Donald Trump tees off on Los Angeles Dodgers manager
THE President of the United States wasn’t a happy man on Sunday afternoon and it had nothing at all to do with politics.
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DONALD Trump wasn’t a happy man on Sunday and it had nothing to do with politics or atrocities going on around the world.
His attention was instead focused on game four of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The game looked to be headed towards a Dodgers victory which would have levelled the series, but one decision changed the entire course of the contest.
Holding a 4-0 lead after six innings, Dodgers lead off pitcher Rich Hill was pulled from the game in the seventh and that’s when things went south.
Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts made the call to replace Hill, but the decision quickly came back to bite him as the Red Sox slammed home nine runs since he was pulled from the mound.
Criticism came flooding in over Roberts’ decision, but none were bigger than the President of the United States.
“It is amazing how a manager takes out a pitcher who is loose & dominating through almost 7 innings, Rich Hill of Dodgers, and brings in nervous reliever(s) who get shellacked. 4 run lead gone. Managers do it all the time, big mistake!” Trump tweeted.
Watching the Dodgers/Red Sox final innings. It is amazing how a manager takes out a pitcher who is loose & dominating through almost 7 innings, Rich Hill of Dodgers, and brings in nervous reliever(s) who get shellacked. 4 run lead gone. Managers do it all the time, big mistake!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2018
The result means the Red Sox now hold a 3-1 series lead and can claim their ninth World Series title when the fifth game gets underway on Monday.
After the contest however the big talking point was Roberts’ call and Trump’s subsequent tweet and it didn’t take long for the question to be asked in the post game press conference.
Trump’s tweet was read aloud to the Los Angeles manager who responded with surprise the head of the country was tuning in.
“The president said that? I’m happy he was tuning in and watching the game,” Roberts said.
“I don’t know how many Dodgers games he’s watched. He was not privy to the conversation. That’s one man’s opinion.”
But as the criticism intensified over the crucial call in the seventh inning, Roberts provided context behind the decision.
A conversation between the manager the pitched took place during the innings break where Hill reportedly told him “keep an eye on me” as fatigued began to take hold.
Dave Roberts had a conversation with Rich Hill before the seventh inning, and Hill told him, "Keep an eye on me." It motivated Roberts' decision to take him out after two batters. Roberts said he has "never heard that before" from Hill, but applauded his competitiveness.
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) October 28, 2018
Steve Pearce hit a tying homer in the eighth and a three-run double in the ninth, and the Red Sox emphatically rallied for a 9-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.
Pinch-hitter Rafael Devers singled home Brock Holt with the tiebreaking run in the ninth as Boston roared to a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven matchup.
Game 5 is Monday at Dodger Stadium, where the Red Sox can close out a spectacular season with their fourth title in 15 years.
Shortly after Yasiel Puig’s three-run homer in the sixth put the Dodgers up 4-0, Boston’s incredible surge began with pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland’s three-run homer.
The Red Sox will have trouble topping this performance, in which they overcame a three-run deficit in a World Series game for only the second time.
Enrique Hernandez hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Los Angeles, which could become the first team to lose the World Series on its home field in back-to-back seasons since the New York Giants lost at the Polo Grounds to the Yankees in 1936 and 1937.
“We’re not out yet,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Our guys aren’t done. We’ve got our best going tomorrow and we’re expecting to win a baseball game.”
Devers added a big defensive play in the ninth when he slid to stop Manny Machado’s hard grounder at third before throwing across the diamond to get the Dodgers slugger for the second out.
Craig Kimbrel then got Cody Bellinger on a fly to end it, leaving Puig in the on-deck circle.
Less than 17 hours after Max Muncy’s 18th-inning homer for the Dodgers ended the longest game in World Series history at 7 hours, 20 minutes, the teams were back on the field.
Despite yet another epic contest, the Roberts decision stole the limelight and sent social media into meltdown.
The Dodgers bullpen after Rich Hill was taken out in the seventh inning after pitching a scoreless, one-hitter. pic.twitter.com/ztfMiW2SKf
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) October 28, 2018
You just knew taking Rich Hill out after a strikeout would turn out badly. What a collapse.
— Hector Becerra (@hbecerraLATimes) October 28, 2018
Rich Hill must be absolutely sick🤢#dodgers
— Dan Cohen (@DanCohenFOX11) October 28, 2018
I don't know how the Dodgers can bring back Dave Roberts. Might be the worst managed World Series ever
— Nick Kostos (@TheKostos) October 28, 2018
— with AP
Originally published as Donald Trump tees off on Los Angeles Dodgers manager
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