World Series Game Four, 2020

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Dodgers vs Rays, 5:08 PM PDT, TV: FOX

The visiting Dodgers ask LHP Julio Urias to keep the ball rolling toward a championship. All he’s done so far is go 4-0 this postseason with an ERA of 0.56 over four games, three in relief. He’ll face the Rays’ LHP Ryan Yarbrough to start; he went five innings in Game Three of the ALCS against the Astros and got the win, so he’s not necessarily filling the role of “opener,” but he might be pulled from the game early.

You may have heard that Justin Turner tied Duke Snider for most postseason career home runs for the Dodgers (remember, casual fans, that the Duke’s postseasons were limited to World Series games). Here are all of them:

Baseball history has many events on October 24, but none really includes the Dodgers or Rays except for 1972 when Jackie Robinson, weakened by heart disease complications and diabetes, dies of a heart attack in his North Stamford (CT) home. The 53 year-old nearly blind baseball pioneer and social activist’s death comes nine days after his appearance at the World Series, where he threw the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium.

Lineups:

Dodgers:

Rays:

602 thoughts on “World Series Game Four, 2020”

  4. Interesting. Now David Vasei saying that Will Smith made some really bad pitch calls against Lowe. Not to mention the error in the 9th.

    • Urias had made only 80 pitches and had struck out 9 batters in 4 1/3 innings. Diaz was the next batter, and Urias had already struck him out in both his at bats. There were two outs and nobody on base. Urias had struck out the last two batters. Roberts was counting too much on his bullpen with half the game remaining.

        • Excuse me for being redundant, because I think I’ve posted this before. In a 162-game or even a 60-game season, Roberts’s misuse of pitchers is usually hidden because the Dodgers are often far in front. But in a short postseason season, that misuse is magnified. How many times have we seen that in the last few postseasons? Enough already. The Clippers got rid of their Doc. If the Dodgers don’t win the WS this year they need to get rid of their Doc. This game reminded me of Game 5 in the 2017 WS vs. the Asterisks.

          • I am listening to the radio. Just heard Roberts take total responsibility for bringing Baez out again as a mistake. First time I’ve heard him actually admit to a mistake. So there’s that.

          • I agree. I have never heard him admit a mistake. He generally says that he would have done the same thing again. So, that’s progress.

        • Meat of the righty lineup was coming up for the third time and one had already hit a dinger off of him. It really wasn’t any sort of wacky decision.

      • And Blake got him out. Leading off the next inning was Arozarena, who had already hit a dinger off of Julio when he was fresher. If you wanted him to face Diaz because he had struck him out twice, what would have been the logic of then letting him pitch to Arozarena?

  11. Shaikin at the LA Times:

    If the Dodgers win the series, who cares?

    If the Dodgers lose, then this play will be the 2020 version of the Bill Buckner play in the 1986 World Series, and their fans will see Jansen and their team shuffling off the field for years to come, maybe decades.

  17. I will be taking to the hills tomorrow for the first few innings. I would love a laugher, with the Dodgers scoring about seven runs in the first inning.

    • This was the first time this postseason that I didn’t disappear to my computer and Gameday for a few innings. I may have to go back to that past habit tomorrow.

      • Well, I am afraid now that this will completely flip the momentum over to the Rays. What do you think? Also – why pull Urias, etc.

        • Momentum, they say, is tomorrow’s starting pitcher. The Rays will start Snell? But can Kershaw give us two excellent starts in a row? Postseason history would say no. As for Urias, I just posted my thoughts above.

  20. On review, Kenley was not where he should have been on that play, but not sure he could have gotten the ball in any event, given the trajectory out of Smith’s glove.

  21. I also would have brought Graterol back in for the ninth. Whatever it is that has cursed Kenley it’s not the right decision to bring him in for close 9th innings. I thought they had decided that one.

  23. I get so crushed. I have to learn to regulate better! Every time I think I’ve conquered my angst it rears its head – and I’ve been meditating twice a day since I was 19!!!!!

