Brett Phillips came up with the biggest hit of his career in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday night, and an error by the Los Angeles Dodgers allowed the winning run to score as the Tampa Bay Rays evened the World Series at 2-2 with an 8-7 win in game four in Arlington, Texas.
Los Angeles took the early lead when Justin Turner hit a solo homerun in the top of the first, and then Corey Seager did the same in the third to make it 2-0. Tampa Bay rookie Randy Arozarena then broke an MLB record with his all-time best ninth homerun of this postseason, a solo bomb in the fourth to cut it to 2-1. The Dodgers pushed the lead back to a pair with a Max Muncy RBI single in the fifth, before the Rays answered on a long 400 foot solo homerun from Hunter Renfroe in the bottom half. Enrique Hernandez made it 4-2 Los Angeles with an RBI double in the sixth, but then Brandon Lowe hit a three run opposite field homer with one out in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-4 Tampa. Joc Pederson came up with a huge hit for the Dodgers in the top of the seventh, coming up a pinch hitter with the bases loaded and two outs and delivering a line drive two run single to right off the glove of Lowe at second base to make it 6-5 LA. In what was a back and forth game all night, Kevin Kiermaier would hit a no doubt towering solo homer to right in the last of the seventh to tie it 6-6. Seager regained the lead once again for the Dodgers with a little two out flare to left for an RBI single in the top of the eighth. The dramatics in the bottom of the ninth started when Kiermaier singled with one out. Joey Wendle then lined out to right for the second out, before Arozarena walked to put two men on. The most unlikely hero in Phillips who is a .200 hitter, then came through with a sharp line drive to right center that scored Kiermaier. The ball was bobbled by center fielder Chris Taylor, and Arozarena attempted to score from first base. It looked like the Dodgers would cut him down at home plate as the cutoff throw from Muncy would of had him beat, but catcher Will Smith dropped the ball and Arozarena came across the plate to win it.
John Curtiss won in relief on the mound for Tampa Bay in the win allowing no runs in 1.1 innings. Starter Ryan Yarborough went 3.1 innings and allowed two runs on five hits. Arozarena had three hits and Kiermaier had two to pace the offense. Kenley Jansen took the loss and got the blown save in the Dodgers loss. Julio Urias started and allowed two runs on four hits with nine strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work. Seager and Turner had four hits each, while Pedersen had a pair in the 15 hit attack. Seager is now tied for second for most homeruns in a postseason with eight so far, one behind Arozarena. Clayton Kershaw will pitch for Los Angeles in a pivotal game five, against Tyler Glasnow for Tampa Bay with first pitch set for 8:08 p.m. Sunday night.
