Dodgers right-handed reliever Ryan Madson did something that every Dodger player only dreams of doing in the World Series, he is now 7-for-7. The problem is, his 7-for-7 has absolutely nothing to do with hitting, but rather having all seven of the runners that he has inherited in his combined 2.1 innings pitched through the first four games of the soon to be completed 2018 Fall Classic to score; and when you think about it, that’s a pretty amazing.

…not good, but amazing nonetheless.

The upside is that when you look at Madson’s stats from the series, he has allowed only one run, earned or otherwise, himself. Unfortunately for the Dodgers and Dodger fans, it came as a result of a three-run home run in the seventh inning of Saturday night’s painful backbreaking (and spirit-breaking) 9-6 loss in Game-4 of the best-of-seven series which, barring an absolute miracle or some divine intervention, will probably be over in less than seven games.

Madson, whom the Dodgers acquired at the August 31 waiver trade deadline from the Washington Nationals for 26-year-old right-handed pitching prospect Andrew Istler, was brought on board specifically with the postseason in mind, with the 36-year-old Long Beach, California native and 1998 ninth-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Phillies, having appeared in (now) 57 postseason games over 16 different postseason series.

Amazingly, Madson has a very respectable 6-1 career postseason record with an equally amazing 2.73 ERA over his (now) combined 56.0 postseason innings pitched. But here again, when you allow inherited baserunners to score, they do not appear on your résumé, but are charged to the guy who put them on base.

On Saturday night, that guy was Dodgers left-hander Scott Alexander, who was a last-minute addition the Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ World Series team, replacing far more popular 22-year-old left-hander Caleb Ferguson, who has pretty much been lights out since his June 6 call-up, initially as a starter but later as long reliever.

By virtue of a seventh-inning leadoff walk issued by Dodgers left-handed starter Rich Hill, who was absolutely brilliant of his 6.1 innings of work having allowed no runs and only one hit to the best offense in all of baseball, to Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, followed immediately by a three-pitch strikeout of the always dangerous Edwardo Nunez, Roberts pulled Hill for Alexander with one out and Bogaerts on first base. Alexander, a supposed ground ball / double play expert, promptly walked Red Sox second baseman Brock Holt … on four pitches.

After facing that one and only batter, Alexander was replaced by Madson who, after getting Red Sox pinch-hitter Jackie Bradley Jr. to pop out to second, threw a first-pitch absolute meatball 85.4 mph change-up to Red Sox pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland.

Big mistake.

Madson’s 85.4-mph change-up to Red Sox pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland looked as though it were sitting on a tee. Moreland absolutely crushed it for a 437-foot / three-run home run that landed two-thirds of the way up the Right Field Pavilion in (very) deep right-center field. (Video capture courtesy of Fox Sports)

In the blink of an eye, Hill’s outstanding 6.1 innings of one-hit ball turned a 4-0 shutout into a 4-3 ballgame. The Red Sox would add another six runs to their tally, while the Dodgers added but one in their eventual embarrassing 9-6 loss, to give the Red Sox a three games to one lead in the series.

Why on earth would Roberts pull Hill when he was absolutely cruising and had Boston in complete check, you ask? Here was his explanation:

“[Hill] said, ‘Keep an eye on me, I’m going to give it everything I have, [but] let’s go hitter to hitter and just keep an eye on me,'” Roberts told reporters after the game. “So right there, I know Rich did everything he could, competed, left everything out there.”

Even at face value, there is nothing in Hill’s comment that suggests that he was done. He was merely (and professionally) letting his manager know that he did not know how much longer he could go. Heck, even President Donald Trump could see this:

Roberts would later say that although he was flattered that the President of the United States was watching the game, Trump’s tweet was “one man’s opinion.” I can pretty much assure you that it was actually the opinion of every Dodger fan on the planet.

To their credit, even though the Dodgers are now on the brink of losing their second consecutive World Series, some Dodger fans maintained their good sense of humor:

Despite the Dodgers gloomy (and likely predictable) predicament, some Dodger fans have maintained their sense of humor through it all. This post made its way onto Twitter shortly after Saturday night’s crushing 9-6 loss in Game-4 of the Fall Classic.

As he has done throughout the World Series, rather than simply acknowledge that he screwed up, Roberts yet again tried to justify his unjustifiable decision by refusing to look beyond the analytics and sabermetrics guidelines that undoubtedly came from above.

“In that spot right there, considering who you have left in the ‘pen, you have to make a decision,” said Roberts. “And I felt that Ryan still had a very good chance to get him out.”

The Red Sox thank you, Doc.

Dodger fans? Not so much.