World Series: Dodgers punt in Game 4 but remain in control

NEW YORK – The New York Yankees have woken up.

A little late.

The Yankees battered and manhandled the Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, preventing them from winning 11-4.

There's not much to see here.

On a night when two Yankees fans literally ripped a foul ball out of Mookie Betts' glove, the Yankees were desperate.

On a night when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts used Ben Casparius as the starter, Landon Knack as cover for four innings and Brent Honeywell as closer, the Dodgers were cautious.

“At the end of the day, we’re still in a pretty good spot and feeling good,” Roberts said.

On a night when Anthony Volpe set the tone by hitting a hanging slider from Daniel Hudson in the third inning and throwing it into the left-field stands for a grand slam, the Yankees were inspired.

On a night that didn't even come close to matching Freddie Freeman's wildly celebrated two-run home run in the first inning, the Dodgers were largely mediocre.

“We were very high, we were excited, unfortunately these guys responded,” Roberts said. “It was a good ballgame until it wasn’t.”

From the moment Aaron Judge sent the raucous crowd into an uproar as he reacted angrily to being hit in the hand by a Hudson pitch in the third inning, the Yankees were on the attack.

From the moment it became clear that their mound would be filled with the back of their bullpen, the Dodgers largely watched and waited.

“We have no choice but to go pitch by pitch right now,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Join us, leave everything outside. And we did that really well today.”

This loss isn't a big deal for the Dodgers because they intentionally didn't leave everything out. For the third time this postseason, the Dodgers stumbled as they became comfortable with their lead and protected their heavily indebted backup players for later games.

That’s right, the Dodgers stumbled.

It sounds crazy. It sounds risky. It sounds like the Dodgers are equating Game 4 of the World Series with a spring training duel, but guess what? It works. Two punts helped them to a four-to-two victory over the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series.

If you don't have a decent fourth starting pitching option, you have no choice but to throw a bullpen game. And when you're up three to zero in the series, it's understandable, even sensible, to protect your best backups if the bullpen game suddenly goes wrong.

Yankees catcher Austin Wells watches his solo home run off a pitch from Dodger Landon Knack during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankees Stadium on Tuesday.

(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

Poking has worked for them before, and it will work here too. The Dodgers are still in control.

“We knew it was a bullpen game,” Roberts said. “As far as results go, it feels good for me to have six guys in the team who are feeling good and rested. And being 3-1 up, yes.”

Roberts was absolutely thrilled to have backup players like Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Alex Vesia and Anthony Banda ready for Game 5 on Wednesday.

“I feel great, I feel great,” he said. “It’s about the people you have available to you. Some of these guys are – they're all rested. So we have people who can handle the ups and downs.”

Everything is still up for grabs for the Dodgers, as they still lead the series, as Roberts mentioned, while the history of their previous lead hasn't changed – no team has come back from a three-games-to-zero deficit to win a World Series to win.

While most teams crumble under the weight of three to zero – the previous nine poor souls were swept – there's another story on the Dodgers' side, too.

No team with three games under their belt has even forced a Game 6.

So that shit lives on to fight another day, Wednesday night here, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole versus Dodgers ace Jack Flaherty. They've faced each other once before in this series and it was essentially a draw, and it should be that way again.

Flaherty, the Dodgers' season-ending savior, held the Yankees to two runs in 5⅓ innings in the opener, while Cole held the Dodgers to one run in six innings.

But the Dodgers will have the advantage for two main reasons.

First, the Yankees' best relievers will be working nonstop – they were all, understandably, used by their flailing manager on Tuesday – while the Dodgers' best replacements will be ready to go.

Second, for all the Yankees' bluster on Tuesday — they had nine hits with three home runs — their best hitter still isn't hitting. Judge went one for three, giving him two hits in 15 at-bats in the series. And if he can't rake, the Yankees can't recover.

Flaherty said: “I’m not worried about how things have gone so far. I’m just worried I’ll try to get another one.”

Cole responded, “Hey, we’re still in the World Series. Hey, we're in the Bronx. We still have a chance at this thing.”

No, they don't. One day history will be made, but it won't be here.

The Dodgers played it smart, if strange, on a night when the Yankees' valiant effort could be summed up in two words.

So what.