Wild Game 4 ends with unforgettable final play as Rays rally to even World Series
But on his face was a crazed, dumbstruck smile that said both, “I don’t know what just happened” and “It was amazing.” It was the face of anyone who witnessed the end of Game 4 of the World Series at Globe Life Field —with the unfortunate exception of the Dodgers.
Arozarena’s mad dash around the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday gave the Rays an improbable and darn-near inexplicable 8-7 victory in Game 4, knotting the best-of-seven series at two games apiece, with Game 5 set for Sunday night.
It came at the end of Brett Phillips’s two-out single into right-center field off Dodgers reliever Kenley Jansen — but that hardly does justice to what occurred between Phillips’s swing and Arozarena’s touching of home plate with the winning run, as the Dodgers’ defense botched the play to all creation. Put it this way: some 15 minutes after the game, the official scorers were still sorting through the details to get the scoring right: single, one RBI, error on Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor, allowing the go-ahead run to score.
This is one attempt to describe it: Phillips came to the plate with two outs and two on. Arozarena was the trailing runner at first. On a 1-2 cutter from Jansen, Phillips dropped a soft single into right-center, where Taylor went to scoop it up. But Taylor booted the ball. He had no chance to get the lead runner anyway, but now Arozarena rounded third and dashed for home — only to stumble and fall halfway there.
“As soon as the ball was hit,” Arozarena said, “I was thinking score.”
The Dodgers still appeared to have Arozarena nailed for the third out. Extra innings were in the makings. But Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy cut off Taylor’s throw — which had Arozarena retreating as if prepared to take his chances in a rundown — and threw wide of home plate, with catcher Will Smith unable to catch the throw. Jansen, whose job it was to back up home plate precisely for an instant like this, failed to do so.
Arozarena reversed course again, this time barreling home and finishing it off with a head-first slide into the plate.
And that’s where he remained as the rest of the team spilled out of the dugout in search of Phillips, who had wound up in the expanse of grass in left-center field. Arozarena slammed his hand on the plate several times, then eased up into a rhythmic tap: thump, thump, thump. Phillips was eventually located, and … well, let him tell the rest.
“Once I saw Randy slip, I said, ‘Oh, shoot, at least we tied it up,’ ” Phillips said on the Fox Sports telecast. “And then [Taylor] missed the ball. I don’t know what happened. But then [Arozarena] scored, and the next thing I know I’m airplaning around the outfield, and I get dogpiled.”
In the other dugout, at the top step, Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts hung on the rail and looked on, dumbfounded — then turned away in disgust as the winning run crossed. When the ball was struck, like most rational people, he expected the Rays to score one run and tie the game.
“I’m thinking through the 10th inning,” Roberts said. “And then it spun out right there. I wasn’t prepared for a walk off right there.”
If it were only the ninth inning that pushed Game 4 to the heights of drama and tragicomedy, that would be one thing. But the last four innings Saturday night packed an autumn’s worth of massive swings, both of lumber and momentum.
Thirty-two innings into the World Series, there had still not been a single lead change.
In the 33rd, everything changed. In the 34th, it changed again. By the 36th, it was begging for mercy.
The Dodgers had taken the lead back from the Rays in the eighth on Corey Seager’s fisted, two-out flare into shallow left-center off Rays bullpen ace Nick Anderson to bring around Taylor who had doubled to lead off the inning — the Dodgers’ 57th two-out run of this postseason, a record. Seager went 4 for 5 with a homer and two RBI. A socially distanced, heavily pro-Dodgers crowd of 11,441, bundled against the chill of a 57-degree night, erupted.
The first 32 innings of this World Series not only hadn’t seen a lead change — it hadn’t produced anything even vaguely resembling a signature moment. And then, beginning with the bottom of the sixth inning Saturday night, such moments seemed to arrive with alarming frequency, each one topping the last.
A three-run homer by Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe off Dodgers reliever Pedro Baez in the sixth turned a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 Tampa Bay lead.
But a half-inning later, with the bases loaded, Dodgers pinch-hitter Joc Pederson lined a two-out single off the glove of Lowe and into right field, scoring two runs and flipping the lead back to the Dodgers, 6-5.
The last Dodgers pinch hitter to smack a go-ahead hit in a World Series game? Kirk Gibson in 1988. Yes, that hit.
The next half-inning, the bottom of the seventh, brought another lightning strike — a solo homer to right from Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier off Baez. This one didn’t result in a lead change, but it was now 6-6.
Roberts’s decision to keep Baez in the game to give up a go-ahead homer and a game-tying one in back-to-back innings is certain to be examined and scrutinized for a long time even if the Dodgers win the series — and hung around his neck forever if they lose.
Roberts acknowledged his blame for that decision, saying he initially told Baez he was taking him out after the sixth — only to change his mind and leave him in after the Dodgers took the lead in the seventh.
