The Los Angeles Dodgers scored five runs in the ninth inning to steal Game 4 of the 2017 World Series. For most of the night, the Dodgers offense had been kept in check by the pitching of the Houston Astros, but that all changed in the top of the ninth inning. The Dodgers would score five runs off Ken Giles and Joe Musgrove, winning the game 6-2 and forcing the series to at least return to Los Angeles for Game 6.
Charlie Morton pitched really well for the Astros in the start, striking out seven hitters before exiting with runners on in the seventh inning and a 1-0 lead.
Reliever Will Harris would come in and blow the save, allowing the Dodgers to tie the score at 1-1. That’s how the game would stay under the Astros put in closer Ken Giles to pitch the ninth inning. It ended up being a move that many fans would question on social media.
The fateful ninth inning of Game 4
Corey Seager led off the ninth inning for the Los Angeles Dodgers, coming through with a single to right center. Justin Turner then walked, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Cody Bellinger came through with an RBI-double to center and suddenly the Dodgers had a 2-1 lead. That was the end of the night for Giles, as he was replaced by Musgrove on the mound. On the bases, Charlie Culberson ran for Turner.
After striking out Yasiel Puig, Musgrove would intentionally walk Logan Forsythe to load the bases. Austin Barnes hit a sacrifice fly, giving the Dodgers a 3-1 lead with two outs in the ninth inning. It was then that Joc Pederson came to the plate and lost a ball in the right-field seats, connecting on a 408-foot home run. The three-run homer gave the Dodgers a 6-1 lead and enough offense to make up for the first eight innings of the night.
2017 World Series schedule
With the Game 4 victory, the 2017 World Series is now tied at two games apiece. As dictated by the World Series schedule, Game 5 will take place on Oct. 29 in Houston. Game 6 will then take place in Los Angeles on Oct. 31 and Game 7, if necessary, will be played on Nov. 1. This evenly-matched series might just go the distance, which is exactly what happened during the 2016 World Series between the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs.
Clayton Kershaw, who could be the recipient of another Cy Young Award this season, will be on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night. In his Game 1 start against the Houston Astros, Kershaw went seven innings, giving up just three baserunners and striking out 11 hitters. It bumped his postseason record to 3-0 and dropped his ERA in the MLB Playoffs to just 2.96 this year. Game time is 5:20 PM PT on FOX.
