Dodgers vs. Yankees: Anthony Volpe’s grand slam helps New York force World Series Game 5

On By Littum

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe celebrates after hitting a grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning of Game 4 of the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez)

Freddie Freeman hit the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history. Anthony Volpe responded with the first game-tying grand slam in a World Series elimination game. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez)

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 old form in the third inning of a must-win Game 4, hitting a walk-off grand slam to help his team avoid a sweep with an 11-4 victory on Tuesday. Game 5 is scheduled for 8:08 PM ET on Wednesday.

The Dodgers went ahead early in Game 4 on another home run from Freddie Freeman, his record sixth straight game with a homer in the Fall Classic. That’s 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 by 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 was still big when he next went to the plate, with the bases loaded against Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson.

Then Volpe hit the first game-tying grand slam in a World Series elimination game. It was his first home run in any game since September 21st and just his second since August 3rd.

That was the shot the Yankees needed, and their pitching staff again limited a potent Dodgers offense from there. Starting pitcher Luis Gil lasted just four innings, but the New York bullpen went on to throw five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and one hit allowed.

A five-run eighth-inning rally, highlighted by a three-run homer from Gleyber Torres, went on 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 had to do on Tuesday. Of the 24 teams to fall behind 3-0 in a World Series, 21 lost Game 4, so the Yankees can at least say they showed more fight than their predecessors. They are the first to win such a Game 4 since 1970.

Now the series heads to a winnable matchup between Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty on Wednesday. Another win there and the Yankees would be the first team in World Series history to force a Game 6 after trailing 3-0.

And if the series goes back to Los Angeles, who knows what might 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 in this game is probably holding on to Daniel Hudson after he loaded the bases in the third inning. Sticking with a struggling reliever has paid off before in this series, especially not pulling Blake Treinen when he was in hot water in the ninth inning of Game 2, but sticking with what might be your fourth-best reliever in that place, was questionable and, in the end, regrettable.

    The good news is that Hudson was the only reliever the Dodgers used in Game 4. The rest of their top arms rest to back up Jack Flaherty, who has been the Dodgers’ most consistent pitcher since the team acquired 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 straight starting pitcher matchups that they lost the first time around, but the flip side is that the Dodgers’ rotation all have to repeat some of the best starts of their season. The Yankees can make history just by sending this series back to Los Angeles, and it will be a very different atmosphere if they do.

  • It cannot be understated how good the Yankees’ bullpen has been in this series, regardless of Nestor Cortes Jr. Freddie Freeman’s grand slam represents the only four earned runs the unit has allowed all series, and they rebounded in this game, going five scoreless innings behind four runs allowed by Luis Gil.

    More runs allowed and the Dodgers would have used their better relievers instead of riding Landon Knack and Brent Honeywell all game.

  • FINAL: Yankees 11, Dodgers 4

    There will be no celebration 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.

  • Giancarlo Stanton pops out to mercifully end the inning in which Honeywell threw 50 pitches. Tim Mayza comes in 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, perhaps his best hit of the series. It was in the garbage time, but the Yankees will welcome any opportunity for their MVP to get hot.

  • Juan Soto hits a double and the Dodgers will just let Honeywell carry this instead of using other relievers.

  • Yankees 10, Dodgers 4

    Gleyber Torres breaks this thing up with a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. We play a Game 5 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.

  • Yankees 7, Dodgers 4

    With runners on second and third, Alex Verdugo works an 11-pitch strike against Brent Honeywell and hits a grounder to second. Anthony Volpe hits the throw home and Yankee Stadium can breathe a little easier.

  • In comes Brent Honeywell for the eighth and, if necessary, the ninth innings for the Dodgers.

  • Luke Weaver strikes out Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy to end 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 off 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 on 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 the Dodgers. It’s his fourth inning of work and he’ll start it against Aaron Judge.

  • Weaver strikes out Betts swinging, leaving just six more outs to go.

  • And in comes Luke Weaver to face Mookie Betts with a man on second and two outs.

  • Wells provides 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 effectiveness, but the reality is that Wells’ offensive ceiling is considerably higher even when he’s getting cold.

    Swings like the one Wells delivered to send a Landon Knack heater into the second deck in right field are a good reminder of that. It could be a big insurance run for the Yankees, who now have a two-run cushion with 9 outs left to avoid elimination.