SIMPLY THE BEST!
Sox finish historic season with fourth title since 2004
LOS ANGELES — A day later, Dave Roberts still was defending himself.
All the talk at Dodger Stadium yesterday was about Roberts’ decision to remove
Rich Hill from Game 4 after 91 pitches in the seventh inning. The bullpen blew it, and the Red Sox’ 9-6 win put them on the brink of a World Series championship.
But Alex Cora understood where Roberts was coming from.
“I saw it last year with Hill. I know they’re very careful with him,” Cora said.
Roberts added clarification yesterday when he said that he never signaled to the bullpen for a reliever when he was walking to the mound, but Hill started walking down the slope and handed the ball to his manager.
“When you go out to the mound and are given the ball without signaling, I think that’s telling,” Roberts said.
Roberts was asked how he was handling all the criticism, particularly from the White House.
“I think it’s more of doing what you believe in and trusting it, and knowing that you have the players’ best interests in mind and the team,” he said. “And so I think that there’s a lot of thoughts and opinions that people don’t have all the information, which is commonplace these days and cultivate opinions and give out there. So I think for me it’s noise, and I really haven’t paid too much attention to it. I’ve had a conversation with our players, which for me today is the most important thing, and which should be every day, the coaches. And I’m focused on winning today.
“So I really don’t have too much bandwidth to kind of really take in all the criticism.”
Hill seemed more bothered by the comments from President Donald Trump than Roberts’ decision. He had some pointed comments in the Los Angeles Times.
“There was a mass shooting yesterday,” Hill told the Los Angeles Times. “I understand you’re watching the World Series, but there was a huge tragedy that happened, and people will say what they want to say. The focus, in my opinion, of the president is to be on the country, and not on moves that are made in a World Series game.” Houston Astros star Alex
Bregman also weighed in on Twitter: “I’m just saying it’s funny how we are told to stick to playing sports . ... It’s very hypocritical when he’s telling Roberts how to manage ... especially when a mass shooting just happened earlier that day.”
Betts due
Mookie Betts’ disappointing performance in this World Series was a sign that something good was coming, his manager thought.
“I’ve got a feeling that the leadoff guy is going to have one of those games that he takes over,” Cora said. “He’s due.”
Betts was 4-for-19 this series and 0-for-11 in the previous two games entering last night. Cora said he hasn’t talked to him.
“Not really. A lot of people have been talking to him. That’s why sometimes I just stay away from it,” Cora said. “He knows how I feel about him, and he knows that he’s the best player in the game. So just breathe, relax, and have fun tonight.
“I mean, he wears it on his sleeves. That’s the beauty of Mookie. We talk about him smiling. Hopefully tonight he smiles the whole game and he can put one of those games like in New York that he takes over and puts us in a good spot.”
Taking it slow
Why was Eduardo Rodriguez running so slow from first to second base after he was hit by a pitch in Game 4?
The Red Sox have been wary of Rodriguez’ ankle injury that still hasn’t fully recovered and told him not to swing the bat because they didn’t want him to run. He took one swing in the game.
“He said, ‘I was ahead in the count, and that was a pitch I could do damage with,’” Cora said. “I heard a lot of stuff throughout the year. He topped it.
“I was actually worried the whole game that they were going to take advantage of (his ankle) on the mound. There was a groundball to (Steve) Pearce, and he’s not explosive to first base.”
Rodriguez’ ankle might not be in great shape, but he still pitched five shutout innings until Cora left him in too long and the lefty gave up four in the sixth.
“We talk about growing up. That game is going to mean a lot later on in his career,” Cora said.
No harm, no foul
Pearce took no offense to
Manny Machado stepping on his foot when running through first base in Game 4.
“No, I’m all good,” he said. “I’m all good. That was one heck of a play by (Rafael)
Devers. That was my focus. And I didn’t even ... I barely even felt it.”
Said Cora, “You have to ask Manny about that one.”