Outside The Confines: Let’s talk about Game 4

In the past 10 years there have been a handful of truly memorable postseason games, ones that really stood out as a testament to how thrilling and downright bonkers baseball can truly be. The 2014 Wild Card game between the Royals and Athletics, and of course Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, which had a little bit of everything going on.

This weekend, baseball fans unanimously agreed, Game 4 of the 2020 World Series joined the ranks of those incredible games.

The Rays and Dodgers traded leads throughout the game, but the Dodgers were ahead as the game headed to the bottom of the ninth. The Rays managed to get two men on, but were down to their final out, when Kevin Cash brought Brett Phillips in off the bench. Phillips hadn’t been on the team’s roster for the ALCS, instead, serving as a cheerleader from the dugout, writing signs to hype up his teammates.

Bottom of the ninth, two men out, Phillips stepped to the plate. What followed was probably one of the most unbelievable five minutes of baseball I’ve ever watched as Phillips singled, the hit went as an error, Randy Arozarena tripped on his way to home plate in an effort to be the walk off run, but the throw home went wild and Arozarena was able to scramble to home in an absolutely wild walk off victory to tie the series.

Naturally, the game features heavily in the weekend’s writing.

• Stephanie Apstein looks at the failures of the Dodgers bullpen, and how those failures might cost them the World Series.
• Josh Tolentino goes into detail of how Randy Arozarena’s postseason legend continues to grow after his walk-off moment on Saturday. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Tom Verducci focuses on Brett Phillips and how his clutch moment is what’s so incredible about baseball.
• Getting a bit giddy and poetic, Jeff Passan breaks down the highs and lows of Game 4.
• Jayson Stark gets into the Wild and Weird of Game 4. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Tyler Kepner writes about how the early problems in dealing with coronavirus actually helped MLB successfully navigate the rest of the year.
• Meanwhile, taking the opposite approach, Evan Grant writes that baseball might not want to celebrate too soon, as storm clouds are coming.
• Rob Manfred talks about MLB’s future.

• Jeremy Willis collects some social media reactions to Game 4.
• Ben Clemens gives another take on the madness of Game 4, because everyone needs to share their big feelings about such an insane moment.
• Michael Baumann, likewise, gets in on the discussion as well.
• Ken Rosenthal is another who shifted the focus specifically to Brett Phillips in his big moment. (The Athletic subscription required.)

• Matt Martell offers some insights into the biggest moments of Game Four.
• Stealing home is a bold move in the World Series.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.