Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesThe Boston Red Sox moved to within one win of their ninth World Series championship with a 9-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night.Following a record-setting 18-inning battle in Game 3 (a 3-2 Los Angeles victory) on Friday night http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-dave-cash-jersey , all eyes were on the starting pitchers. Rich Hill started for the Dodgers and threw 6.1 innings of one-hit, one-run baseball, striking out seven. After recording one out on six pitches in Game 3, Eduardo Rodriguez took the ball for the Red Sox, allowing four runs in 5.2 innings.Steve Pearce was the star of the night, going 2-for-4 with a walk and four RBI.Mitch Moreland sparked the Boston offense with a pinch-hit three-run homer in the top of the seventh, with Pearce tying the game with a solo shot in the eighth. Pinch hitter Rafael Devers delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the ninth.Yasiel Puig and Kike Hernandez each went yard for Los Angeles.Steve Pearce Showing Off as Boston's Most Underrated AdditionWhen Boston acquired Pearce in a deal back in June, it was a move that likely didn't land on many people's radar.However, Pearce is certainly grabbing everyone's attention now.The 35-year-old journeyman was solid for the Red Sox down the stretch, hitting .279/.394/.507 with seven home runs, eight doubles and 26 RBI in 50 games following the midseason trade.Pearce carried that momentum into the postseason, recording hits in six of his first seven appearances, reaching base in all seven. Although he had cooled off as of late, manager Alex Cora stuck with him and penciled him into the 3-hole for Game 4.That proved to be a brilliant decision.While it took a pinch-hit home run by Moreland in the seventh to wake up the Red Sox's bats, Pearce wound up stealing the spotlight. First, there was his game-tying homer in the eighth off All-Star closer Kenley Jansen:Boston Red Sox RedSoxPearced! 馃挜#DoDamage ANzrDsf1BnThen, the first baseman did more damage by breaking the game open with a bases-clearing double an inning later:Boston Red Sox RedSoxSteve Pearce, at your service. #DoDamage Cu2QDk0dHVThat big night resulted in some history, per MLB Stat of the Day:MLB Stat of the Day MLBStatoftheDaySteve Pearce is the 3rd RedSox player ever to homer and drive in 4 in a #WorldSeries game (Yastrzemski, 1967; davidortiz, 2004). NUKJEyukC8Not bad for someone who was held hitless through the first three games of the series.Offseason signing J.D. Martinez certainly played a role in getting Boston to the World Series, but it was Pearce who delivered the biggest performance of the season for the Red Sox.Rich Hill Justifies Dave Roberts' Decision to Give Him Game 4 StartFollowing the Game 3 marathon on Friday night, Los Angeles skipper Dave Roberts was rethinking who would get the start in Game 4, going as far as calling Saturday's starter "TBD."Roberts had toyed with the idea of an unconventional approach, using an "opener" rather than a traditional starter. However Steve Carlton Jersey , he decided to give Hill the nod after a conversation with the veteran southpaw."We were just kind of just potentially toying with the idea of an opener, and just kind of wanted to leave it open-ended," Roberts said on Saturday afternoon, according to Matt Vautour of MassLive.com. "And just after more conversation and thought, just feel great about Rich starting and going through his normal routine."Well, Hill made his manager look very wise by delivering a gem.The 38-year-old left-hander, whose injuries have made it tough to rely on him throughout his career, continued to shine on the World Series stage. After allowing just two total runs in two starts (spanning 8.2 innings) against the Houston Astros in last year's fall classic, Hill was on top of his game from the very start on this night.Hill took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before finally allowing a single to catcher Christian Vazquez. What makes that feat even more impressive is the fact that he had little room for error, as Rodriguez was matching him pitch for pitch, keeping the Dodgers off the board through the front five.Even though starter Walker Buehler gave Los Angeles seven innings in Game 3, the bullpen still had to cover 11 innings on Friday night, with four relievers, including Jansen and Pedro Baez, going more than one frame. That type of workload had the potential to impact the game plan in Game 4鈥攂ut Hill helped make Roberts' job much easier by delivering 6.1 strong innings.Not only did he give his team a chance to win Game 4, but eating innings was also key after Game 3. Then again, it appeared he could have gone longer, being yanked while cruising with 91 pitches.Roberts and the Dodgers needed a good outing from Hill on Saturday, and he delivered more than they could have hoped for. Ultimately, a quick hook may have cost the Dodgers the game...and ultimately a World Series.Dave Roberts Must Trust Bullpen Beyond Jansen to Win SeriesFriday night's marathon likely affected the way both Cora and Roberts managed Game 4.It may have been the reason Cora tried to ride Rodriguez, who hadn't thrown more than 44 pitches in a game since Sept. 20, until the wheels fell off as the result of the bullpen throwing 12.1 innings the night before. That ultimately proved costly, as a scoreless game became a 4-0 Los Angeles lead in the blink of an eye.For Roberts, his bullpen management the last two games may have contributed to Game 4's loss.Saturday marked the second consecutive day in which Roberts turned to Jansen to try to close out a victory by getting the final six outs. It didn't work in Game 3, and it didn't work in Game 4. However http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-aaron-nola-jersey , the latest blown save could have been impacted by his workload on the previous night.It's tough to extend a closer on back-to-back games like this鈥攅specially when he's not used to that kind of workload.Jansen reached the 30-pitch plateau just once during the regular season and never topped it. He has thrown 30-plus pitches twice in his past five appearances and may have made it three times had he been able to get through the eighth unscathed.In