Freddie Freeman hit the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history. Anthony Volpe responded with the first go-ahead grand slam in a World Series elimination game. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
There will be a Game 5 in the 2024 World Series, and it was sparked by the bat of Anthony Volpe.
The New York Yankees’ shortstop found redemption and an old form in the third inning of a must-win Game 4, hitting a go-ahead grand slam to help his team avoid a sweep with an 11-4 win on Tuesday. Game 5 is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET Wednesday.
The Dodgers went ahead early in Game 4 on yet another home run from Freddie Freeman, his record sixth straight game with a homer in the Fall Classic. It was how the Dodgers began their wins in Games 2 and 3, and then the Yankees didn’t help themselves with some misplays.
One of those misplays was from Volpe, who failed to score from second on a double by Austin Wells. It ultimately didn’t cost the Yankees much — Volpe later scored from third on a groundout — but it still loomed large when he next went to the plate, with the bases loaded against Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson.
Then Volpe hit the first go-ahead grand slam in a World Series elimination game. It was his first home run in any game since Sept. 21 and just his second since Aug. 3.
That was the shot the Yankees needed, with their pitching staff again limiting a potent Dodgers offense from there. Starting pitcher Luis Gil lasted only four innings, but the New York bullpen proceeded to throw five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and one hit allowed.
A five-run rally in the eighth inning, highlighted by a three-run homer from Gleyber Torres, proceeded to turn a nail-biter into a laugher.
The Yankees are still down 3-1 and face dire odds in this World Series, but they did what they needed to do on Tuesday. Of the 24 teams that have fallen behind 3-0 in a World Series, 21 went on to lose Game 4, so the Yankees can at least say they showed more fight than their predecessors. They’re the first to win such a Game 4 since 1970.
Now the series goes to a winnable matchup between Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty on Wednesday. Another victory there, and the Yankees would be the first team in World Series history to force a Game 6 after falling behind 3-0.
And if the series goes back to Los Angeles, who knows what could happen?
Here’s how it all went down on Yahoo Sports:
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And hindsight is 20/20, but the Dodgers biggest regret this game is probably sticking with Daniel Hudson after he loaded the bases in the third inning. Sticking with a struggling reliever has paid off before in this series, most notably not pulling Blake Treinen when he was in hot water in the ninth inning of Game 2, but sticking with what is maybe your fourth-best reliever in that spot was questionable, and eventually lamentable.
The good news is Hudson was the only bullpen arm of note they used. Now all their top arms are rested to back up Jack Flaherty, who has been the Dodgers’ steadiest pitcher since acquiring him at the trade deadline.
Let’s just note something about how statistics work: No team has ever come back from down 3-0 in the World Series, but teams have come back from down 3-1 in the World Series, and that’s what matters now. Unprecedented doesn’t mean impossible, and the Yankees are already past that.
Granted, the Yankees now have to win three starting pitcher matchups in a row they lost the first time around, but the flip side is the Dodgers’ rotation all have to replicate some of the best starts of their season. The Yankees can make history just by sending this series back to Los Angeles, and it’s going to be a very different vibe if they do.
It can’t be understated how good the Yankees’ bullpen has been in this series, Nestor Cortes Jr. notwithstanding. Freddie Freeman’s grand slam represents the only four earned runs that unit has allowed all series, and they came up huge again in this game, with five scoreless innings after four runs allowed by Luis Gil.
Any more runs allowed, and the Dodgers would have used their better relievers rather than ride Landon Knack and Brent Honeywell all game.
FINAL: Yankees 11, Dodgers 4
There will be no sweep in the 2024 World Series. The Yankees blow out the Dodgers in Game 4 to force a Game 5 on Wednesday, which will see Gerrit Cole face Jack Flaherty.
The Bleacher Creatures just started chanting: “We want Soto!”
Juan Soto turned around and waved to them. He is beloved here, and with good reason.
Giancarlo Stanton pops out to put a merciful end to the inning, in which Honeywell threw 50 pitches. In comes Tim Mayza to get the final three outs of what quickly turned into a rout.
Yankees 11, Dodgers 4
Aaron Judge scores Soto with a single to left, and it was maybe his best-struck ball of the series. It was in garbage time, but the Yankees will welcome any opportunity for their MVP to get hot.
Juan Soto hits a double, and the Dodgers are just going to let Honeywell wear this rather than use any other relievers.
Yankees 10, Dodgers 4
Gleyber Torres breaks this thing open with a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. We will be playing a Game 5 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.
Yankees 7, Dodgers 4
With runners on second and third, Alex Verdugo works an 11-pitch at-bat against Brent Honeywell and hits a grounder to second. Anthony Volpe beats the throw home, and Yankee Stadium can breathe a little easier.
In comes Brent Honeywell for the eighth and, if needed, the ninth inning for the Dodgers.
Luke Weaver has retired all four batters faced, with three strikeouts. (21 pitches)
Does he come back for the 9th? Aaron Boone second-guessed himself for not bringing Weaver back in Game 1.
Luke Weaver strikes out Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy to finish the top of the eighth, and the Yankees are three outs from forcing a Game 5.
Luke Weaver stays in and gets a huge out from Freddie Freeman to open the inning. The Yankees can avoid the Dodgers’ top of the order again if they get five of the next six batters out.
Knack gets three straight flyouts and is at 56 pitches through four innings of work. Very little reason for the Dodgers to remove him if they don’t do anything in the top of the eighth.
It’s still Landon Knack in for the Dodgers. It’s his fourth inning of work, and he’ll start it against Aaron Judge.
Weaver strikes Betts out swinging, and that leaves only six more outs to get.
And in comes Luke Weaver to face Mookie Betts with a man on second and two outs.
Wells delivers key insurance
Austin Wells has yo-yo’d in and out of the lineup lately as manager Aaron Boone has weighed Wells’ offensive struggles against Jose Trevino’s defensive impact, but the reality is that Wells’ offensive ceiling is significantly higher even when he’s going cold.
Swings like the one Wells delivered to send a Landon Knack heater to the second deck in right field are a nice reminder of that. That could be a huge insurance run for the Yankees, who now have a two-run cushion with 9 outs to go to avoid elimination.
