Gamethread: Dodgers vs. Rays, World Series Game 5

Oh my goodness.

What an unbelievable ending to Game 4!

Likes: Randy Arozarena’s continued dominance in the postseason, along with Corey Seager’s; an unprecedented back-and-forth game in which runs were scored in every half-inning between the bottom of the fourth through the top of the eighth; domestic abuser Julio Urías pitching well but getting an early hook from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts; criticism of Kenley Jansen going on walkabout during the critical walk-off play; Brett Phillips’ grit, down to his (and Tampa’s) last strike and stroking the ball into center field to drive in the tying run (and, as it turns out, winning).

Dislikes: Another game called iffy at the plate (Phillips saw balls in his first three pitches in the bottom of the ninth, but stood at 1-2 before his hit); an “instant classic” defined by a Yakety Sax kind of keystone cops play; Jansen now getting death threats for actually pitching a strong inning, marked by bad defense, a great take by Arozarena at 1-2, and two weak-contact hits.

Heading into Game 5, the Dodgers are in great shape to bounce back because they get to hand the ball to Clayton Kershaw. Tampa’s Tyler Glasnow is no slouch, though, so the start of this best-of-three finish to the 2020 season could be a certified dandy of a pitcher’s duel.

Here are the Dodgers tonight:

MLB.com

And the Rays:

MLB.com

Game time is 7:08 p.m. CT on FOX, and it should be a good one!