As Dave Roberts journeyed from the bench to the mound Saturday night, the fans in Dodger Stadium started to boo. The closer the manager moved to the mound, the louder the boos became.
The audience knew something Roberts didn’t: He was making a mistake by removing Rich Hill from the game.
Then again, the Dodgers were ahead by four runs. What in the name of Jonathan Broxton could possibly go wrong?
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Plenty, it turned out.
Hill’s premature departure started a chain of events that resulted not only in the Dodgers blowing their hard-earned advantage, but allowing the Boston Red Sox to blow open the game in the ninth inning.
Defeated 9-6, the Dodgers trail the World Series three games to one. Another loss and their dreams of claiming their first championship in 30 years are over.
And if this season ends without a parade down Sunset Boulevard or Figueroa Street, Roberts will become the symbol of the franchise’s latest failure, just as Yu Darvish was the previous year.
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The front office could be blamed for what happened in the eighth inning, when closer Kenley Jansen gave up a tying solo home run to Steve Pearce, or the ninth, when Dylan Floro, Alex Wood and Kenta Maeda gave up five runs. Andrew Friedman and his army of assistants failed to address the team’s shortcomings in the bullpen, leaving Roberts with undesirable late-inning options.
But the call to take out Hill in the seventh inning is on Roberts.
Whatever information the analytically inclined front office provided him about Hill’s effectiveness the third time through the order, however confident the group of decision makers were in the roadmap to victory they designed, it’s Roberts who is on the bench. It’s Roberts who has to observe what’s unfolding on the field and react accordingly.
And what Roberts saw in Game 4 of the Series is what everyone else in the building saw.
Hill was dominant. Absolutely dominant.
At the time of his removal, the veteran left-hander was throwing a one-hitter and the Dodgers were ahead 4-0. The only hit charged to him was a single by catcher Christian Vazquez in the fifth inning. Not a single Red Sox reached scoring position while Hill was in the game.
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And Hill had faced the most difficult portion of the Red Sox lineup for a third time. He registered the final out of the fifth inning by giving up a dangerous-looking drive to leadoff hitter Mookie Betts that was caught at the warning track by center fielder Cody Bellinger. He retired Andrew Benintendi, Pearce and J.D. Martinez in order in the sixth inning.
Roberts said he was extra careful with Hill because of something the pitcher told him before the seventh inning.
“Keep an eye on me,” Roberts recalled Hill telling him. “I’ll give you everything I have. Let’s go hitter to hitter.”
Hill confirmed the plan was to go hitter to hitter.
“I felt like I was throwing the ball well, though,” Hill said.
Asked whether he implied in his conversation with Roberts that he was exhausted, Hill replied, “Well, no, not necessarily. I just didn’t want to end up in a situation where we ended up putting the team as risk of getting us in a situation where it’s like, OK, well, one too many hitters.”
Hill ended up pitching to at least one too few.
He started the seventh inning by walking Xander Bogaerts, but recovered by striking out Eduardo Nunez.
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Up next was a left-handed hitter in Brock Holt.
Hill had thrown only 91 pitches. Surely, he could have continued. And, surely, he could have retired Holt, or at least had a better chance of doing so than fellow left-hander Scott Alexander, who as excluded from the roster in the National League Championship Series.
No matter. Roberts yanked Hill.
A calamity ensued.
Alexander walked Holt on four pitches, which put runners on first and second base. That prompted Roberts to turn back to the embattled Ryan Madson. Now pitching in his fourth Series, the 38-year-old Madson was Roberts’ designated fireman, the reliever other than Jansen who was trusted the most to pitch under the most difficult of circumstances.
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Red Sox base runner Brock Holt celebrates the go-ahead run in the 9th inning as Dodger reliever Dylan Floro walks back to the mound in the 9th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Red Sox Brock Holt reacts after his double in the 8th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal looks away as Red Sox baserunner Andrew Benintendi is greeted at home plate.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers Kenta Maeda and Yasmani Grandal share in the misery as Steve Pearce scores on a ninth inning hit by Xander Bogaerts.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers relief pitcher Kenta Maeda reacts as Red Sox first baseman Steve Pearce scores in the ninth inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers relief pitcher Kenley Jansen looks down after giving up the tying run to Boston Red Sox first baseman Steve Pearce in the eighth inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA , OCTOBER 27, 2018-Dodgers relief pitcher Kenta Maeda reacts as Steve Pearce scores a run in the 9th inning in Game 4 of the World Series Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 27, 2018: Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal (9) reacts after striking out with 2 runners on base in the eighth inning during Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi/Los AngelesTimes) (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Red Sox second baseman Brock Holt hits a double off Dodgers relief pitcher Dylan Floro and went on to score the go-ahead run in the ninth inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Red Sox Mitch Moreland celebrates his three-run home run against the Dodgers in the 7th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Red Sox base runner Brock Holt scores the go-ahead run against Dodgers pitcher Dylan Floro, right, in the 9th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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As Dodgers’ Austin Barnes waits, Red Sox’s Steve Pearce celebrates his game-tying home run in the eighth inning on Saturday in Game 4 of the World Series.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Red Sox’s Steve Pearce celebrates his game-tying home run with J.D. Martinez in the eighth inning.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers Kenley Jansen expresses frustration in the dugout after giving up a game-tyinig home run in the eighth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Red Sox’s Steve Pearce celebrates as he hits a solo home run in the eighth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers Cody Bellinger jumps but only a fan can catch Red Sox’s Steve Pearce homer in the eighth inning
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulls starting pitcher Rich Hill in the 7th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts embraces starting pitcher Rich Hill as the team celebrates as the team rallies in the sixth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Manny Machado slides safely into third base, advancing from first on a throwing error by catcher Christian Vazquez in the sixth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Red Sox’s Steve Pearce homers off Kenley Jansen in the eighth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers Yasiel Puig reacts after Red Sox hitter Mitch Moreland hits a three-run home run in the 7th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers Yasiel Puig walks back to right field after the Red Sox takes the lead in the 9th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Ryan Madson wipes sweat from his brow as Mitch Moreland rounds the bases on a three-run seventh inning homer.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Red Sox Mitch Moreland hits a three-run home run in the 7th inning/
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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LYasiel Puig takes a curtain call after hitting a three-run homer in the sixth inning.
Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig celebrates his 3-run homer off Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez with Cody Bellinger and Manny Machado in the sixth inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodger players Joc Pederson (31) Brian Dozier (6) and Justin Turner celebrate Yasiel Puig’s, second from left, three-run home run.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers Yasiel Puig homers off Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez in the sixth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans erupt as Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puighits a 3-run homer off Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez in the sixth inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers teammates celebrate after Yasiel Puig hits a three-run homer in the sixth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers Yasiel Puig hits a three-run home run against the Red Sox in the 6th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill throws out Red Sox hitter Andrew Benintendi in the 6th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill throws out Red Sox hitter Andrew Benintendi in the 6th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill is pumped up after finishing the fifth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers Manny Machado touches the helmet of Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez after striking out in the 4th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers fans cheer with a boy who got a foul ball hit by Dodgers’ Manny Machado in the fourth inning.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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=Ddogers Cody Bellinger grimaces in pain after fouling a ball off his foot in the 4th inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers Cody Bellinger falls after hitting a foul pitch off his foot during a fourth inning at bat.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Red Sox’s J. D. Martinez strikes out in the first inning against the Dodgers.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Rich Hill celebrates striking out a Red Sox batter in the first inning.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Ddogers pitcher Rich Hill throws a pitch in the first inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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L.A. sports legends from left, Sandy Koufax, Magic Johnson and Tommy Lasorda watch Game 4 of the World Series.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dodgers flag girls parade the flags on top of the Red Sox dugout as they rally fans before game four.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Oakland Athletics’ pitcher Dennis Eckersley and Dodgers’ Kirk Gibson meet at the mound for the first pitch before Game 4 of the World Series.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Dennis Eckersley and Kirk Gibson throws out the first pitch before Game 4 of the World Series.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant reads the Dodgers lineup before Game 4 of the World Series.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans and players stand for the National Anthem before Game 4 of the World Series.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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A view of downtown Los Angeles from the Dodger Stadium parking lot before Game 4 of the World Series.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Only Madson had allowed seven of the last nine baserunners he inherited to score. Roberts said he didn’t have many choices, as Julio Urias and Pedro Baez were unavailable to pitch.
Madson forced pinch-hitter Jackie Bradley Jr. to pop up. He couldn’t do the same against the next pinch-hitter, Mitch Moreland.
Madson threw a changeup that stayed high in the strike zone and Moreland blasted the pitch into the right field pavilion. The three-run home run reduced the lead to 4-3. What remained of the advantage vanished in the eighth inning, when Jansen served up a home run to Pearce. A five-run inning by the Red Sox in the ninth inning turned the situation from threatening to hopeless.
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An awful night was made worse when President Trump weighed in on Roberts’ performance. Trump might not know anything about civility, but evidently he knows enough about baseball to recognize Roberts messed up.
“Watching the Dodgers/Red Sox final innings,” Trump posted on his Twitter account. “It is amazing how a manager takes out a pitcher who is loose & dominating through almost 7 innings, Rich Hill of Dodgers, and brings in nervous reliever(s) who get shellacked. 4 run lead gone. Managers do it all the time, big mistake!”
Roberts smiled when he was relayed Trump’s words.
“The President said that?” Roberts said. “I’m happy he was tuning in and watching the game. I don’t know how many Dodger games he’s watched. I don’t think he was privy to the conversation. That’s one man’s opinion.”
Roberts responded well. He always has. He remains a capable and charismatic spokesman for a storied franchise. He’s also a leader who can convince a group of talented players to sacrifice their individual pursuits for the collective good. He’s just not making particularly effective decisions.
Dylan Hernández is a sports columnist with the Los Angeles Times. Before that, he was the Dodgers beat writer. Hernandez grew up in South Pasadena and graduated from UCLA in 2002, after which he worked at the San Jose Mercury News for five years.
