The Dodgers came into Game 4 a win away from taking this whole thing and ultimately, even with that advantage, there were specific points about this team not quite working out. For instance, Dave Roberts alluded to the team’s inability to seize opportunities to put away that third win in a way the Yankees eventually did in Game 4. Those offensive struggles late in games have been a common theme for the Dodgers after the opening matchup of this World Series.
Hidden behind a pair of 4-2 victories, one could see a complete lack of production from the Dodgers’ offense against the Yankees relievers, who on those two occasions did a remarkable job at picking up their starting pitchers. That effort doesn’t get quite recognized as it might’ve been otherwise because the Yankees hitters woke up too little too late, but it doesn’t change what the bullpen did.
After Gerrit Cole was dominant to open up this World Series, none of the other Yankee starters did very well. LA has chased them rather early, scoring a combined 11 runs in 10 innings over the last three games off the starters. A positive sign in a vacuum it hasn’t been that productive, given that the Dodgers have scored a single run in 15 innings against the Yankees bullpen since the start of Game 2.
Looking specifically at Game 4, many gave the Yankees the edge by going with Luis Gil while the Dodgers had a bullpen game with a rather gassed unit. The offense showed up early and hung four runs in as many innings on Gil to eventually force him out of the game. Afterwards they had 15 outs to work with and all they could muster was a Shohei Ohtani single off Tim Hill, perhaps an encouraging sign for a matchup likely to come up again, and a walk by Tommy Edman off Mark Leiter, Jr. The final score shows a blowout, but this was high-stress until the eighth inning as New York blew it wide open for an 11-4 win.
The Dodgers won Games 2 and 3 while seemingly in total control. The funny thing about control is that it has a loose grip if you don’t score, and score they did not against the Yankees bullpen. The last at-bat came with the go-ahead run on base for the Yankees in Game 2, All the Yankees needed was a Gleyber Torres walk to have Juan Soto up as the tying run in Game 3.
The lack of production may not be coming in the biggest leverage spots, but they’re big leverage spots nonetheless. If this team can’t figure out a way to do some damage against the likes of Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and Tim Hill (I’m not even mentioning Luke Weaver because he has been dominant and nearly flawless in both the regular season and playoffs), the Dodgers might be in dire straits or as dire straights as any club up 3-1 can be. After all, it’s hard to feel too confident going up against Gerrit Cole pitching in his home park.
A small note on Weaver is that perhaps the biggest impact of the Yankees running up the score in the eighth inning was their ability to not need Weaver back out there for the ninth. The broadcast showed the bullpen empty when LA already had an out in the bottom of the eighth, it was clear Weaver was going for a seven-out save.
Had the Yankees closer done that, it’d affect maybe not his reliability but at least his effectiveness heading into Game 5. Now having left with only 21 pitches and another 6 in a short Game 3 outing, Weaver will be ready to go for at least one inning or maybe more considering the Yankees situation. Even through their struggles, the Yankees have made Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen, and all the lead guys in LA sweat. The Dodgers have yet to return their favor.
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