Cody Bellinger entered Game 4 of the World Series mired in an 0-for-11 slump with seven strikeouts. He twice doubled, and the Los Angeles Dodgers came from behind to beat in what turned into a 6-2 rout of the Houston Astros, tying the series.
Bellinger’s first double — and hit of the World Series — came in the seventh inning. He later scored on Logan Forsythe’s two-out single to tie the game. Facing Astros closer Ken Giles, Corey Seager led off the ninth with a single and Justin Turner followed with a walk to set the table for Bellinger.
He delivered with another double to left-center field to break the tie. Joe Musgrove replaced Giles and struck out Puig before intentionally walking Forsythe. Austin Barnes’ sacrifice fly drove in an insurance run, but it was Joc Pederson’s three-run home run that landed the knockout punch.
Despite allowing a two-out solo home run to Alex Bregman, Kenley Jansen shook off his first blown save in the postseason to finish out the game. It was the lone hit Brandon Morrow, Tony Watson and Jansen allowed over 3.1 innings.
Having leaned heavily on the bullpen Friday night, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts put pressure on Alex Wood to provide some length in Game 4. The southpaw responded with no-hit work that ended in disappointing fashion, and he ultimately didn’t factor into the decision.
Wood set the Astros down in order in the first inning, then erased a leadoff walk in the second by inducing Yulieski Gurriel into a double play. Marwin Gonzalez walked with one out in the third inning, only to be stranded by Brian McCann and George Springer.
Springer atoned for that with his two-out, solo home run in the sixth inning. It snapped Wood’s string of consecutive batters at 10, and gave the Astros a 1-0 lead.
Springer became the first batter to break up a no-hitter in the fifth inning or later of a World Series game with a home run. Wood’s 5.2 innings without allowing a hit was the deepest any Dodgers pitcher held a no-hitter in the World Series.
The previous record belonged to Sandy Koufax, who went 4.2 no-hit innings in the 1963 World Series. Ralph Braca (1974), Carl Erskine (1953) and Koufax (1965) also once threw four no-hit innings.
Great as Wood was, his effort was matched by Charlie Morton. After a Chris Taylor leadoff single in the first inning, Morton didn’t allow another baserunner until hitting Austin Barnes with a pitch to start the sixth.
A hit and run with Kiké Hernandez at the plate left runners at the corners with one out. The Dodgers continued to spin their wheels, as Barnes was thrown out at home plate by Bregman, and Corey Seager lined out.
Morton struck out seven and wound up being charged for one run in 6.1 innings.