  24. Still think Doc should have pulled Baez earlier. And what about all the RISP we left stranded?

      • Well, maybe. The weirdest was seeing Glenn Hubbard of the Braves get hit with a batted ball while on first base when there were two outs. That was equally a non-play. Saw that one at Dodger Stadium; Hershiser was pitching.

  76. Zero runs scored – feels like it should count for negative runs! Take on off the board for Tampa Bay.

    • My heart is pounding. And my stomach is aching. I’m upstairs watching on Gameday. Otherwise, I’m fine.

  116. Had bunt been successful, Betts’ grounder might have gone through with the infield in.

  132. So, would it have been better had Bellinger stopped at 2nd? Would Turner have scored anyway? I don’t know.

  141. I love Dave Roberts and think he is a great manager for this team. Except in these exact moments.

  184. That’s the worst that could have happened. But Dodgers can come back still.

    Also – first lead change of the WS?

  201. So now the Rays have used their closer, and we scored off him. I can’t imagine Castillo will come back out for another inning.

    • I think Muncy was not pulled off the base and instead Muncy was falling down on top of the fielder. Had the fielder not put his arms around Muncy, Muncy probably would have been able to keep his foot on the bag. But since Muncy was falling on top of the fielder he didn’t get the call.

    • Timmermann says that all the wrestling was moot. That the throw beat Muncy and the ump was waiting to see if Adames held onto the ball.

  244. Taylor 5Ks in last 6ABs. I know he hits some HRs, but he never chokes up with 2 strikes. I was taught that growing up — to choke up on the bat with 2 strikes— and taught it as a coach.

  248. It’s a real Catch 22 for Tampa Bay. They want to get outs – but they must be nervous when Dodgers have 2 outs against them. It worked out there for them – but in general they must be hoping for DP’s to avoid the 2 out rallies!

    • Keep waiting for him to wake up and join the party. His biggest (only?) hit was in the Game 2 loss so it gets clouded over a bit.

  256. Urias is 24, Buehler is 26, May is 23. Kershaw’s probably got 3 or 4 more good years in him too. And all four are homegrown products of the draft.

    • Price is older and not homegrown but he will be a thing next year. Maybe don’t need to go after Trevor Bauer after all…

      • Price could have been homegrown. From Baseball Reference:

        Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 19th round of the 2004 MLB June Amateur Draft from Blackman HS, Murfreesboro, TN.

        He went to Vandy (just as Buehler did later) and the Rays drafted him in 2007.

  264. Now, if Max leads the postseason in walks and Corey in dingers, shouldn’t Doc adjust the lineup?

  289. Fun fact (possibly only for John in Australia): I’m a bit of an Aussie Rules Footy fan.

    My friend and I discovered it in 2007 as we watched the Grand Finals together. We randomly decided to cheer for Geelong in that game and have been low key following the Cats ever since. I really thought they were going to pull the upset against Richmond last night!

  309. Bellinger to DH, Pollock to CF: From the L.A. Times this afternoon :
    “ARLINGTON, Texas —The Dodgers planned on rolling with their usual lineup against left-handed pitchers in Game 4 of the World Series on Saturday until making a change just over an hour before first pitch.
    Cody Bellinger, who was originally slated to start in center field, was moved to designated hitter. AJ Pollock, the DH in the Dodgers’ original lineup, will play center field.
    Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Bellinger’s back tightened overnight. He received treatment when he reported to Globe Life Field. Swinging wasn’t a problem — he took swings
    at 100% effort in the batting cage — but the back pain made moving around difficult . . . “

  311. Premature: Headline on a column by Dylan Hernandez in today’s L.A. Times: “Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is on the verge of silencing his critics.” Perhaps that would be apropos if the Dodgers were up 3-1 or had been ahead 3-0 in games.

  312. Molly Knight at The Athletic:

    In past postseasons, the Dodgers could field an entire roster with the number of runners in scoring position they stranded on base each game. This October, they seem to do their best with two outs and two strikes with runners on base. It feels like a minor miracle.