By the time Seager’s soft single off Anderson landed in the top of the eighth and plated the Dodgers’ seventh run, the teams had scored at least one run in eight consecutive half-innings. You got the feeling the next pitching staff to put up a zero would win.
That, as it turned out, would be the Dodgers, who blanked the Rays in the bottom of the eighth. But that was only a breather. The top of the ninth would be the last half-inning where everything still made sense.
By the end of Game 4, the World Series was suddenly tied, the mind was still swirling amid the many layers of chaos that were revealed in the final play, and if you couldn’t necessarily hear the tapping — thump, thump, thump — you could at least feel it. It was your heart.
Dave Sheinin reported this story from Arlington, Tex. The live updates below were reported by Scott Allen from Washington.
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October 25, 2020 at 12:40 AM EDT
Rays score two runs in the ninth to steal Game 4, 8-7, and even the series
By Scott Allen
With the Dodgers one strike from taking a commanding 3-1 series lead, the Rays scored two runs on a single to right field by Brett Phillips and an error in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn a thrilling 8-7 win in Game 4.
After Yoshi Tsutsugo struck out swinging to start the inning against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, Kevin Kiermaier hit a broken-bat single into shallow center field, just beyond the glove of diving second baseman Kiké Hernández. Joey Wendle followed with a line drive to left that Joc Pederson tracked down for the second out.
Pitching coach Mark Prior paid Jansen a visit on the mound before Rays rookie Randy Arozarena stepped to the plate. Arozarena, who set the record for home runs in a single postseason with his ninth back in the fourth inning, worked a walk to put two runners on for Phillips. Chris Taylor booted the ball on Phillips’s single, allowing Kiermaier to score easily. Arozarena was caught up between third base and home plate, but Dodgers catcher Will Smith couldn’t secure Max Muncy’s throw, allowing the winning run to score.
October 24, 2020 at 11:59 PM EDT
Dodgers take 7-6 lead into the ninth after Rays strand two
By Scott Allen
Dodgers reliever Adam Kolarek replaced Pedro Báez to start the bottom of the eighth inning and promptly walked Ji-Man Choi. Kolarek got Austin Meadows to fly out to center before striking out his fellow former Maryland standout Brandon Lowe swinging. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts brought in Brusdar Graterol to face Willy Adames, who hit a bloop single off the hard-throwing runner to put two runners on. Hunter Renfroe flied out to right field to end the threat.
If the last few innings have seemed unusually crazy, well, that’s not only because the first three games of this series didn’t feature a single lead change. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, tonight marked the first time in World Series history that both teams scored in three consecutive innings.
October 24, 2020 at 11:38 PM EDT
Dodgers take 7-6 lead in the eighth on Corey Seager’s two-out single
By Scott Allen
Chris Taylor led off the eighth inning against Nick Anderson with a double over Rays left fielder Austin Meadows’s head. Looking to sacrifice Taylor to third, Kiké Hernández failed to get his bunt attempt down, and instead popped out to third baseman Joey Wendle.
Mookie Betts grounded out to shortstop, but Corey Seager delivered in the clutch yet again, with a bloop single to shallow left field that scored Taylor to give the Dodgers a 7-6 lead. Seager is 4 for 5 in the game and is now hitting .500 in the series.
October 24, 2020 at 11:22 PM EDT
Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier ties the game, 6-6, with solo homer in the seventh inning
By Scott Allen
Game 4 has made up for the relative lack of drama in the first three games of the series. After the Dodgers retook the lead in the top of the inning, Rays centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier evened the score, 6-6, with a one-out solo home run to right off Pedro Báez in the bottom of the frame. All six of the Rays’ runs tonight have scored via homer.
Yandy Díaz followed with a one-out walk before Randy Arozarena grounded into an inning-ending double play.
October 24, 2020 at 11:10 PM EDT
Dodgers retake the lead, 6-5, on Joc Pederson’s two-run single in the seventh
By Scott Allen
Corey Seager led off the seventh against left-hander Aaron Loup with his third hit of the night, a single to right. Justin Turner followed with a double, putting runners at second and third for Max Muncy, who struck out on three pitches for the first out of the inning.
Nick Anderson relieved Loup and struck out Will Smith before intentionally walking Cody Bellinger to load the bases for pinch hitter Joc Pederson. In the series’ tensest battle thus far, Pederson prevailed, ripping a two-run single that deflected off the glove of Rays’ second baseman Brandon Lowe, who was positioned in shallow right field.
October 24, 2020 at 10:51 PM EDT
Brandon Lowe’s three-run homer puts Rays on top, 5-4, in the sixth
By Scott Allen
Rays rookie Randy Arozarena was 1-for-9 in the series before his solo home run in the ninth inning of Game 3. He’s 3-for-3 tonight after leading off the bottom of the sixth inning with a solid single to center off Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen.
