Boston Red Sox win Game Four due to some late lightning

Down 4-0, the Boston Red Sox rallied for nine runs in the final three innings to beat the Dodgers 9-6 and move within one game of the World Series title

The Boston Red Sox moved within one game of the World Series championship Saturday because they were more versatile, deeper and more resilient than the Dodgers.

Trailing 4-0 through six innings, the Red Sox produced nine runs over the final three innings for a 9-6 victory. They can wrap up their fourth Series title since 2004 Sunday night when Chris Sale takes on Clayton Kershaw.

In their late-inning comeback, the Red Sox showed off several of the traits that led them to the majors’ best record. Perhaps the most consequential was their depth. During his team’s comeback, Boston manager Alex Cora employed four pinch hitters in critical situations, and two of those four delivered haymakers.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

Trailing 4-0 with two out and two aboard in the top of the seventh, Cora chose Mitch Moreland to pinch hit for pitcher Matt Barnes. Moreland hit Ryan Madson’s first pitch, a changeup, into the seats in right field for a three-run home run.

In the top of the ninth, the game tied 4-4, Brock Holt doubled inside the bag into left and Cora selected Rafael Devers to bat for Sandy Leon. With a 2-0 count, Devers slapped a grounder past second into center that scored Holt with the first of five runs the Dodgers would produce in the ninth.

Boston’s attack also proved to be significantly more versatile than the Dodgers’ offense. Four of Boston’s runs scored on homers, but the other five came across on two singles and a double. Of LA’s six runs, five were accounted for by home runs. In fact, of the 36 innings played since the start of Game 2 Wednesday night in Boston, the Dodgers have scored just four runs by all means other than the long ball.

The Red Sox’ final edge lay in its bullpen. Three Sox relievers worked three and one-third innings, allowing five hits, two runs, walking two and striking out four. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts tried six relievers, and as a group their two and two-thirds innings yielded seven hits, eight runs (plus one run charged to starter Rich Hill), three walks and just one strikeout.

The first-two thirds of Saturday’s play belonged to Hill and Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez. Both were brilliant. Hill allowed only a single hit over his six and one-third innings, walking three and hitting one.

Through the first five innings, Rodriguez allowed just two hits, walked just one and fanned five.

The Dodgers finally got to Rodriguez in the sixth, benefitting from their principal weapon, the long ball. Rodriguez hit David Freese, fanned Max Muncy but surrendered a double down the line to Justin Turner, pinch runner Kike Hernandez stopping at third. Cora ordered an intentional walk to Manny Machado, setting up a potential inning-ending double play, and Rodriguez got Cody Bellinger to ground sharply to Pearce at first. He threw home to cut down Hernandez, but catcher Christian Vazquez’s return throw struck Bellinger in the back and sailed into right field, Turner scoring.

Cora allowed Rodriguez to pitch to Puig, gambling that the Dodger’s reverse stats – he batted .297 against right-handers this season but only .209 against lefties – would prevail. Wrong. Puig hammered a Rodriguez center-cut offering deep into the bleachers in left-center for a three-run home run

At the time, Dodger fans had every reason to believe Hill and the Dodger pen would make that four-run advantage stand up. But Moreland’s home run narrowed the gap to one, Pearce’s eighth inning home run erased it altogether, Devers’ ninth inning hit gave Boston the lead and a bases loaded double to right center by Pearce proved to be the killing blow.

The Dodgers did manage to make things moderately interesting in the bottom of the ninth when Hernandez homered with Brian Dozier aboard, trimming the lead to three runs, and Turner produced a one-out single. But Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel, who had started the ninth, retired Machado and Bellinger to finalize the outcome.