NEW YORK — The hometown kid came to the rescue on Tuesday, saving the New York Yankees from elimination in the World Series.
Anthony Volpe, the New York-born shortstop who attended the Yankees’ last championship parade in 2009 as an 8-year-old, belted a go-ahead grand slam in the third inning of Game 4, powering the Yankees to a 11-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Bronx.
The Yankees — who got a seven-out save from Luke Weaver — became the first team since 1970 to force a Game 5 after losing the first three games of the World Series. The last nine teams facing that deficit had been eliminated in Game 4.
Freddie Freeman set a record in defeat, becoming the first player to hit homers in six consecutive World Series games, a streak that began with Atlanta in 2021. Freeman lined a two-run bullet to right in the first inning for the second game in a row, but the Dodgers failed in their effort to clinch the title with a bullpen game.
Analyzing the bullpen decisions
Here’s the thing with how the Dodgers approached their bullpen game, particularly the third inning: It’s largely in line with what worked for them in the National League Championship Series against the Mets when they ran this same playbook twice. The Dodgers got about what they expected out of Ben Casparius. They knew they would need multiple innings out of Landon Knack. Even though everyone was available for the Dodgers, using some of their top arms would have changed the calculus of how they approached a potential Game 5.
Having Daniel Hudson take on the heart of the Yankees’ order brought understandable risk. His production faded over the season, largely because of his propensity for allowing the long ball. It was Volpe — not Juan Soto, Aaron Judge nor even Giancarlo Stanton who took him out of the ballpark — but there were going be stretches in Game 4 when the Dodgers had to grit their teeth. Hudson clearly didn’t have his command despite striking out the scariest matchup in Soto.
Knack warming up as the inning built was a long-term play. Using another righty for Volpe with the bases loaded would’ve burned another arm for a pocket of left-handed hitters, and using one of their two lefties would have set up a less-than-ideal platoon spot. Using a leverage arm would have ramifications for a potential Game 5 and beyond.
So Hudson faced Volpe. He hung a slider. Volpe had struggled this postseason but did not miss his chance.
Yankees provide a formula for a historic comeback
The Yankees had not gotten much production from the bottom of the order in the first three games of the World Series. Entering Game 4, the Yankees’ 7-8-9 hitters had a combined four hits. On Tuesday, they combined four hits through the first six innings.
Volpe delivered that critical grand slam in the third inning, giving the Yankees a 5-2 lead. It was Volpe’s first home run since Sept. 21 and a reminder that he has power when he connects on a pitch. Volpe abandoned the power approach he showcased in his rookie season so he could increase his contact in Year 2. That decision backfired as Volpe was a worse overall hitter. But for one night, Volpe turned back the clock and became the power-hitting shortstop the Yankees thought he would become.
Austin Wells, who has struggled mightily over the past two months, smoked two batted balls. In the second inning, Wells hit a 406-foot double to center field that would have been gone in 17 ballparks. Wells then hit the ball over the fence in the sixth inning to give the Yankees a 6-4 lead.
If the Yankees were to mount a historic comeback in this series, part of the formula is getting production up and down their lineup like they did in Game 4.
Dodgers haven’t maximized their extra looks at the Yankees’ bullpen
For as much as the Dodgers have seen the Yankees’ bullpen, they have yet to accomplish what they usually do: take advantage of multiple looks, adjust and find the soft spots to break through. The Dodgers again chased a Yankee starter before he could complete the fifth inning, as Aaron Boone removed Luis Gil before the pitcher faced Shohei Ohtani a third time through the order. Ohtani immediately laced a single off Tim Hill and the Dodgers got two runs in the inning, but New York’s bullpen wound up going the final five innings allowing zero runs.
Through four games this series, the Dodgers have managed 12 runs off Yankees starters in 16 innings. In 19 2/3 innings against the Yankees bullpen, they’ve scored six — and just one since their furious comeback in Game 1. The prevailing theory is that seeing more out of a bunch of relievers should favor the hitters, particularly with fatigue setting in within a series. It’s gone the wrong direction on the Dodgers’ hitters, which kept Games 2 and 3 from being bigger routs and impeded the Dodgers’ ability to come back in Game 4.
Bullpen, Luke Weaver save the day
Closer Luke Weaver pulled off an incredible feat, tearing through the heart of the Dodgers’ order for four outs, and the rest of the relievers picked up starting pitcher Luis Gil, who lasted just four innings.
Weaver entered with two outs and a runner on second base in the seventh with the Yankees ahead 6-4. He immediately struck out Mookie Betts with a runner on second base. In the eighth inning, Weaver continued to dominate, retiring the side by getting Freddie Freeman to pop out and striking out Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy.
Tim Hill (2/3 innings), Clay Holmes (1 1/3 innings) and Mark Leiter Jr. (2/3 innings) combined to be the bridge to Weaver.
In the ninth — with a seven-run lead thanks to a five-run eighth-inning rally — Tim Mayza finished things off with a scoreless ninth.
The Yankees will undoubtedly go into Wednesday with a tired bullpen. But facing elimination, all bets are off regarding whether Boone will rest anyone. If the Yankees can prevail, they will have Thursday’s off day to recover before Game 6 on Friday in Los Angeles. Fortunately for them, they will start ace Gerrit Cole, who has been a workhorse throughout his career but hasn’t topped 89 pitches in any of his four starts this postseason.
(Top photo of Anthony Volpe: Elsa / Getty Images)
