World Series score: Yankees avoid sweep vs. Dodgers as Anthony Volpe's Game 4 grand slam keeps New York alive

The Yankees have stayed alive and forced a Game 5

By Mike Axisa

Oct 30, 2024 • 1 min read

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees have lived to play another day. Thanks to Anthony Volpe's grand slam, the Yankees beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series on Tuesday night (NY 11, LA 4), forcing a Game 5. The Dodgers still lead the series 3-1, but the Yankees have a pulse, and they'll send Gerrit Cole to the mound on Wednesday.

Perhaps the most memorable part of Game 4 was two Yankees fans quite literally ripping a baseball from Mookie Betts' glove along the side wall in right field. Mookie reached over the wall to make the catch and the two fans basically mugged him. The were ejected from the stadium. Mookie is OK, fortunately. An unfortunate moment in an otherwise exciting game.

Here now are three takeaways from Game 4 of the World Series, plus a quick look ahead to Game 5.

1. Freeman did it again

For the first time in baseball history, a player has hit a home run in each of the first four games of the World Series. Freddie Freeman did it again in Game 4, sending a two-run home run to right field in the first inning Tuesday night. It was his fifth extra-base hit of the series after having precisely zero in the NLDS and NLCS.

Dating back to 2021 with the Braves, Freeman now has a six-game home run streak in the World Series, the longest in baseball history. He broke a tie with George Springer (2017-19).

And because that wasn't enough, Freeman beat out a double play ball in the top of the fifth inning, allowing a run to score. The fielder's choice cut New York's lead to 5-4 and was Freeman's 10th RBI of the World Series. He is one behind Tommy Edman (2024 NLCS) and Corey Seager (2020 NLCS) for the franchise RBI record in a single postseason series.

2. The Yankees got their big swing

Through three games, the story of the World Series was slugging. Both teams were hitting under .200 with runners in scoring position, but the Dodgers had five home runs and 11 extra-base hits in Games 1-3. The Yankees had three homers and five extra-base hits. Freeman had almost extra-base hits as the Yankees by himself.

In the third inning Tuesday, the Yankees finally got the big swing they've been missing. Anthony Volpe turned a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead with a first pitch grand slam off Daniel Hudson. To the action footage:

Hudson made a mess of that inning. He hit Aaron Judge with a pitch, gave up a Jazz Chisholm Jr. single off the wall, and walked Giancarlo Stanton to load the bases. Volpe then made him pay with the grand slam.

Volpe's homer was the first postseason grand slam for the Yankees since Tino Martinez's blast against Mark Langston in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series. It was also Volpe's first career postseason homer. The grand slam gave the Yankees their first lead in the series since the 10th inning of Game 1.

3. Weaver and the bullpen stood tall

Luis Gil very well might get Rookie of the Year votes this season, but he is far above his previous career high in innings, and it has shown late in the season. He's struggled the last few times out and the Dodgers got to him for four runs in four innings in Game 4. Gil struck out only one of the 18 batters he faced, or 6%. His regular-season strikeout rate was 27%, an excellent number.

Gil exited with a runner on first and no outs in the fifth inning. From there, five Yankees relievers slammed the door, combining to allow one hit and one walk in five scoreless innings. They struck out seven. Those five relievers: Tim Hill, Clay Holmes, Mark Leiter Jr., Luke Weaver, and Tim Mayza. Weaver got the biggest outs, cutting through 2-3-4-5 hitters with three strikeouts.

It has flown under the radar because the Yankees fell behind in the series 3-0, but their bullpen has been great the last three games. From Games 2-4, New York's bullpen has allowed just one run in 15 ⅓ innings. They gave the offense a chance to get back into Games 2 and 3, and they shut the door on a win-or-go-home Game 4.

In the ninth inning, the offense broke the game open, and potted five runs to make a stressful two-run lead a comfortable seven-run advantage. That allowed the Yankees to remove Weaver after 21 pitches and save him for Game 5. It also allowed the Yankees to feel a little bit better about things, and wake up at the plate.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not show much urgency in Game 4 (he did the same in Game 5 of the NLDS), using strictly lower-leverage relievers even while his offense chipped away. That saves his best relievers for Game 5, yet another potential clincher. It also means he gave the Yankees the slightest bit of life.

4. Up next

Game 5. The Yankees still face very long odds, but they have a pulse. Historically, teams with a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven have gone on the win the series 85% of the time. The Yankees will send ace Gerrit Cole to the mound Wednesday as they try to force the series back to Los Angeles. Jack Flaherty will start for the Dodgers in the Game 1 starting pitching rematch.

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Yankees survive, force Game 5 with win

The Yankees prevailed in Tuesday night's Game 4 with a 11-4 thumping of the visiting Dodgers, and in doing so they avoided the sweep and forced a Game 5 back in the Bronx on Wednesday night.

