Rays 8, Dodgers 7: Brett Phillips Comes Up Big

Backs against the wall, the Rays headed into game four down 2-1. They sent Ryan Yarbrough to the mound, while the Dodgers looked to their own lefty in Julio Urias. With Urias on the mound, the Rays mixed up the lineup a little.

The Dodgers lineup would look as such:

You’ll note here that Bellinger was removed from center field due to back issues. That will become important later!

The Rays didn’t get off to the start they wanted to. Despite get Mookie Betts and Corey Seager out, Justin Turner sent a 2-0 Yarbrough cutter out to center field to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead, becoming the first player ever to hit first inning homers in back to back World Series games.

Julio Urias faced the minimum in the first inning. Randy Arozarena managed a single to center field but was thrown out trying to steal. Yarbrough managed to get through the second inning without incident, and the Rays went down in order in the bottom half of the second.

Corey Seager launched another home run to right field with two outs in the third inning, giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. Another two base runners would reach in the inning, but Yarbrough got the final out without yielding another run. The Rays couldn’t get much going in the bottom half of the inning.

Yarbrough was pulled after yielding a one-out double to A.J. Pollock. While the two home runs were disappointing, Yarbrough got into the fourth inning keeping the Rays in the game. Ryan Thompson would finish off the frame.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Rays bats finally struck back and Randy Arozarena did it!

Arozarena kept his historic run going with his record breaking 9th home run of the postseason.

Pete Fairbanks came in for the fifth inning. He started with a strikeout of Mookie Betts, but Seager slashed a single to right field. After a Justin Turner fly out, Max Muncy drove Seager in with an RBI single, upping the Dodgers lead to 3-1.

Hunter Renfroe responded with a mammoth home run to left center field, making it a 3-2 game. 111.4 MPH off the bat and 444 feet into the crowd.

Diego Castillo came in for the sixth inning and battled his command. Two walks and two outs into the inning, Enrique Hernandez delivered an RBI single to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 4-2.

The Rays managed to get two men on base in the bottom of the sixth, and while Meadows came in to pinch-hit for Margot but struck out on three pitches, Brandon Lowe picked him up with a big three-run home run.

The Rays now led 5-4, the first lead of the night.

Aaron Loup came out for the seventh inning. Seager singled and Turner doubled to start the inning, immediately threatening the Rays new lead. Loup was able to pump 95 past Max Muncy, but Cash then turned to Nick Anderson. Anderson blew three fastballs by Will Smith to get out number two.

The Rays elected to intentionally walk Bellinger, and the Dodgers countered with pinch-hitting Joc Pederson for Pollock. Anderson struggled to throw strikes and backed himself into a 3-1 count. Pederson lined a ball into right field, just off of Brandon Lowe’s outreaching glove. It would score two runs and put the Dodgers back up 6-5.

The Rays certainly didn’t quit, however. as Kevin Kiermaier came up with a huge home run to right field, leveling the game at 6-6.

Yandy Diaz followed the home run up with a walk, but Arozarena grounded into a double play to end the threat.

The Dodgers’ relentless offense wouldn’t stay down in the eighth. Chris Taylor crushed a double to right field off of Anderson. Hernandez failed at bunting him over and Anderson got Betts out, but Seager brought Taylor home on a soul crushing two-out RBI single. Lead lost, John Curtiss was able to get the final out of the inning without another run scoring, holding the score at 7-6. In the bottom of the eighth the Rays got two men on base with two-outs. Renfroe could only fly out.

Curtiss got through the ninth without giving up a run, giving the Rays a shot in the bottom of the ninth.

Kenley Jansen came on to strikeout Yoshi Tsutsugo for the first out. Kevin Kiermaier got on with a bloop single, thanks to a shattered bat, but Wendle flew out to left field. Randy worked a walk with two outs, putting the game in the hands of... Brett Phillips!

In an improbable turn of events, Phillips stroked a single into right center field. Chris Taylor, not a natural center fielder, failed to pick up the ball cleanly, allowing Kiermaier to score easily. Taylor gets to the ball for the relay.

Then, on the throw home, Will Smith failed to catch the ball! Despite Arozarena tripping around third base, he was able to score after Smith whiffed. It ended 8-7, and the Rays won.

A back-and-forth game, the Rays came out on top in the most amazing of ways. The win was a crucial one, tying the series to 2-2 and giving the Rays new life for this series.

The two teams will come back for Game 5 tomorrow night at 8:08 p.m. EST. Clayton Kershaw will face off against Tyler Glasnow.