Dodgers punt, save best reliever for Game 5

NEW YORK — As Game 4 unfolded and the margin shrunk, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts faced an interesting choice — the type one rarely faces in the high-stakes environment of the World Series. One was to use his best relievers in hopes that his offense could bounce back, giving the Dodgers the best chance to win a title. The other was essentially a pushover, using a low-leverage reliever 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. Hope — his team is still up 3-1 and one win away from a championship — will pay off in the not-too-distant future.

“It's challenging,” Roberts said. “I think you have to make sure you can score some runs. Of course, whoever we use tonight is not going to be able to pitch tomorrow.”

The Dodgers burned through six high-leverage relievers who threw 100 pitches in Monday's Game 3. It earned them a victory that gave them a commanding lead in this best-of-seven series, but it severely compromised how the bullpen game would be staged. 24 hours later.

The Dodgers used Ben Kasparius and Landon Knack to handle six of the first seven innings of Game 4, during which they allowed just two runs. LA was down by two in the eighth inning. But instead of taking away from his group of high-leverage arms — fronted by Blake Treinen, who warmed up in Game 3 but didn't pitch — Roberts handed the ball to Brent Honeywell, who had long served as yeoman in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. The bullpen is low in the pecking order nonetheless.

Honeywell gave up five runs, turning the game into a 4-run rout.

Asked if it was tempting to chase a win in those circumstances, Roberts said: “No. Not 6-4 in the eighth. It wasn't.”

The Dodgers' bullpen limitations first presented themselves long ago. Freddie Freeman provided an early lead for L.A. with a two-run homer in the first inning to set a record for hitting home runs in six consecutive World Series games through 2021, when he was with the Atlanta Braves. But the Yankees tacked on a run in the second and four more in the third against Daniel Hudson, the only high-leverage reliever the Dodgers used in Game 4.

After Hudson, who threw 22 pitches in Game 3, struck out Aaron Judge, gave up a single to Judge Chisholm Jr., walked Giancarlo Stanton and popped up Anthony Rizzo for the second out, Anthony tagged Volpe for a grand slam, giving the Yankees a 5-2 lead. Advance the interval. That third inning, Roberts said, was Hudson's to take down, no matter how it went.

“That was his innings,” Roberts said. “I think he was on 20 pitches, something like that. He got Volop up, so I'm not going to get anybody to get Volop in the third inning when he just pops a guy up.”

The Dodgers successfully used a bullpen game to keep their season alive in Game 4 of the NL Division Series and then again in Game 6 of the NLCS to clinch a pennant. But it backfired in Game 2 of the NLCS and Game 4 of this round as well. They are done with that now. If the World Series extends far enough to return to Los Angeles, the Dodgers will need to line up Yoshinobu Yamamoto to take the ball in Game 6 and Walker Buehler to start a winner-take-all Game 7.

Before that, for Game 5 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, it will be Jack Flaherty facing off against the Yankees' Gerrit Cole. But Flaherty will have help. Treinen, who has been used for four or more outs four times this postseason, will be four days removed from his last 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 basically lost a game hoping it would help them win another.

“We knew it was a bullpen game,” Roberts said. “As far as results – you've got six guys in the pen who are feeling good, resting, I feel good about that. And 3-1 up.”