World News – US – Around the Horn: New guy Phillips equalizes World Series in surprising way for Rays

Randy Arozarena of the Tampa Bay Rays slips into home plate in the ninth inning to give his team an 8-7 victory, as Kevin Kiermaier celebrates against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series at the Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Oct 24, 2020

Sean M Haffey / Getty Images

What does Randy Arozarena or Brandon Lowe matter… Brett Phillips – who? – is the guy who got the decisive blow to tie the best of seven Major League Baseball championship rounds

Really amazing, « Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier told Fox Sports » Brett Phillips, his last at-bat may have been nine or 10 days ago. Come, the biggest batting of his life Comes through

Phillips hit a single down center fielder with the Rays on their last at bat, leading in two points, while the Los Angeles Dodgers – who were set to climb from three games to one in the series – have played Keystone Cops with the ball

« I have a hard time expressing my emotions in words, » Phillips told Fox Sports « First of all, what a great team effort. That’s what makes this team so special »

Phillips’ shot brought Kiermaier home from second place and, with Dodgers wide receiver Will Smith allowing the ball to escape him, Arozarena then scored the winning point – after falling between third goal and home plate – in the Rays’ 8-7 Victory at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas

The Dodgers got home runs from Justin Turner – a replay of Game 3’s first solo shot – and Corey Seager – with a third inning monster on the right court to give them a 2-0 advantage

But Rays phenomenon bat Arozarena picked up where she left off on Friday, stroking a home run – another solo blast – in the fourth frame

A single in the fifth from Max Muncy brought Seager home to lift the Dodgers by two points

Brett Phillips celebrates after his ninth inning drama in Game 4 of the 2020 World Series

Ronald Martinez /

Getty Images

But the Rays closed the gap again with Hunter Renfroe’s dinger at the bottom of the sleeve

A set later, the Dodgers reestablished a two-point lead on a two-strike Kiki Hernandez double against Will Smith – that goalscorer Diego Castillo, the Rays trying to keep the game to one point

Blake Treinen and Pedro Baez then tried to keep the Dodgers on top of sixth place, but after Randy Arozarena scored and punched Ji-Man Choi first on a walk, Brandon Lowe landed another shot. circuit for the Rays lifting them in the lead with a work in three stages

Lowe, however, couldn’t turn the field play in a timely manner, when, after the Dodgers loaded up the goals in the seventh, Joc Pederson pierced a left-field single that ricocheted off his glove and marked Seager and Turner

Once again, the Rays responded, however, when Kiermaier hit a center-right homer down the seventh, tying at 6-6.

Seager’s RBI single to score Chris Taylor in the eighth inning gave the Dodgers a one-point lead until the Rays rallied for victory over the shot closer to Phillips Kenley Jansen

« We had equalized the game so you feel better and then you just sit there saying, ‘My God, can it get any worse (after Arozarena fell on the way home)’ « , Kevin, Cash manager told reporters after the game » The last thing I saw was Randy’s downfall… But (the comeback) says a lot about our club and what these guys can accomplish in as a group because everyone only played a huge role « 

« He’s been awesome the whole time, » Cash told reporters « He constantly smiles, laughs all the time Hope we don’t make him laugh too hard for him to pass out Immediately when he’s walked in, he’s one of the guys – does the role asked of him « 

Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts catches a line workout hit by Tampa Bay Rays second goal Brandon Lowe in Game 4 of the 2020 World Series

Jerome Miron /

USA TODAY Sports

The mere mention of « Mike » might give a little scratch to the head, trying to determine exactly which of the Major League Baseball Mikes might be the subject under consideration

But when you say ‘Mookie’ everyone knows which MLB man we’re talking about (unless you’re still stuck in the 1980s and cheering on the New York Mets)

Arguably Trout showed his uber-talent in relative obscurity After all, he’s a part of the other Los Angeles team, the one that hasn’t exactly lit SoCal baseball parties for a long time.

And 10 seasons, the MOON Angels superstar has just three total postseason tilts under his belt.Returning in the 2014 playoffs, Trout went 1 for 12 – that shot being a hit home run, at least – for a paltry 083 batting average

Then there’s Mookie Betts, who has caught Trout in the race to be the face of MLB these days

Really, though, he probably snagged that honor a few years ago.It’s just that this trip to the World Series with the real MOON crew – those Dodgers, who have been regular contenders for most of this season. the last decade – brought it to the surface

Remember, Betts have already proven their weight in gold with the Boston Red Sox, when he was key to their success winning the 2018 World Series – that one, ironically, against the Dodgers in five games

Two falls later, he’s now doing the same with the Dodgers after such a head swap sent him packing from Beantown to La La Land

After a strong regular season cut short by COVID in his first year at Chavez Ravine (16 homers, 39 RBIs, 292 batting), he came in on Saturday against the Rays, hitting 316 and sporting a 412 base percentages in these Only Rays phenom Arozarena qualifiers (354 and 425) had better statistics before Game 4

And when he does not put the ball in play Betts play on the basepaths and on the field

« It’s just a postseason where in the right field, it’s just Mookie Betts game after game, » said Joe Buck, Fox Play-by- player. Play, during the broadcast of match 4 on Saturday « He played three straight games against the Atlanta Braves (making incredible golden glove games), including breaking through the wall to deprive Freddie Freeman of a home run in Game 7 And his defense essentially revolved around Game 5 (of the NLCS) with the Dodgers facing elimination. « 

The Dodgers are lit not only by Betts but also by Clayton Kershaw and Cody Bellinger, Muncy and Seager, Turner and Walker Buehler

And it plays big when it comes to the face of baseball, as MLBcom discovered while chatting with baseball aficionados earlier this week

« He’s the greatest player in baseball history, » said a National League executive « Mookie is getting a lot of deserved attention right now, but Trout is literally the best player ever. « 

« Trout is the best, most consistent player on the planet, » added AHL executive « He could retire before the age of 30 and you would still have a solid argument that he’s a Hall of Famer I’m not sure a lot of guys not named Ruth or Cobb fit into that category Mookie plays really well right now I’m still taking Trout « 

With his first home runs in Game 4, Dodgers clutch hitter Turner became the first player in MLB history to hit first-inning dingers in back-to-back World Series games… Right after As Seager hit his eighth jack to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the third inning to join elite company for most home runs in a playoff year, Arozarena beat that mark in the fourth with his ninth in the season to go one against Seager, Barry Bonds, Carlos Beltran and Nelson Cruz… The Dodgers continue to rack up the RBI with two strikeouts, making it a whopping 54 in this postseason They have tackled 94 total points this fall Our take on this same game about Muncy being scored on second base? SS Rays Willy Adames didn’t pull him to the ground and out of the bag Muncy just got out of the slide and ran into Adames, who was trying not to get run over Dodgers starter Julio Urias left after more than four innings after giving four hits, two runs – both solo homers – and a walk against nine strikeouts… Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough scored 3-1 / 3 innings, allowing two runs – also solo shots – on five hits

Clayton Kershaw (3-1, 288 ERA in the 2020 postseason) gets the call to start Sunday for the Dodgers.You will recall he was magical in Game 1, allowing just one six inning inning for victory Meanwhile, the Rays call on Tyler Glasnow (2-2, 608) to start Game 5, having taken the loss, allowing six runs on over four innings, in Game 1 of World Series The first pitch of Game 5 is scheduled for 8:08 a.m. ET (Fox / Sportsnet) The schedule includes another day off after Game 5 of the Series on Sunday

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Los Angeles Dodgers, Mookie Betts, World Series, Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels, MLB, Tampa Bay Rays