What the Los Angeles Dodgers wanted to do on Tuesday was beat the New York Yankees and sweep the World Series. This did not happen. So they did what they believed was the best thing to do. They certainly didn’t win. But they found the most advantageous way to lose Game 4 while improving their chances for Game 5.

They were beaten. The final score was New York 11, Los Angeles 4, with a predicted day in the bullpen turning into a complicated affair for the Dodgers. This group demanded bullpen games in every round of the playoffs: They entered October with a rotation in tatters, only three healthy starters, and so they had no other choice. The strategy has worked in their favor on several occasions. (If any relief corps is up to the task, it’s the Dodgers, which is not only one of the best in the game but also one of the deepest.) But that didn’t happen. took place as planned on Tuesday.

A third round grand slam by Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe give New York a 5-2 lead. Although the Dodgers were able to chip away at that lead, they never fully closed the gap and ultimately let things completely fall apart. What they hope for will ultimately work in their favor. That meant they could save their best relievers.

They would have preferred to win. But what if they lost their bullpen? They knew that dropping the project early was the ideal way to do it.

“The biggest thing was just trying to save guys,” said Dodgers right-hander Landon Knack, who pitched four innings, his longest outing of the month. “Being able to make sure they’re ready for tomorrow and the rest of the series, that’s absolutely a huge, huge thing for us.”

Most of the guys in question didn’t even have to consider warming up on Tuesday. (The group consists of Alex Vesia, Ryan Brasier, Anthony Banda, Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol.) All now have at least one day off before Game 5.

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Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts knew he didn’t want to turn to any of those pitchers early in the evening. When veteran reliever Daniel Hudson loaded the bases with a one-run lead in the third inning, bringing up the Yankees’ No. 7 hitter Volpe, the manager didn’t consider asking for one of his best relievers. The plan was to stick with Hudson: “That was his round,” Roberts said. “I’m not going to look for someone in the third inning to get Volpe.” The decision resulted in a costly grand slam. It also clarified the strategy for the rest of the night for Roberts.

The game was still close. But the manager had chosen his path. Although it was a two-run game until the eighth inning, Roberts committed to letting Team B finish Game 4, rather than calling on one of his lesser relievers. more powerful. This approach was certainly not without risk. But it seemed like a decision Roberts was comfortable making.

There were two benefits to saving high-leverage relievers. Besides the obvious benefit of rest — every extra day off can help at this point in the postseason — was the fact that it should limit the number of looks the Yankees have on the Dodgers’ best players. Unless a win seemed very, very likely, Roberts didn’t want to risk burning these pitchers in a loss.

“If there’s a positive side to this, you know, those big guns in the back of the bullpen had an off night,” Hudson said. “I’m sure they all couldn’t wait to get in there tonight. But they’ll be good enough to go tomorrow, and hopefully we can just close this case.

The task of finishing the night fell to Knack, who allowed one run in his four innings of work, and Brent Honeywell, Jr., who followed him. Honeywell set an unfortunate record: it took him 50 pitches to get through a disastrous eighth inning. (He allowed five runs on four hits and a walk.) No one had ever thrown so many pitches to get through a frame in the World Series. But all the Dodgers needed from him was to finish the game without requiring the use of another pitcher, and as ugly as it sounds, Honeywell did just that.

That left Roberts as optimistic as possible after losing a chance to win the World Series. It made sense. His team is leading in the series 3-1. He shouldn’t have to deal with another game in the bullpen: His three remaining healthy starters are ready to finish it. Jack Flaherty will start Game 5, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler lined up if necessary, respectively, for a potential Game 6 and 7. No one knows the dangers of 3-0 complacency as well as Roberts. But he was convinced that the mechanics of this defeat would put his group in a better position for another victory.

“Having six guys in your bullpen feeling good, feeling rested, I feel good,” Roberts said. “And have a 3-1 lead, yeah.”

The Dodgers lost game four. But they hope it will increase their chances of winning it all in Game 5.

“We’re trying to manage this whole series, keep everyone healthy, keep everyone fresh and ready to go,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said. “We had some guys step up today.”