The Dodgers took an early 2-0 lead on yet another Freddie Freeman home run, but the Yankees out-powered them the rest of the way. Anthony Volpe hit a go-ahead grand slam in the third, and Austin Wells also homered in sixth. Gleyber Torres then blew it open in the eighth with a three-run homer. In all, the Yankees' 7-8-9 hitters drove in seven runs in Game 4. A dominant performance by the Yankee bullpen made all those runs matter.

The Yankees in Game 5 will have ace Gerrit Cole on the mound as they try to send the series back to L.A. The Dodgers will counter with Jack Flaherty in a rematch of Game 1.

Gleyber piles on

Gleyber Torres blew it open for the Yankees with a three-run homer in the eighth that made it 10-4 Yankees. Here's a look:

The bottom of the Yankee order and the Yankee bullpen are the reasons we're very likely to have a Game 5 tomorrow night.

Yankees grab more insurance

Verdugo with the infield pulled in grounds to second base, but Volpe from third got such a good jump that he beat the throw home. It's 7-4.

Dream Weaver strikes out two in a 1-2-3 eighth. He's thrown 21 pitches. Gotta send him out there for the ninth. Boone would be crazy to take him out (unless the score a bunch of runs). The Yankees will take at least a two-run lead to the ninth.

The non-existent blue D train won the Great Subway Race. Bad omen for the Yankees.

Landon Knack was an effective bulk reliever for the Dodgers tonight, as he allowed one run in four innings of work. They still trail by two runs, though.

Weaver fans Mookie to end the inning. The Yankees have a two-run lead and six outs to get.

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The Yankees are going to Luke Weaver in the seventh inning. Two outs, a runner on second, Mookie and Freeman coming up. I can't imagine they'll ask him to get seven outs, but maybe?

Mark Leiter Jr. is in here in the seventh. Luke Weaver is already warming up.

After watching the Austin Wells home run, watch this:

Wells homers to give Yanks insurance run

Yanks catcher Austin Wells was a useful hitter during the regular season, but he's struggled badly in these playoffs. That changed in Game 4 with this homer:

That homer pushed the Yankee lead to 6-4 in the sixth inning of this elimination game.

A tidy 1-2-3 sixth for Holmes. Kahnle and Weaver for the final nine outs?

Good Clay Holmes has entered the conversation. Two strikeouts to start the sixth.

The Yankees keep stranding runners. The Dodgers are too good to keep doing that. Four innings to play and that is an eternity with a one-run lead.

We go to the sixth, and the Yankees have a 70.8% chance of winning and forcing a Game 5 tomorrow night.

Yankees with a rally brewing ...

Judge reached on error and Chisholm walked. They should really tack on because the Dodgers won't stop coming.

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Yankees lead trimmed to 5-4

Freddie Freeman hit into a double play ball, but he beat the throw at first. Initially he was called out at first but review overturned the call, correctly. A bad feed from Gleyber Torres was the culprit, causing Anthony Volpe to need an extra split second on the turn. The runner on third comes home and cuts the lead to one. Clay Holmes enters the game for the Yankees.

Well I guess Freddie Freeman's ankle is OK after all

They get one. A grounder forces out Ohtani at second and he had to slide. He runs off the field holding his left arm. He said last night that he was doing that to make sure he doesn't slide on the injured shoulder.

Ohtani singles

There are two on and no out. The Yankees are in serious trouble.

Dodgers not dead

Will Smith has homered and now Tommy Edman walked. The tying run will come to the plate. Luis Gil is done and Tim Hill is coming in for the lefty Shohei Ohtani. Note that Ohtani hit a hard fly ball last time, easily his best swing yet.

Will Smith finds the short porch

It's 5-3 Yankees here in the fifth after that solo homer. This is Smith's third homer of the postseason. He hasn't hit much overall, but the few home runs he's hit have been impactful.

With the bullpen hot, I assume Luis GIl's day is just about over. Hard to think the Yankees will let him face Ohtani/Mookie/Freeman a third time.

Landon Knack is coming in to "chew up" some outs, as Dave Roberts put it before the game.

Yankees flashing some leather this inning

Anthony Rizzo stepped up on the barrier to make a catch in foul territory and Volpe made a nifty play at short to get a force at second.

Volpe chants now in Yankee Stadium. This place just came alive in 0.2 seconds and it's electric again.

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Volpe grand slam

The Yankees have been waiting for three-plus games for a big swing. Anthony Volpe just provided it. Grand slam into the left field seats. Yankee Stadium is shaking. It's 5-2 Yankees through three innings.

That is Volpe's first home run this postseason and thus his first career postseason homer. Couldn't have picked a better time for it. That is also the first postseason grand slam for the Yankees since Tino Martinez's grand slam in the 1998 World Series.

Daniel Hudson shot himself in the foot that inning. He loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, a single off the wall, a walk (after hitting Stanton earlier in the at-bat), then served up the two-out grand slam. The Dodgers have walked four batters and hit another in three innings.

There is one out. The bases are full of Yankees for Anthony Rizzo. A Yankees first baseman has not hit a home run since July 31. If that drought is ever gonna end, there's no better time.

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