FINAL: BOSTON 9, LOS ANGELES 6
Game Four of the World Series opened with a moment of silence following the terror attacks in Squirrel Hill, Pennsylvania at a Synagogue, and then came a rendition of the National Anthem, and then play began.
After much discussion and debate over who should start Game 4 for the Dodgers, it was Dick Mountain, A.K.A Rich Hill, who got the nod. He opened the first cleanly, let Steve Pearce reach, but stranded him after he K’d J.D. Martinez on a fastball.
Likewise for the Red Sox, who should get the start after the marathon Game 3 was a hot topic in the sports world, but Alex Cora settled for lefty Eduardo Rodriguez despite his struggles this post season.
Rodriguez set the Dodgers without much traffic in the first on 24 pitches, but considering how the Boston bullpen worked in Game 3, a long first inning might have been the last thing Alex Cora wanted.
Christian Vazquez took one for a ride after a two out walk from Hill to Brock Holt, but Chris Taylor brought it in on the warning track in left to retire the side.
Rodriguez worked around a single in the bottom half of the second, and threw a second scoreless inning. He then lead off the top of the third, and was drilled by Rich Hill. Rodriguez then got forced out at second after not running to second on a slow ground ball to Justin Turner at third. It was then mentioned on the Fox broadcast that the trip to first was the first time in his career that he was on the bases, and he seemed a little confused, to say the least.
Rich Hill was not hit in retaliation to start the third, instead he tripped over first base after popping out, and the humiliation might have been worse than any pain caused by a pitch. Rodriguez went full to Max Muncy, Game 3 hero, before he flew out to Andrew Benintendi in left, ending Muncy’s sixth full-count in the last two games.
Hill set the trio of Martinez-Xander Bogaerts– Eduardo Nunez down in order in the fourth, striking out the first and last of the three.
Former Oriole Justin Turner singled to lead off the fourth, but retired the side easily, turning in four shutout innings to begin his night.
Christian Vasquez singled with one out in the fifth, the first of the game for the Red Sox. Rodriguez “attempted” to bunt Vasquez over, but it went as poorly as it could have gone and he bailed out on a curveball with two strikes to end his at bat. Mookie Betts hit a deep fly-out to Bellinger in center to end the side, coming a few feet shy of home run.
E-Rod matched Hill’s scoreless fifth, carrying on an unlikely pitchers duel in Game 4.
David Freese was drilled in the leg to lead off the sixth, and was then lifted for a pinch runner Kike Hernandez. Rodriguez then froze Muncy with a slider on 0-2 to sit him down. Justin Turner doubled over the third base bag, got help from a lucky carom down the line off the left field wall, and advanced Hernandez to third.
Manny “Johnny No-Hustle” Machado was intentionally walked, and Cody Bellinger came up with the bags loaded.
He grounded a ball to first, Pearce went to the Vasquez at plate, got the out, threw back to first, and the ball got away scoring Turner. Machado went to third, Bellinger behind him, and the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead.
Yasiel Puig came up with a chance to blow the game open, and did just that, putting the Dodgers up 4-0, and ending the aforementioned pitchers duel.
Matt Barnes entered in the 6th with two outs, after Rodriguez carried the Red Sox through 17 of the 27 outs. Barnes walked his first man Taylor, but Barnes then struck out Barnes… Austin Barnes that is, to retire the side.
Dick Mountain walked the lead off man Bogaerts, and then struck out Nunez to end his night. Hill gave the Dodgers more than they ever could have asked for, and was lifted for lefty Scott Alexander, who could not have started any worse, and was yanked. He walked Brock Holt on four pitches, giving Boston something to try and build on.
Ryan Madson entered to face pinch-hitter Jackie Bradley Jr., who popped up to Kike Hernandez in shallow right for the second out. Pinch-Hitter Mitch Moreland hit one that left Dodgers fans wishing there was more land in right field; a bomb more than 3/4th of the way in the right-field seats and pulled the Sox within one.
Joc Pederson pinch hit to start off the 7th against the flame-throwing Joe Kelly, who has been a Godsend for the Sox this October. Pederson went down looking on a 2-2 breaking ball, Hernandez flew out to center. Max Muncy tried to start a two out rally with a single into left, but Justin Turner flew a lazy fly ball to Betts in center, ending any hope at said rally.
Kenley Jansen was met by a solo home run off the bat of Steve Pearce with one out in the 8th, tying the game at 4. Jansen controlled the damage and ended the top of the 8th with no more runs crossing, but enough damage done.
Machado ambushed Kelly with a first-pitch single in the bottom half of the inning, Yasiel Puig barely beat out a fielders choice that whipped Machado off the bases, and then Chris Taylor singled into left, setting up a first-and-third for pinch hitter Yasmani Grandal, setting up a battle of potential Mets’ Free Agency Targets. Kelly won the battle with Grandal. who struck out on a fastball upstairs from Mr. Kelly.
With one out, Brock Holt doubled down the line off new reliever Dylan Floro, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position in the ninth. Young third baseman Rafael Devers continued the trend of Boston pinch hitters coming through when needed, punching a base hit up the middle, delivering Boston a 5-4 lead, and giving this game the chance to end in nine innings. Floro was removed for Alex Woods As Andrew Benintendi stood in with a chance to put this one out of reach as Craig Kimbrel warmed up. Benintendi beat out an infield single, and the bases were loaded for Steve Pearce.
Wood was removed for Kenta Maeda, and Brian Dozier also entered completing the double-switch. Steve Pearce emptied the bags with a double up the right-center field alley, giving Boston an 8-4 lead. Maeda didn’t pitch to Martinez as Dave Roberts waved his four fingers, putting Martinez on at first. Maeda then retired Nunez to end the inning, but not before questionable bullpen usage ruined Roberts’ night and put Los Angeles down 9-4.
Kike Hernandez launched a two-run home run off Kimbrel in the 9th, making it a 6-9 deficit with no one out. The Sox still had a nice cushion on their lead, but nervousness once again crossed the face of Alex Cora in the first base dugout. Muncy grounded out to Bogaerts in the shift for the first out, bringing up Justin Turner.
Turner promptly singled into left, making things more interesting. Rafael Devers made an amazing play to record the second out of Justin Turner at second base, and shortly after Bellinger flew out to Benintendi to end the game.
Boston picked up the win 9-6, and pushed their series lead to 3-1.
David Price will look to end the series tomorrow night, as Clayton Kershaw hopes to send the series back to Boston. Game 5’s first pitch is scheduled for 8:15 PM in the City of Angels.