fact, he never was asked to throw multiple innings on back-to-back days at all this season.Nobody can blame Roberts for putting games on the arm of his best reliever. After all, this is a pitcher who has 268 career regular-season saves, making three All-Star teams and finishing fifth in Cy Young voting a season ago. But at some point, a manager has to be able to put his trust his setup relievers to bridge the gap.Let's not forget the Dodgers bullpen ranked second in all of baseball, first in the NL, with a 3.38 ERA during the regular season. Injuries certainly played a role throughout the season, but as a unit, there weren't many better.To be fair, Roberts did show faith in his bullpen in Game 4. He turned to Scott Alexander at the first sign of trouble, even though Hill had thrown "just" 91 pitches in 6.1 innings. That combined with the decision to go with midseason acquisition Ryan Madson one batter later proved costly, as the duo allowed a 4-0 lead to be cut down to just one.At that point, Roberts called on his No. 1 reliever to try to slam the door shut to even the series. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, Jansen blew his second save in as many nights after blowing just four during the regular season.Would Los Angeles have won had Roberts used someone other than Jansen in the eighth? That's impossible to say, especially since all six relievers he called on in the final 2.2 innings allowed at least one run. Perhaps that was the result of Friday's 18-inning marathon.Regardless, Roberts can't be asking Jansen to go multiple innings in high-stress situations on back-to-back days when that's just something he isn't used to. After the last two days, it's not clear what Jansen's availability for Sunday's Game 5 will be. And that could loom large if the Dodgers have a lead late in the game.What's NextThe Red Sox will have their first opportunity to clinch the 2018 World Series in Game 5 at Dodger Stadium on Sunday night, with first pitch scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET. The Dodgers must win to keep their season alive and send the series back to Boston.Probable pitchers: David Price (Boston) vs. Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles) ATLANTA (AP) — Brian Snitker has a two-year contract for only the second time in his 43 years with the Braves.It’s little wonder that Snitker, who turns 63 on Wednesday, said Monday he never assumed he’d be asked to return as manager even after leading Atlanta to a surprise NL East division title and its first playoff berth since 2013.“I’ve been around long enough to know you’re never guaranteed tomorrow in this business,” Snitker said after his two-year deal was announced by general manager Alex Anthopoulos. The deal includes a club option for 2021.Snitker began his long run with the Braves as a minor league player in 1977 and spent 20 years as a minor league manager in addition to stints as Atlanta’s bullpen coach and third base coach. He said his only previous two-year contract came when Bobby Cox became general manager in 1985.Now, as a leading candidate to be NL manager of the year, he again has more than a one-year contract.“It does give you a sense of accomplishment, I guess,” Snitker said. “I feel really good about it. I feel good I have the opportunity to stay around longer and be a part of this.”Pitching coach Chuck Hernandez will not return. All other members of Snitker’s coaching staff also received two-year deals.Anthopoulos said it was his suggestion to replace Hernandez Juan Samuel Jersey , who he said is “open-minded” about possibly returning in another capacity. Anthopoulos said Snitker had to be talked into replacing Hernandez.“The human being he is, I think he would have had continuity there. … I had some concerns. The more we talked about it, he understood,” Anthopoulos said.Snitker said “I was that guy” who was reassigned in 2013, moving from Atlanta’s third base coach to Triple-A Gwinnett’s manager.Snitker said Hernandez is a “wonderful, really good pitching coach,”“I get that in the process sometimes you want to go in a different direction,” he said.Anthopoulos wouldn’t elaborate on his concerns with Hernandez. He said there is no timeframe on hiring a new pitching coach and said the search could include internal candidates.Snitker was named interim manager in May 2016 after Fredi Gonzalez was fired. Snitker will be heading into his third full season as the club’s manager in 2019.Anthopoulos said he was impressed with Snitker’s leadership from the dugout.“When we did hit a bump in the road, lost four games in a row, he was steady,” Anthopoulos said. “Some guys panic.”After a third straight 90-loss season in 2017, the Braves improved to 90-72 with some of baseball’s best young talent, including Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Mike Foltynewicz. They lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games in the NL Division Series.“I love everything about what’s going on here from the front office to the organization,” Snitker said. “The whole thing is really solid. It’s got that vibe of what I remember from years ago.”The extension is sure to be met with approval in a young clubhouse. The players constantly praised Snitker and how he always had their back.“He did a remarkable job,” star first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “It’s really hard to handle 25 to 35 personalities, and he’s one of the best at it.”Anthopoulos said the team’s payroll will rise in 2019. Right fielder Nick Markakis is a free agent and adding bullpen help and a catcher to share time with Tyler Flowers could other priorities.The team boasts a deep supply of respected pitching prospects, creating the possibility Anthopoulos could look for an offseason trade instead of free agency to boost the lineup.Snitker became a manager for the first time in the Class A South Atlantic League at 26, and his star seemed on the rise when he joined the big league club as a bullpen coach in 1985.It didn’t last. He returned to the minors the following season, settling into a largely overlooked career as an organizational jack-of-all-trades. He managed at every level of the minors, from the rookie leagues to Triple-A, and got two more stints as a coach for the big league team.