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When Dave Roberts decided against putting in his top arms at the end of the Los Angeles Dodgers Game 4 showdown against the New York Yankees, it made a definitive impact on the final score.
Sitting down two scores with plenty of time left to play, Roberts decided to stick with his middle relievers instead of calling upon the likes of Blake Treinen, and as a result, the Dodgers bowed out in blowout fashion, giving up five runs in the eighth inning on the way to a final score of 11-4.
Does Roberts regret the decision not to go all in on the game when it was still 6-4 or even 7-4 in an attempt to ice out the series in four? Well, the veteran skipper was asked that very question after the game and let it be known that he remains happy with his decision-making, as his team was effectively playing with house money.
Dave Roberts reacted to the Dodgers bullpen availability heading into World Series Game 5:
“To have 6 guys in your pen feeling good, rested, I feel good about that. And being up 3-1.”
Via @MLB pic.twitter.com/cpTsWCmTfw
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 30, 2024
On one hand, you really can't argue with Roberts' thought process, as he did explicitly choose to have a bullpen game instead of calling upon one of his starters on short rest. Up 3-1, the Dodgers really don't have any urgency to close things out in four or even five and can instead optimize their chances in a future elimination game. With that being said, boy, if the Yankees make a statement in Game 5 and bring things back to Blue Heaven with momentum at their backs, fans will be debating Roberts' decision for a very long time.
