Dodgers hangover leads to major headache over World Series Game 4 loss
Hangover 4.
Have they made this movie yet? no? Well, they just did, at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night, with headaches, nausea and a shaky sense of impending doom.
Less than a day after an exhausting six-and-a-half-hour, 18-inning victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, the Dodgers crouched in the corner with a cold rag as the Jays suffocated them with it.
Four games into this World Series, the underdogs from the North are fresh, feisty and very much alive, having tied two games each following a 6-2 win in game four.
Both teams certainly entered the night exhausted after the Dodgers’ 6-5 victory in the longest game in World Series history on Monday night.
But while the Blue Jays literally bounced, the Dodgers were gone Pssssst.
While the Blue Jays received a strong start from Shane Bieber and solid relief from a tired bullpen, the Dodgers received a disappointing start from a tired Shohei Ohtani and another collapse in the bullpen.
The Blue Jay offense was aggressive. The Dodgers offense could barely carry the bat on their shoulders.
Before the game, Jays manager John Schneider correctly predicted that his team was not finished yet, saying: “It’s a World Series. Everybody feels good. They like these situations. We’ve responded well in these situations. As far as the second wind, no, man. It’s just wake up, get ready to do it again.”
It was a powerful announcement, and the Dodgers had no answer.
Their lack of response was exemplified by the worst ninth-inning rally in recent memory, as Teoscar Hernandez led off with a walk, Max Muncy doubled, and no one else could get the ball out of the park until there was two outs — and Alex Call flied out to left to end the game.
While the series is very much up for grabs, Tuesday’s loss makes one thing very certain. If the Dodgers become baseball’s first back-to-back champions in 25 years, they’ll have to celebrate that title in Toronto. After Wednesday’s Game 5 here, this is where the series moves to Game 6 and 7 if necessary.
For the 62nd consecutive season, the Dodgers will not be able to share their championship party in front of their home fans.
But first things first. Starting with a recently shaky Blake Snell on Wednesday, and continuing with Yoshisenobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow in Toronto, the Dodgers are going to have to figure out how to get at least seven innings out of the starters and stay out of the damned bullpen.
Unsurprisingly, it was the bullpen that wasted this game after Ohtani left in the seventh inning trailing only 2-1 but with the runners-up in second and third.
Enter Anthony Banda, who allowed an RBI single to Andres Giménez and an RBI single to Ty France. On an intentional walk to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. later, Blake Treinen took the mound and allowed an RBI single to Bo Bichette and another RBI single to Addison Barger.
The Dodgers came out of that inning trailing 6-1 and the game was essentially over.
And to think, the day started out very brightly.
Kiki Hernandez leaned into the stands on the second pitch to catch a foul ball. Ohtani walked the first inning to celebrate his 10th straight by reaching base. The video board showed Prince Henry and Meghan, both wearing Dodger hats, the crowd booed, and it was all in good fun.
The Dodgers even struck first, in the second, when Max Muncy walked, Tommy Edman singled to right and Hernandez Muncy scored with a long fly ball to right. It was Hernandez’s 32nd postseason RBI, an amazing accomplishment for someone who is usually invisible during the regular season. He already holds the franchise record with 89 postseason games played.
However, the lead was short-lived, as the Jays quickly rebounded in the third inning with a single from Nathan Lux followed by a two-run home run – who else? – Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Dodgers seemed to finally get on the Jays’ nerves in the sixth when singles from Freddie Freeman and Hernandez pushed a single from starter Shane Bieber into the dugout. But facing left-handed reliever Mason Fluharty, the Dodgers fell short spectacularly, as Muncy quickly flied out to center and Tommy Edman grounded out.
Meanwhile, through the first six innings, Ohtani was as resilient as always. How can one man run the bases nine times in a six-and-a-half hour game one night and then come out firing from the mound the next?
After a home run to Guerrero, Ohtani then proceeded to retire 11 of the next 12 hitters before allowing a single to Daulton Varsho and a double to Ernie Clement that led to his exit in the seventh.
Roberts had no choice but to go to his bullpen. But because they had all worked the night before, they were particularly toothless.
“Last night was obviously stressful for both clubs, but it was a very difficult situation,” Roberts said.
If not before Tuesday, then now.