Everyone Thinks Dodgers Now Have Advantage in World Series, But That's Exactly What Baseball Wants You to Believe

Let's play two.

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the war of attrition over the Boston Red Sox in Game 3 of the World Series. The longest game in postseason history featured 17 pitchers and a combined 44 total players. 

After a seven-hour and 20-minute marathon ended with the Dodgers walking off to a 3-2 win, and back in the series overall after falling into an 0-2 hole, most people believe that the advantage is now firmly in the hands of the Boys in Blue after Boston was forced to burn through three different starting pitchers and their entire bullpen in Game 3.

However, that's exactly what baseball wants you to think. 

Game 3 ended in the wee hours of Saturday morning, and a little over 12 hours later, Game 4 will begin. After starting right-hander Rick Porcello, using David Price on one day rest, and throwing expected Game 4 starter Nathan Eovaldi in six innings of relief (97 pitches), the Red Sox are choosing to start left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez in Game 4.

Rodriguez appeared in relief in Game 3, making only six pitches, so he shouldn't be that tired for Game 4. The Red Sox are making history by starting Rodriguez, as he will become the first pitcher to start a World Series game after appearing in the previous game in a relief role since Firpo Marberry did in 1924 for the Washington Sentators.

Hill has been solid as a rock this postseason, allowing just three runs in two starts with a 2.61 ERA. Last year in the World Series, Hill made two starts against the Astros, and surrendered just two total runs, lowering his World Series ERA to 2.08. 

Hill hasn't pitched since Game 6 of the NLCS, when he threw an inning of relief in a loss. Before that, he last started Game 4 of that series on October 16, giving Hill 10 days of rest between starts.

With Hill ready and rested, and Rodriguez coming off an appearance in Games 1 and 3, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes the Red Sox left-hander might not go to deep into the game. Therefore, Roberts went against his traditional all right-handed lineup against a southpaw starter like he did in Games 1 and 2, and instead is starting two of his top power hitters in Max Muncy at second base and Cody Bellinger in center field.

If the Dodgers are able to jump on Rodriguez early, and Hill finds a rhythm with his curveball, Los Angeles could be looking at a level series with their ace Clayton Kershaw on the mound in Game 5.

But as we saw in Game 3, baseball is unpredictable. Everything we thought we knew goes against the grain. The Dodgers were leading Game 1-0, with four outs remaining and All-Star closer Kenley Jansen on the mound. 

Despite an up-and-down regular season, Jansen had not allowed a run in the postseason leading up to the World Series. Game over, right? Wrong.

Jackie Bradley Jr. tied the game with a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth and the winds completely came out of the sails for the Dodgers. That would bode well for Boston who took the lead in top of the 13^th inning with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound. Game over, right? Wrong.

Los Angeles tied the game in the bottom of 13^th on an error by veteran second baseman Ian Kinsler. The bizarre series kept the extra innings affair going and the Dodgers eventually walked it off on Muncy's homer in the 18^th.

The Dodgers became the first team to win a World Series game after trailing in the 11^th inning or later. Again, everything we thought we knew we didn't.

It would be the most baseball thing ever for both teams to be feeling the physical and emotional hangover of the marathon game just a few hours earlier, and Eduardo Rodriguez and the Red Sox to throw up zeroes while the fresh and rested Rich Hill shows signs of rust.

The Red Sox are hoping for that outcome and are looking to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, with a chance to win their fourth World Series in the last 15 years on Sunday against Kershaw.

Nonetheless, if the Dodgers are able to get to Rodriguez early, and force Red Sox manager Alex Cora to burn through his already depleted bullpen again, then we can hit the proverbial reset button on the World Series and watch in awe as it becomes a best-of-three with a Cy Young winner taking the mound in every game. 

First pitch of Game 4 is scheduled for 5:09 PM PT and will be broadcast live on FOX.