Before Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday night, Dodgers catcher Will Smith provided his version of events in the play that cost the Dodgers a win in Game 4 on Saturday night. Smith missed first baseman Max Muncy’s cutoff throw, allowing the winning run to score with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Rays to hand Los Angeles an 8-7 loss.

“I saw [center fielder Chris Taylor] booted it in right field. I knew the first run was going to score, and I saw [Randy] Arozarena with the game-winning run coming around, and in my mind, I thought it was going to be close,” said Smith. “I didn’t realize he tripped and fell. I was trying to make a quick tag. Get it on him as quickly as I could. Was a little quick and missed the ball, and unfortunately, it got away.”

Smith also explained why Pedro Báez -- chosen to face left-handed hitters in Game 4 because they were only 3-for-31 against him during the season -- threw a fastball that Brandon Lowe slugged for a three-run home run instead of a changeup, the pitch Báez normally uses to retire lefties.

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“[Pedro had conviction] in the fastball, he went with it, it didn’t get elevated enough and [Lowe] put a good swing on it,” said Smith.

So did Báez shake off the changeup?

“Yeah, but in that situation, you want -- whatever the pitcher feels conviction -- you’re going to go with it in that situation,” Smith said.

No replay needed
Manager Dave Roberts said he didn’t see a replay of the game-ending, two-error fiasco to end Game 4 -- and didn’t need to.

“No, it was pretty clear,” Roberts said. “To kind of go back through ... I know exactly what happened. So to rewatch it, I didn't do that.”

How could Roberts avoid it?

“I just kind of heard from coaches, and to be quite honest, I kind of took my eye off the play once I saw Arozarena fall,” he said. “I was kind of thinking about that next top half. I thought we were going to get him in a rundown, so I was thinking about our top half of the inning, and then next thing I know the ball's kind of to the backstop. That's why I was a little befuddled -- or a lot befuddled.

“I don't need to watch it. I'm just focusing on today.”

Roberts also explained why he removed Julio Urías with two outs in the fifth inning, a frame which began with Hunter Renfroe slugging the second homer of the game off Urías. Blake Treinen came on to retire Yandy Diaz to end the inning, but he went back out for the sixth inning and allowed a pair of runners that scored on Lowe’s home run off Báez.

“It was basically, for me, just seeing the at-bats Diaz had,” Roberts said. “[Urías] punched him out twice, but that second at-bat he saw a lot of pitches and was on his fastball and ultimately struck out. And that at-bat prior, I thought that Arozarena was seeing the ball. So for me, if his last hitter was going to be Diaz, why wouldn't I just make sure that a two-out homer doesn't happen? I just felt Blake was the best option to get that out and to go back out there and get Arozarena [who led off the sixth with a single off Treinen.]”

Bellinger back in center
Roberts returned Cody Bellinger to the lineup in center field after Bellinger told Roberts that his back was 100 percent healthy. Bellinger woke up on Saturday with a stiff back and served as designated hitter in Game 4. He was replaced in the starting lineup in center field by AJ Pollock, who was later replaced by Taylor, who made one of the two errors on the final play of the game.