The Los Angeles Dodgers won’t throw everything at Game 4 pitching-wise; instead, they’ll lean on their traditional relievers.
Manager Dave Roberts was asked about Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tarik Skubal being out of the bullpen, given that the Dodgers are down 0-3 in the NLCS and need to win Game 4 to stay alive.
Since they pitched a few days ago, using them would be theoretically possible, but Roberts cannot afford to sacrifice his best starters if the Dodgers advance.
“No. … Our bullpen is rested, very, very capable. You’ve still got to win four, but obviously you’ve got to win one first, and I completely understand that. But the short answer, no,” Roberts said to the media, including Dodgers Nation.
If the Dodgers do win Game 4, then Game 5 is the next day, and they need Skubal ready to face possibly Jacob Misiorowski.
With a chance, albeit a very minuscule one, to come back in this series, the Dodgers cannot afford to manage the rest of the series with full disregard.
What is the Dodgers’ approach in the series?
The Dodgers’ only choice is to play one game at a time. They will deploy their highest-leverage bullpen arms, be aggressive with pinch-hitting, and believe they can win one game at a time.
“What do we have to lose?” Roberts said. “I just don’t want us to be uptight. We have been here before as far as playing elimination games.
“There might not be a tomorrow, so we have to play like that, and I expect we will. With that, you’ve got to play free and easy. That’s imperative.”
Dave Roberts was part of the 2004 Boston Red Sox, the only team ever to come back from a 3-0 deficit in a seven-game series.
He knows firsthand how a team can come back from a 0-3 deficit, and now he needs his current Dodgers players to believe.