Could we see Chris Sale and Clayton Kershaw after marathon World Series Game 3? Maybe
LOS ANGELES — How will the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers follow up the longest postseason game in MLB history? In the hours after World Series Game 3, which ended as a 3-2 Dodgers win on Max Muncy’s walk-off homer in the 18th inning, both teams were more interested in worrying about tomorrow, well, tomorrow.
Look no further than Game 4’s official pitching matchup: TBA vs. TBD.
In a turn that is equal parts puzzling and exciting, there’s a chance both teams could call on their ace in Game 4. That would be Chris Sale for the Red Sox and Clayton Kershaw for the Dodgers, both of whom would be on three days’ rest after starting Game 1 of the series on Tuesday.
The Dodgers were all set to start Rich Hill in Game 4. He’s well-rested. He went through the typical day-before-a-start routine Friday, yet at 1:27 a.m. PT, less than an hour after the Muncy touched home plate, the Dodgers tweeted this: “The Dodgers’ World Series Game 4 starter is now TBD.” That’s like that flashing the Kershaw Signal across L.A.
Whether it’s late-night gamesmanship or indicative of a real change remains to be seen, but the thinking could be that the Dodgers will have their best chance to even the series with Kershaw on the mound after the Red Sox nearly wiped out all their pitchers in the marathon Game 3. A 2-2 series is basically a reset. A 3-1 series is still a long ways to come back.
The Red Sox didn’t name their next starter either, after leaning on their scheduled Game 4 starter Nathan Eovaldi for an incredible six innings and 97 pitches as the game stretched into extras.
“How do you spell that?” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after Game 3 when asked about his starter. “T-B-A.”
He continued: “We’ll map it out tomorrow. There are a few guys that are lining up in my office to start the game tomorrow. We’ll decide what we’ll do and we’ll be fine.”
Asked whether one of those guys was Sale, Cora then replied: “He talked about it actually before the game. We’ll sit down now and we’ll go over it, and we’ll decide. Somebody will start. Most likely a lefty.”
The Red Sox used every player on their roster in Game 3 expect Sale, a lefty, and Drew Pomeranz, who is also a lefty. Pomeranz hasn’t pitched at all in the postseason for the Red Sox, making his last appearance on Sept. 30. In fact, he said recently, he was surprised to even be on the World Series roster. He’s the definition of an only-in-emergency starter.
The question is whether Game 4 rises to the occasion of “emergency” — and that goes for both the Red Sox and the Dodgers.
The Red Sox are especially taxed after 18 innings. They used nine total pitchers, including four of their starters. Rick Porcello started Game 3 and lasted 4 2/3 innings before making way for Eduardo Rodriguez, who only threw six pitchers. He’s the actual emergency starter on the roster and figures to be used in Game 4 in some way. From there, the Red Sox used Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier for an inning each, before calling out David Price for two outs. Craig Kimbrel and Heath Hembree both threw, then it was Eovaldi.
The Dodgers are a bit better off because starter Walker Buehler lasted seven innings. They also used nine pitchers, but they were all relievers and nobody pitched more than two innings. That gives the Dodgers a distinct advantage.
“Considering what we went through tonight,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “we’re in good shape with our pen. We really are. But considering where they’re at over there, and where we’re at, I like where we’re at.”
Roberts did mention Hill in his postseason talk, saying he’d “have to come out there and get some outs.” But that was before the team officially changed from Hill in Game 4 to TBD.
The Dodgers have tried not to use Kershaw on short rest in the postseason this year after that’s backfired so many times in the past. Going to him in Game 4 could be viewed as either bold or a total panic move, especially when Rich Hill is ready to go. The Red Sox going to Sale would be more emergency than panic – since it’s either Sale or a guy who hasn’t pitched in a month.
Whatever both teams decide, Game 4 will ride on more than just pitchers. They need to get some hits. The Dodgers will need to string together rallies. The Red Sox will need to see if there’s a way to get Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez all in the lineup in the NL park, where Martinez can’t DH. In Game 3, Benintendi was limited to a pinch-hitting role.
Both teams will need to fight off the hangover of an 18-inning game. The Red Sox need to shake off the loss, the Dodgers need to move on from the euphoria and realize they’re still down 2-1 in the series.
“Everybody in the clubhouse, they’re ready to go,” Eovaldi said.
“Same mentality we had all year,” Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. said. “Flush it and move on to the next game.”
And quick, because by the time the players were leaving the stadium, they’d need to be back in about 10 hours.
“Their guys are banged up, our guys are banged up,” said Muncy, the Dodgers’ Game 3 hero. “It’s one of those things when you’re able to come out on top from a game like this, you have to feel it gives you a little momentum going to the next one.”
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Mike Oz is a writer at Yahoo Sports. Contact him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
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