Los Angeles Dodgers blow Game 4 of the World Series after falling apart defensively on final play

• The Dodgers fell apart defensively on the final play of Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
• After a miscue in centerfield and a missed play at the plate, the Rays won Game 4 in dramatic fashion to even up the World Series at two games apiece.
• The Dodgers will have to forget about their terrible collapse quickly, as Game 5 is set for Sunday night.

The Los Angeles Dodgers suffered an unbelievable defensive collapse on the final play of Game 4 to suddenly give the Tampa Bay Rays life in the World Series.

After a back-and-forth game that saw both teams hold, lose, and retake leads, the Dodgers led the Rays 7-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, with closer Kenley Jansen taking the mound to finish out the game and hopefully give Los Angeles a 3-1 in the World Series.

Jensen struck out the first batter he faced, gave up a single, then forced a line-out to left field, leaving the Dodgers one out away from being one game away from the World Series. Rays slugger Randy Arozarena worked a walk, moving the tying run into scoring position, meaning the outcome of the game would come down to outfielder Brett Phillips, who, coming into the game had recorded just two at-bats in the postseason.

What unfolded next was about as wild as baseball can get.

Trailing in the count 1-2, Phillips made some good contact with a ball over the plate.

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Phillips' slapper looped just past the Dodgers' deepest infielder and dropped in for a hit.

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Centerfielder Chris Taylor made a play on the ball, but bobble his initial attempt, allowing Kevin Kiermaier to score the game-tying run uncontested.

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Taylor eventually was able to gather the ball and threw a bullet into his cut-off man, Max Muncy, who turned to throw home to stop the game-winning run from scoring.

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But catcher Will Smith didn't know that Arozarena had fallen. He tried to make a play at the plate with a swiping tag. However, his aggressive defensive play proved costly as the ball skipped away before he made the catch.

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Thanks to not one, but two terrible defensive miscues on the final play of the game, Arozarena came home to score the game-winning run, tying the World Series at two games apiece.

Randy Arozarena slides into home plate to win Game 4 of the World Series.      AP Photo/David J. Phillip

And with that, it was time to celebrate.

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