The Dodgers fail to complete the sweep as the Yankees leave the mat in Game 4

NEW YORK – The lack of pitching hasn't often hurt the Dodgers this postseason.

But in the third inning Tuesday night, manager Dave Roberts found himself without many attractive options in the dugout.

Not only did the Dodgers play their fourth bullpen game of the postseason in Game 4 of the World Series, attempting to defeat the New York Yankees to secure the franchise's eighth championship, but they also did so with more limitations than normal.

Winning the first three games of this series forced Roberts to make heavy use of his bullpen, particularly his two highest-leverage relievers, Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen. Because of this, the team had to find other ways to piece together the early outs in Tuesday's game. And when trouble arose in the third round, Roberts felt he had no choice but to see it through.

Another leverage reliever, Daniel Hudson, had the bases loaded with the Dodgers defending a one-run lead. With only rookie Landon Knack warming up in the bullpen, Hudson stayed on the mound and threw a first-pitch slider to Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe.

In one fell swoop, the dynamics of this one-sided duel took a sudden turn.

Volpe hit a grand slam to left, the Yankees had their first lead since the 10th inning of Game 1, and in a game that turned into a blowout late, New York held on to win and win the series, 11-4. Keeping the win alive will force Game 5 back in the Bronx on Wednesday night.

When the Dodgers entered the postseason with just three healthy starting pitchers, they knew there would be nights like Tuesday. Where the bullpen would have to cover nine innings. Where the decision to use upper relief arms or not would not be entirely clear.

Of the three previous games in which the Dodgers had run a bullpen game, it worked twice. First, to avoid elimination in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. Then again to clinch the pennant in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series.

In between, however, the Dodgers lost Game 2 of the NLCS, a loss that felt very similar to Tuesday's.

As with that game, the Dodgers bullpen entered Tuesday night under heavy load. Treinen had thrown 55 stressful pitches in Games 1 and 2. Kopech had pitched in each of the first three games of the Fall Classic.

That's why Roberts issued what felt like a warning, at least to many Dodger fans, in his pregame press conference: rookies Ben Casparius (who gave up a run in two innings as the opener) and Landon Knack (the one gave up a run in the game). four innings of relief in the middle of the game) should provide some length. And while the rest of the bullpen would be available, “I better make sure he’s in the right spot,” Roberts said.

“Because any type (that we use),” he added, “will have a cost associated with it in the future.”

For a while, it seemed like the Dodgers could thread this incredibly tight needle.

They took the lead in the first inning with a two-run home run by Freddie Freeman. It was his fourth long ball of the series, coming just past the short wall in right field on a down-and-down slider. It was also his sixth consecutive Fall Classic game (dating back to his time with the Atlanta Braves in 2021) and went deep, a new World Series record.

Casparius also held up his end of the bargain, giving up a single run on an Alex Verdugo grounder in the second, leaving the game with the Dodgers leading 2-1.

Hudson was the only trustworthy bullpen option that Roberts wanted to call upon early, prompting him to face the top of the Yankees lineup in the third. The inning started well, with the 37-year-old veteran striking out Juan Soto. But when things started to turn, Knack was just the pitcher who started throwing into the bullpen.

With one out, Hudson struck out struggling Yankees star Aaron Judge (who didn't get a hit on Tuesday but reached base three times on a walk, an error and a hit-by-pitch). After Jazz Chisholm roped a long single off the wall to secure second, the Yankees loaded the bases with a walk by Giancarlo Stanton.

Two batters later, Volpe delivered a series-changing swing.

Volpe, a childhood Yankees fan who had put himself in his place early in the game after failing to score from second base when Kiké Hernández sent an Austin Wells double into the wall in center, Volpe didn't have to wait long to earn his comeuppance. Hudson started it with a slider on the front door. Volpe was fully engaged and launched a line drive to the left for the grand slam.

For the first time this week, belief erupted at Yankee Stadium.

The Dodgers erased the 5-2 deficit with two runs in the fifth inning. Will Smith hit a leadoff blast the other way. Freeman fended off a potential double hit — while still running on his sprained right ankle — to make another run.

However, that was as close as the Dodgers got.

Wells unloaded on the sixth deck with an insurance explosion on the second deck. The Yankees put the score out of reach with a five-run rally in the eighth against Brent Honeywell Jr., with the final three points coming on Gleyber Torres' game-winning shot.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, did nothing against the Yankees' best replacements – ensuring that, unlike Monday night, almost all of the 49,354 spectators at Yankee Stadium stayed until the end (with the exception of two fans who were ejected). . (first inning for attempting to rip the ball out of Mookie Betts' glove after he hit a fly ball near the barrier in foul territory).

Of course, history is still on the Dodgers' side.

Only one team in MLB history has overcome a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs. No team in World Series history has even forced a Game 6 after being in a three-game hole.

But the Yankees will have their ace, Gerrit Cole, on the mound for Game 5 against Jack Flaherty. For the first time this week, they will also arrive at the stadium with a sudden upturn in momentum.

In other words, the Dodgers are now officially playing with fire.

And — in what was supposed to be the third game this October, they compromised their pitching decisions in the hopes of keeping their best relievers fresh — they can only hope they didn't just give the Yankees a good game.