Whether the length of Monday night’s 18-inning Game 3 win was a factor or not, the Dodgers managed just six hits in their 6-2 loss to the Blue Jays in World Series Game 4 on Tuesday. For some of L.A.’s hitters, the drought is a continuation of a trend that may spur manager Dave Roberts to adjust his lineup for Wednesday’s Game 5.
Mookie Betts’ eighth-inning single in Game 4 was only his fifth hit in 34 at-bats since the start of the NLCS. By now, after walking Shohei Ohtani intentionally four times on Monday, it’s clear the Blue Jays are going to pitch around him — if they even pitch to him at all. That means opportunities for Betts — opportunities that he just isn’t cashing in right now.
Meanwhile, in front of Ohtani, Andy Pages has struggled in the No. 9 spot, hitting just .080 this postseason. That’s costing L.A. in a major way by giving the Blue Jays the option of pitching around Ohtani in the first place.
Roberts pinch-hit for Pages with Alex Call in the seventh inning on Tuesday — and he suggested after the loss that a lineup shakeup could be coming in Game 5.
“I’m going to think long and hard, and it might look a little bit different tomorrow,” Roberts said.
“Essentially, it’s, ‘Am I gonna play Andy, am I gonna play Call or am I gonna play [Miguel Rojas]? So, just kind of trying to think through all that stuff and … see what gives us the best chance.”
Rojas has gone hitless in three plate appearances during the World Series, while Call has appeared in two games and gone 1-for-5.
