Tough task for Dodgers: Eliminating plucky Rays
AL champs have what’s needed to push World Series to Game 7
Each time the Rays felt they were one hit or one break away from matching the Dodgers on Sunday night, their hopes vanished quicker than the home run Dodgers left fielder Joc Pederson socked 428 feet to left-center at Globe Life Stadium in the second inning.
The Rays had credited the baseball gods for lifting them to a wild and dramatic victory in Game 4 of the World Series, but those otherworldly forces deserted them in Game 5. It didn’t help that the Rays sabotaged their own cause with baserunning antics that echoed some of the Braves’ follies against the Dodgers during the NL Championship Series. Even the baseball gods had to be shaking their heads at Manuel Margot’s misguided attempt to steal home in the fourth inning.
The Rays could have broken open the game in that inning, could have chased a wavering Clayton Kershaw as he fought to master his slider and curveball. Failing to push across a run after they put men on first and third with none out turned a scoring threat into a futile last gasp.
The Dodgers bullpen helped secure a 4-2 victory and 3-2 World Series lead, pushing the Rays to the brink of elimination and the end of a memorable playoff run.
Pluck, home run power and a deep bullpen have carried the Rays this far. They’ll need those ingredients and more Tuesday to prolong the World Series to a Game 7 on Wednesday.
“We always feel like we’re in it until that last out is made. Unfortunately we just didn’t have it tonight,” center fielder Kevin Kiermaier said. “We had our opportunities. First and third, no outs, and we’ve got to figure out a better way of squeaking across at least one run right there. But this is what happens when you face a really good team with really good pitching.
“We haven’t been swinging the bats the way we want to, collectively, throughout the past however many games, but we’re always trying to hit in those timely situations and we didn’t do that tonight. Just didn’t have enough baserunners on base the whole game to put the pressure on them and create some momentum for ourselves and move base to base. We need to do a better job and figure it out for Game 6.”
There’s not much time and not much they can change. The Rays are aggressive at the plate to the point of sometimes being too impatient to work deep counts, and they’re heavily dependent on home runs, although they didn’t hit one Sunday. Just as the Dodgers quickly and effectively put their gut-wrenching Game 4 loss on Saturday behind them, the Rays must have short memories about Game 5.
“I’m always confident with this bunch. We’ve had good bounce-back wins the whole year and they were better tonight,” Kiermaier said. “They put the pressure on us early and we couldn’t get a whole lot going there offensively. They just had a couple more big hits than us, scored a few more runs obviously, and that was the difference maker.
“But if there’s any team who can respond well with their backs against the wall in a sense, knowing what’s at stake — we’re in a situation now where it’s win or go home — our group is the group to come through when we need it the most.”
The Rays have been in a win-or-go-home predicament twice during the playoffs: They lost the opener of their AL Division Series to the Yankees and had to go a full five games, and they went to Game 7 against the Astros in the ALCS after winning the first three games and losing the next three.
“Obviously, it’s not a great position to be in,” Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow said. “But we’ve battled all year long and we’ve come back before, so just go out and play like normal.”