Pinch hitting for Mike Brosseau, Ji-Man Choi followed with a walk, putting two runners on for left-hander Austin Meadows, who pinch hit for Manuel Margot. Meadows struck out on three pitches and Treinen was lifted for Pedro Báez.
Brandon Lowe, who hit a pair of home runs in Game 2, greeted Báez with an opposite field home run to left on a 2-2 pitch to give the Rays a 5-4 lead. It’s the first lead change of the series and it’s given the Rays new life.
October 24, 2020 at 10:36 PM EDT
Dodgers extend lead to 4-2 in the sixth inning with another two-out hit
By Scott Allen
Rays Manager Kevin Cash called upon his closer, Diego Castillo, to pitch the sixth inning with Tampa Bay trailing 3-2. Castillo sandwiched walks to Will Smith and A.J. Pollock around a strikeout of Cody Bellinger, putting two runners on for Chris Taylor. The Dodgers’ left fielder lined out to left before Kiké Hernández ripped a single past diving third baseman Mike Brosseau to extend Los Angeles’s lead to 4-2. Mookie Betts flied out to center to end the frame.
All four of the Dodgers’ runs tonight have scored with two outs.
October 24, 2020 at 10:08 PM EDT
Hunter Renfroe’s fifth-inning homer cuts Dodgers’ lead to 3-2
By Scott Allen
The Rays answered in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Hunter Renfroe led off with a home run to the upper deck in left field off Julio Urías to cut the Dodgers’ lead to 3-2. Urías struck out the next two hitters, Mike Zunino and Kevin Kiermaier, giving him nine strikeouts in the game, before Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts emerged from the dugout and summoned Blake Treinen from the bullpen.
October 24, 2020 at 9:59 PM EDT
Dodgers get run back, lead 3-1 in the fifth after Max Muncy’s RBI single
By Scott Allen
Pete Fairbanks relieved Ryan Thompson to start the top of the fifth inning and allowed a one-out single to Corey Seager. After Seager took second base on a wild pitch, Justin Turner flied out to right on a 3-0 pitch. Max Muncy pushed the Dodgers’ lead back to two runs with a two-out single to right field that scored Seager, who beat Hunter Renfroe’s throw to the plate.
October 24, 2020 at 9:42 PM EDT
Randy Arozarena sets postseason home run record, cuts Dodgers’ lead to 2-1 in the fourth
By Scott Allen
Randy Arozarena led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to right field off Julio Urías to cut the Dodgers’ lead to 2-1. Arozarena’s opposite field shot was his ninth home run of the playoffs, a new record for a single postseason. Arozarena previously shared the mark with Barry Bonds, Carlos Beltran, Nelson Cruz and the Dodgers’ Corey Seager, who joined the club with his eighth home run of the playoffs earlier tonight.
October 24, 2020 at 9:37 PM EDT
Dodgers chase Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough, still lead 2-0 in the fourth
By Scott Allen
Side-armer Ryan Thompson replaced Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough with one out in the top of the fourth, after Yarbrough allowed a bases-empty double to A.J. Pollock. Thompson struck out Chris Taylor looking and got Kiké Hernández to ground out to end the inning. Yarbrough’s final line on 69 pitches: 3 1/3 innings, five hits, two earned runs, one walk and one strikeout.
October 24, 2020 at 9:21 PM EDT
Julio Urías is cruising and Dodgers take 2-0 lead into the fourth inning
By Scott Allen
Mike Zunino drew a one-out walk in the third inning against Julio Urías, but he was stranded at first base after Kevin Kiermaier and Yandy Díaz struck out to end the frame. Urías has five strikeouts and has only allowed one hit.
October 24, 2020 at 9:04 PM EDT
Corey Seager extends Dodgers’ lead to 2-0 with solo homer in third inning
By Scott Allen
Corey Seager doubled the Dodgers’ lead in the third inning with a two-out solo home run to right field off Ryan Yarbrough. Seager tied Rays rookie Randy Arozarena, who homered in the ninth inning Friday night, as well as Barry Bonds, Carlos Beltran and Nelson Cruz for the most home runs (8) in a single postseason all-time.
October 24, 2020 at 8:54 PM EDT
Mookie Betts robs Brandon Lowe of extra bases, Dodgers lead 1-0 after two innings
By Scott Allen
Julio Urías worked a 1-2-3 second inning, striking out Manuel Margot before right fielder Mookie Betts made a leaping catch on the run to rob Brandon Lowe of extra bases. After the “Moo-kie! Moo-kie!” chants from the Dodgers fans among the crowd of roughly 11,500 at Globe Life Field died down, Urias got Willy Adames to fly out to center field to end the frame. He’s at 28 pitches.
