Everything Dave Roberts said after punting Dodgers Game 4 chances with a bullpen game

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost Game 4 of the World Series to the New York Yankees after being forced into a bullpen game due to an onslaught of starting rotation injuries. The Yankees staved off elimination taking advantage of these injury woes.

Despite Anthony Volpe's heroric grand slam in the third inning and the 11-4 final score, the Dodgers were firmly in the game until the bottom of the eighth inning when the Yankees scored five runs off Brent Honeywell. After resting many of the team's high leverage pitchers game 4, Roberts is optimistic going into game 5 tonight.

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Dodgers' Dave Roberts eyes championship with three rested starters and three chances to clinch

While it would have been ideal to finish off the Yankees in the swift and brutal four-game sweep, Roberts did not mince words regarding the teams chances of doing so with a bullpen game during his media availability following the loss.

"I don't think anyone expected those guys to lay down," said Roberts. "We had some at bats that I thought could have been better, but we knew it was a bullpen game."

Looking towards tonight and potential Games 6 and 7, he feels good about the bullpen: "Where we're at with tomorrow, knowing there's an off day being that, we're in a great spot with leverage relievers."

As wild as it sounds to rest high-leverage pitchers during Game 4 when the Dodgers had the chance to win it all, it was probably the right call. Brought to the brink of elimination, the Yankees were especially motivated and further taxing higher leverages guys such as Alex Vesia, Brusdar Graterol, and Anthony Banda could have proved costly had the Dodgers lost game 4 regardless.

Nevertheless, Roberts still played with fire by not throwing everything he had in his arsenal at Game 4. For a manager who has had notorious struggles managing a pitching staff, especially in the postseason, this feels like a big gamble.

Now the Dodgers three man starting rotation and relatively well rested bullpen has three chances to close out this series and make this gamble pay off.