NEW YORK – With champagne chilling and the Commissioner’s Trophy hiding somewhere within Yankee Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers had a golden opportunity to sweep the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the World Series.

However, the Dodgers chose to stick to their game plan, which had successfully led them to the National League pennant and a 3-0 series lead against the Yankees.

In the third inning, despite reliever Daniel Hudson struggling with his control while holding a narrow one-run lead, manager Dave Roberts decided to let him continue on the mound. This choice backfired when Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe hit a grand slam, turning the game in New York’s favor.

When the Dodgers managed to come back and close the gap to just one run in the fifth inning, the team’s key relief pitchers remained unused. Landon Knack, pitching later, conceded a home run to Austin Wells in the sixth inning.

By the start of the eighth inning, the Dodgers found themselves trailing by two runs. Brent Honeywell, the last pitcher available, was called upon to keep the game close but instead surrendered five runs, sealing the game in favor of the Yankees, who won 11-4 in front of a crowd of 49,354 ecstatic fans at Yankee Stadium.

Despite the defeat, the Dodgers maintained a 3-1 advantage in the series, with three additional opportunities to secure their eighth World Series title.

Facing numerous injuries among their starting pitchers, especially Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers had to rely on bullpen games throughout the playoffs, achieving varying results.

In Game 4 of the National League Division Series, a successful bullpen effort led to an 8-0 victory over the San Diego Padres, securing a Game 5 spot for the Dodgers. Conversely, in Game 2 of the NL Championship Series, Knack struggled and contributed to a defeat against the New York Mets.

The Dodgers’ win over the Mets in Game 6, powered by strong pitching, had set them on the path to the World Series.

However, Game 4 of the World Series proved to be different. The Dodgers, who had a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, chose to conserve their top pitchers unless they were protecting a lead.

Hudson, who was handed a 2-1 lead with a home run from Freddie Freeman, let the game slip when he allowed the grand slam from Volpe, but Roberts didn’t take him out.

As the game concluded, the Dodgers remained confident. Catcher Will Smith, who had a solo home run and caught for the Dodgers’ four pitchers, expressed faith in their managerial decisions, saying, “We have complete trust in Doc. He has been navigating this postseason successfully, and we believe that sticking with him is the right approach.”

After the victory in Game 3, the team’s key pitchers performed well, with Walker Buehler throwing five scoreless innings supported by six relievers who held the Yankees in check until the last moments.

On this particular night, however, Hudson had difficulty finding his rhythm, struggling and hitting Aaron Judge with a pitch, walking Giancarlo Stanton, and giving up a hit to Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Even as other left-handed hitters were waiting in the Dodgers’ bullpen, manager Roberts decided not to make moves. “That was Hudson’s inning,” he stated firmly. “I wasn’t changing pitchers in the third inning.”

Sadly for the Dodgers, Hudson’s issues continued when Volpe hit a slider that ended up as a home run. Hudson commented on the situation, saying, “I couldn’t stop the momentum from building. I threw a terrible slider – the moment it leaves your hand, you get the sinking feeling in your gut.”

“I knew the ball was going over Teo’s head and just hoped it would stay in the park, but unfortunately, it didn’t.”

Despite the setbacks, Knack performed well in relief, allowing only a couple of hits in four innings, with the exception of Wells’ home run. Smith’s homer brought the score to 6-4, giving the Dodgers a fighting chance.

One big inning was still needed to seize the championship.

Was it tempting to go for it?

“It’s tough,” admitted Roberts. “You need to be sure that you can score runs. Any pitcher we brought in tonight wouldn’t be available tomorrow. Landon actually pitched well.”

“Heading into the final half, it simply doesn’t make sense to use one of your key leverage pitchers.”

This responsibility fell on Honeywell, who provided crucial relief during the disappointing Game 2 of the NLCS. He pitched three innings without allowing any runs, keeping the Dodgers in the game while saving their bullpen for later.

Things turned out differently in Game 4 of the World Series.

The Yankees took advantage of Honeywell, hitting him for four hits and five earned runs. Gleyber Torres’ three-run homer and Aaron Judge’s first hit of the series were particularly impactful in transforming a 6-4 game into an 11-4 loss.

“I feel fantastic. Absolutely fantastic,” Roberts emphasized. “It comes down to the players available. They’re well-rested. Looking ahead to tomorrow, considering we have an off day on Thursday, we’re in an excellent position with our leverage pitchers.”

Whether they disturbed the Yankees’ previous lethargy is uncertain. In the eighth inning of Game 4, the Yankees scored five runs, almost matching their total of seven runs from the first three games combined. Jack Flaherty will face this challenge on Wednesday as he tries to build on his impressive Game 1 performance against Yankees star Gerrit Cole.

Additionally, the Dodgers have a bullpen full of relievers ready to go, which is more than the Yankees can claim: Their bullpen was stretched thin, needing to pitch five innings, with top relievers Luke Weaver and Clay Holmes each needing to handle four outs, throwing 21 and 13 pitches respectively.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ key players rested, knowing they could celebrate with champagne just as happily on Wednesday.

“We’re leading 3-1 right now,” said right fielder Mookie Betts. “We’re feeling really good about it.”