Dave Roberts was put in a bind in Game 4 of the World Series
The Dodgers came into this Fall Classic as prohibitive favorites to win it all, and as the series heads to Game 5 tied at 2-2, not only does it have the makings of a close matchup, but if anyone has looked like the more dominant team at times, it has been Toronto. The Blue Jays have beaten the Dodgers by a combined total of 11 runs in their two wins, and it probably could’ve been worse if not for a few garbage-time runs from Los Angeles. Above all else, the reason behind this is the unsurprising yet still underwhelming performance of the Dodgers’ bullpen, which was once again on display in Game 4.
The bullpen’s vulnerability helps tell the tale of a Shohei Ohtani outing that turned out far worse than it probably should have. With shades of the prime Clayton Kershaw years, Dave Roberts had Ohtani go back out there for the seventh after throwing six innings of two-run ball, with a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homer the sole blemish on his record until that point.
Under normal circumstances, Ohtani would’ve been done after six, particularly because the Jays had been letting him off the hook on a few poorly located breaking balls in particular. These weren’t normal circumstances, though, and in the tug and pull of an exhausted bullpen and Ohtani’s tiredness, especially after the 18-inning marathon the day before, the former won out. Roberts tried to sneak one more inning out of his starter, and he paid the price for it. It’d be easy to come here and criticize that move for any number of reasons, but the main takeaway from it is to acknowledge the lack of options for Roberts in trying to navigate this game. While each decision could be put under scrutiny, and six runs is less than ideal, the weight of this defeat falls primarily on the offense.
The seventh inning began poorly, and like in the Brewers game, Ohtani was pulled after the first two batters reached safely. With two lefties coming up in the next three hitters, it made sense to go to a southpaw. Given the workload in Game 3, it was a choice between Anthony Banda and Jack Dreyer. Hindsight favors Dreyer, but despite the homer Banda allowed to Addison Barger, we can’t be unfair and forget that crucial inning he had against the Phillies’ tough lefties, succeeding in the kind of high-leverage situation Dreyer has yet to. Perhaps the critical factor in this decision was that Dreyer faced exactly this part of the Blue Jays order in Game 3, and he didn’t perform particularly well, with an error, flyout, and single. It made all the sense in the world not to give them a second look at him so soon, and with Justin Wrobleski having thrown 29 pitches the day before, it was virtually Banda by default.
After Banda didn’t work out, the Dodgers had to contend with the Blue Jays’ star hitters, which evidently required a right-handed presence on the mound. Blake Treinen has fully removed himself from the so-called circle of trust, but Roberts also literally had no other option. Emmett Sheehan, Edgardo Henríquez, and Will Klein combined to throw 8.2 innings in Game 3, and Roki Sasaki wouldn’t come in with the team trailing, having also tossed 29 pitches in his previous performance.
While one might be justified in questioning the lack of right-handers in this bullpen, specifically against this righty-heavy offense, as far as this specific game, there was nothing to do. Once the Blue Jays offense roughed up those two and took a commanding 6-1 lead, the Dodgers had nothing more than a puncher’s chance, given how late it was in the game. Unlike the Blue Jays, the Dodgers’ offense couldn’t do anything against a shaky bullpen, and it should come as no surprise that Dave Roberts hinted at the possibility of tweaking the lineup for Game 5.
Star Trek's most dangerous aliens (TOS S3, part 2)
Hello, Trekkies, and welcome to the final entry in our six-part series of the most dangerous aliens from Star Trek: The Original Series
1. Commissioner Bele and Lokai ("Let That Be Your Last Battlefield")
These black-and-white bi-colored polar opposites from the same planet, Cheron, cause Captain Kirk plenty of problems when they bring their centuries-long battle on board the
Both Bele and Lokai have considerable physical powers, from personal force fields to kinetic abilities. The latter allows Bele to short out the ship's self-destruct program after Kirk threatens to use it to stop him and Lokai (and cause most of the bridge crew to need a change of underwear). Bele also has telepathic will, so he can force
While Kirk is wily enough to overcome Bele until they approach Cheron and find that the two warring factions have absolutely deleted each other, it's obvious they have dangerous abilities that could cause their hatred to spread across the galaxy and entangle aggressive species, like the Klingons, to join his side. A special mention must go to the late Frank Gorshin, of Adam West's
2. The Gorgan ("And the Children Shall Lead")
I can almost feel the side eye I'm getting from readers by including the alien from one of the most widely-panned
Imagine an alien foe who uses the innocence of others as a weapon. If the children and the Gorgan had reached Marcos XII, they could have grown their army exponentially, and in a very brief period of time. Kids recruiting kids as their parents heebie-jeebie themselves into the afterlife is a terrifying idea, especially considering the level of power the Gorgan gave those children.
Also, I don't know who edited that tape of the children playing with their parents, but that footage of them all romping around to the cut of the parents' bodies strewn everywhere is the most savage cutaway in history!
3. The Zetarians ("The Lights of Zetar")
A polite alien knows when to leave, but the consciousness of a hundred final girls and guys from Zetar long overstay their welcome in the minds of others during this mission. It's almost like
The effects in this episode are unintentionally hilarious, from the ultra-high contrast colors on the victim's faces to the weird croaking sounds they make, but when you consider the Zetarian's intent and the obvious powers they wield, it makes them not only creepy, but dangerous as well.
If they chose Lt. Mira Romaine as their vessel because her mind and will were strong enough to withstand their presence, there were likely many others like her who might be used in their goal to remain immortal. Talk about losing your mind!
My fellow Trekkies, it's been my enjoyment and honor to help bring this six-part series to life! Please share your thoughts and comments on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. Let us know which season(s) you think have the most dangerous aliens and why. We'd love to hear from you! Until the next series, friends.
