Boston Still Needs to Win One More

Did Alex Cora make a mistake by staying with ERod in the 6th? As a Dodger fan, I say absolutely not. A 3 run jack by Puig put the Dodgers up 4-0. And the Dodgers have not lost with a 4 run lead all year long. 54-0. But what will Boston fans say? Well now they could care less because of the lack of a bullpen by the Dodgers. And the second guessers are going to be out in bunches on Doc’s use of the pen.

 

Okay, I’ll start. How do you take Rich Hill out while pitching a 1 hitter after striking out Eduardo Nunez in the 7th? Hill only had 91 pitches. He could have finished the 7th. After the game, Roberts said that Hill was tiring. What is he supposed to say? “I screwed up. I felt more comfortable with taking out a pitcher who was dominating the Red Sox for two pitchers who have not been able to get any Red Sox hitters out all series.” The genius of somebody was to replace Caleb Ferguson, arguably one of the best relievers the Dodgers had down the stretch, with Scott Alexander who is a walk machine. And what does he do when he comes in? 4 pitches for a 4-pitch walk, and then he’s gone.

 

In a replay of last year with the overuse of Brandon Morrow, for some brain dead reason, Doc brings in Ryan Madson who has allowed 5 inherited runners to score already in this WS. He inherited 2 more tonight, and now make that 7 inherited runners scoring in a WS for a new WS record. Mitch Moreland just unloaded on Madson to make it a one run game. But the fun is just beginning for the Red Sox.

 

Again, much like last year’s WS, Jansen cannot answer in the 8th. I do not know if I can be any more upset with what has happened. The pitch to Pearce was absolutely grooved. How does supposedly one of the best closers in the game (highest paid) groove two pitches in the WS in back to games to blow 2 saves? After doing the same last year. The pitch to Pearce could not have been any more of a hitter’s pitch. I am not sure how much more I can watch at this point. Just like last night, a great start by a Dodger starter is wasted. But unlike last night the bullpen was just a mess and the result was 9 unanswered runs before a 2 run HR by Kike’ in the 9th.

 

The Red Sox 9th proves what many of us had said at the trade deadline. GET SOME RELIABLE RELIEVERS. Floro was not the answer with allowing 1 run on 2 hits and a walk, leaving two inherited runners on for Alex Wood. Wood gets Benintendi to ground very softly to JT who could not get the speedy Benintendi out at 1st. It is not like Benintendi tattooed Wood, but unlike last night when Wood got more of a feel for the game as he continued to pitch and came through with a 6-4-3 DP, he was pulled after one batter in favor of Maeda who proceeded to give up a 3 run double to Steve Pearce. Maeda then intentionally walks JDM and allows the 9th run on a single by Bogaerts.

 

Six Dodger relievers, and each one of them gave up at least one run. But the big damage was done by Madson and Maeda who allowed 5 inherited runners to score.

 

Going back to the home half of the 8th, with the score tied at 4-4, Machado opens up and goes with the pitch, and lo and behold he gets a single into RF. He had not done that all series and with runners in scoring position. After Puig beat out a throw to 1st to negate a potential DP, CT3 singles into left and Puig continued to 3rd. But this year, that is where Dodger hitters stop hitting. With runners on 1st and 3rd and 2 out, Yasmani Grandal PH for Barnes and believe it or not, he struck out. Can you believe that???

 

The Dodgers are down 3 games to 1, and the chances for a WS victory seem to be fleeting. The Dodgers’ backs are against the wall, so hopefully they will fight through this, but something has to give. Either the hitters are going to have to get hits with runners in scoring position, and/or the relievers are going to have to shut down a Red Sox offense. If my math is right, the Dodgers are 4-18 wRISP in the series. The Dodgers have scored 9 runs in the last 27 innings. 2 came home on errors, and 7 came home on HRs. Tonight, the Red Sox go 5-7 wRISP, while LAD went 1-4, and that was Puig’s 3 run jack.

 

Clayton goes on Sunday in what some are already calling his final home start as a Dodger at Dodger Stadium. I still do not believe it. I also believe he is going to opt out because some organization is going to offer Kershaw more than $100MM. The question will be will the Dodgers be a participant in that starting pitcher auction.

 

My spirits are down, but I am not giving up. Let’s win Game 5 and go back to Boston and hope for the best.