked in their favor several times. (If any relief corps has done that, it's the Dodgers', which is not only one of the best in the game but also one of the deepest.) But it didn't go their way Tuesday.

Third innings Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe's grand slam Put New York up 5-2. Although the Dodgers were able to cut into that lead, they never quite closed the gap and they eventually let things fall apart completely. Which they hope will work in their favor in the end. That means they can save their best reliever.

They loved to win. But do they lose in the bullpen game? They knew that letting it go early was the ideal way to do it.

“The big thing was just trying to save the Dawgs,” said Dodgers righthander Landon Knack, who pitched four innings, his longest outing of the month. “To be able to make sure they're fully prepared for tomorrow and ready for the rest of the series is an absolutely huge, huge thing for us.”

Most of the spots in question didn't even have to consider heating up on Tuesday. (The team consists of Alex Vescia, Ryan Brasier, Anthony Banda, Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen and Brusder Greatroll.) All of them now have at least one day's rest heading into Game 5.

Bacallery:World Series Game 4 Takeaway: Yankees Roar Back to Life Behind Volpe's Grand Slam

Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts knew he didn't want to go to either of those pitchers early in the night. When veteran reliever Daniel Hudson loaded the bases with a one-run lead in the third inning, bringing up Volpe, the Yankees' No. 7 hitter, the manager didn't consider asking one of his best relievers. The plan was to stick with Hudson: “It was his innings,” Roberts said. “I'm not going to take anybody in the third inning to get Volpe.” This decision resulted in a costly Grand Slam. It also clarified the strategy for the rest of the night for Roberts.

The game was still off. But the manager chose his path. Although it was a two-run game late in the eighth inning, Roberts was committed to letting the B-Team finish Game 4 instead of calling on his strong relievers. That approach was certainly not without risk. But it seemed to be one that Roberts was comfortable taking.

There were two benefits to saving high-leverage relievers. Besides the obvious benefit of rest—every extra day off can help at this point in the postseason—it was important to limit the number of Yankees looks among the Dodgers' top guys. Unless a win looked very likely, Roberts didn't want to risk losing those pitchers.

“If there's a silver lining to this, you know, those big guns in the back of the bullpen got a night off,” Hudson said. “I'm sure they were all chomping at the bit to get out there tonight. But they'll be good enough to go tomorrow, and hopefully we can close this thing.”

Finishing the night fell to Knack, who allowed one run in his four innings of work, and Brent Honeywell Jr., who followed him. Honeywell set an unfortunate record: He needed 50 pitches to get through a disastrous eighth inning. (He allowed five runs on four hits and a walk.) No one else has taken that many pitches to get through a frame in the World Series. But all the Dodgers needed from him was to finish the game without using another pitcher, and as ugly as it looked, Honeywell did just that.

It was about as optimistic as Roberts could get after missing out on a chance to win the World Series. That only makes sense. His team leads the series 3-1. He won't have to manage another bullpen game: His remaining three healthy starters are ready to finish it off. Jack Flaherty will start Game 5, lining up Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler for a possible Game 6 and 7, respectively, if needed. Nobody knows the dangers of getting complacent at 3-0 like Roberts. But he feels confident that the mechanics of the loss have put his group in a better position for another win.

“To have six guys in your pen that are feeling good, resting, I feel good about that,” Roberts said.

The Dodgers lost Game 4 But they hope it will bolster their chances of winning Game 5

“We've been trying to manage this whole series, keep everybody healthy, keep everybody fresh and ready to go,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said. “Our guys stepped up today.”