I was fine with the punt, except....

I hated this move

Game 4 of the World Series and the Dodgers were content with punting the game.

Now, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the Dodgers use this strategy. They essentially punted two games in the NLCS, losing both. In theory, the strategy makes sense, but the Dodgers are now 0-3 when trying this out. Clearly, it hasn’t worked yet.

I will say, I was fine with the decision to punt last night. Being up 3-0 in the series gave the Dodgers quite the luxury. They could afford to risk throwing their low-leverage guys out there and see if they can steal a win. I was fine with that.

There was one decision I wasn’t fine with, however. I think it was a decision that potentially cost the Dodgers the win…. and hopefully not the series.

---

Ben Casparius got the start for the Dodgers. He made it through two innings and allowed one run but clearly didn’t have great stuff. I knew the Dodgers would turn to a new arm in the third inning. With the Yankees due to send up Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm, I thought this was the perfect time to go to a high-leverage arm.

Go to a high-leverage arm for those three batters and hopefully make it through the inning untouched. Then in the fourth inning, turn things over to Landon Knack and hope he can get you to the seventh inning with a lead.

Instead of turning to one of the top options, Dave Roberts brought Daniel Hudson into the game. The same Hudson who threw 22 pitches the night before. The same Hudson who was allowing batters to reach base at a .353 clip over his previous four games in October.

In that moment, the Dodgers should have turned to one of their reliable arms. Whether it be Michael Kopech, Ryan Brasier, Brusdar Graterol or Anthony Banda. Whoever it may be, one of those guys should have been in the game. Not Hudson.

Now, I will give Hudson some credit because he struck out Soto to begin the inning. After that, everything unravelled. He allowed the next three batters to reach base, loading the bases with only one out. At this point, another reliever should have entered the game.

Hudson clearly didn’t have command whatsoever, but yet he stayed in the game. He managed to get Anthony Rizzo out on an infield fly, giving the Dodgers two outs. Still, with the bases loaded and needing only one out, the Dodgers should have turned to another option.

Whoever the computer said gave the Dodgers the best chance should have been in there. I can guarantee you the computer wouldn’t have said Hudson was the top choice.

Instead, Hudson remained in the game and allowed a grand slam to Anthony Volpe. Just like that, the Dodgers trailed by three runs and Yankee Stadium had come alive.

Sure, any reliever could have come in and allowed the grand slam, but Hudson’s stuff was terrible. The Dodgers have a chance to win the FREAKING WORLD SERIES, why are we treating this game like a regular season game in May?

If you burn a high-leverage arm, so what? They would have been just fine. Like I said earlier, Landon Knack would have taken the next three innings anyway. Then, by the time you get to the seventh, you decide if you ride it out with Knack or close the game with your high-leverage arms.

The Yankees scored only one run over the next four innings. Knack did his job just fine. Had the grand slam not happened, the Dodgers are likely leading in the seventh inning and we would have seen them use their top options to finish the game.

There’s also a chance that the Dodgers’ at bats aren’t as ugly with a lead. Because they were trailing, they were chasing pitches way outside the strike zone. Sure, maybe they have those exact same at bats with the lead. Considering they were trailing, I think they would trying a little harder than they needed to.

Like I said, I understand the idea of using your low-leverage arms to get the bulk of the innings in this one. You want to have a fresh bullpen for Game 5. But in that third inning, Hudson should not have been in that game. Even if you want to defend him being used, he should have been pulled the second the bases were loaded.

I don’t care if it is the third inning, you have to treat every inning like the ninth inning. I mean, this is the WORLD SERIES for crying out loud. If you win the game, you win the whole freaking thing. There is no tomorrow.

Hopefully the Dodgers take care of business today and yesterday’s decision doesn’t matter at all. But because of the decision to give the Yankees life, this series is still far from over.

---