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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