If Rodney Linares had stopped Randy Arozarena at third base, if Arozarena had retreated back there after stumbling on his way to the plate or if he’d been left on base to end the ninth inning of Game 4 on Saturday night, Tyler Glasnow might have taken the mound for the Rays in the 10th inning at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Glasnow and fellow starter Blake Snell both warmed up in the bullpen during the Rays’ wild comeback against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, preparing to pitch if Tampa Bay tied the game and forced extra innings. Snell would have been available to pitch one inning, manager Kevin Cash said, while Glasnow could have worked as many innings as the Rays needed. Such a move would have been necessary to keep the Rays afloat, but it also would have ripped their pitching plan to shreds.

Fortunately for Cash, Brett Phillips’ hit, the Dodgers’ defensive miscues and Arozarena’s journey around the bases meant he never had to make that decision. There was no need for an emergency backup plan, just an 8-7 walk-off victory to enjoy. And Cash’s next move is obvious: Handing the ball to Glasnow to start Game 5 against the Dodgers.

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“That would have really affected us going forward,” Cash said after the Rays evened the World Series at two games apiece. “Really grateful for that ninth inning that we just put together, the at-bats, that they’re all good to go on schedule.”

If not for that comeback, the Rays would have been putting their season in Glasnow’s right hand on Sunday night. But this assignment is still significant for the tall right-hander given everything at stake in Game 5. The team that wins the fifth game in a tied best-of-seven postseason series has gone on to win 43 of 62 times (69.4%).

If these never-say-die Rays are going to come back to defeat the powerhouse Dodgers, their hopes begin with Glasnow giving them a chance in his second start of the Series and getting their rotation back on track.

The Rays have their three horses lined up to start the final three games of the World Series: Glasnow in Game 5, Snell in Game 6 and Charlie Morton -- with all hands on deck, potentially including Glasnow on short rest -- in Game 7. But the Rays’ starters, viewed as a strength heading into this matchup, have struggled so far as they’ve allowed 15 runs on 17 hits in only 16 2/3 innings over the first four games of the Fall Classic.

Glasnow’s Game 1 outing was marked by a lot of strikeouts (eight), walks (six) and stolen bases (three) but not enough innings (4 1/3), even as he limited the Dodgers’ dangerous lineup to three hits. He’ll once again be lined up against Clayton Kershaw, who was excellent in Game 1, with a chance to give the Rays a lead in the Series.

“I think all the trouble for me just came from a lack of execution, falling behind hitters. As long as I’m ahead of hitters, I can let my stuff play,” Glasnow said. “For the most part, I think I can match up pretty well against everybody, but it’s just a matter of executing early.”

Glasnow felt like he sped up his delivery in the early going of Game 1, which affected his command. Only 58 of Glasnow’s career-high 112 pitches on Tuesday were strikes, and falling behind in counts made him more predictable -- especially when he couldn’t throw his curveball for strikes -- because the Dodgers were able to sit on his fastball.

Glasnow said Saturday afternoon that he has felt good since that start, and he’s confident he addressed his timing heading into Game 5.

“It goes back to executing early. I think a lot of times with me, if I’m ahead, if I’m in a pitchers’ count, I’m going to have a lot of success,” Glasnow said. “A lot of the reason why I didn’t is because I’m falling behind 2-0, 2-1, and I think a large majority of that is everyone kind of understands a heater’s going to come when I’m behind in the count, depending on if I can land my other stuff for strikes.

“That’s been the biggest struggle, I think, just falling behind and not being able to get my secondary stuff over. But I think it’s all a matter of time before it clicks in, because I know I’m capable of it. It’s a matter of execution, just getting ahead, and the rest will take care of itself.”