The New York Yankees' hopes of winning their 28th World Series title ended in disappointment on Wednesday night when the Los Angeles Dodgers won Game 5. With…
Aaron Boone on Yankees Fans Interfering with Mookie Betts in G4: 'No Place for That'
Oct 30, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Fans interfere with Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers as he attempts to catch a fly ball in foul territory during the first inning of Game Four of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The play resulted in an out. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke out against the two fans who interfered with Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts as he caught a foul ball during Game 4 of the World Series on Tuesday.
Aaron Boone with his thoughts on the Mookie Betts incident:
"Not good.There's no place for that. Come here, cheer, root for your team, whatever. Should never have your hands on anyone. Not okay" pic.twitter.com/jNBxOxWzyg
The incident occurred after Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres, who led off the bottom of the first inning, lofted a fly ball down the the right field line toward the stands.
Betts reached up and caught the ball, but the fans grabbed him and pried the ball out of his glove. Torres was called out on fan interference.
"Well, A for effort."
Fan interference was called on this play where a Yankee fan tried to take the ball out of Mookie Betts' glove after an out. pic.twitter.com/iZ6taImncd
The two fans were immediately ejected and have been barred from attending Game 5. As for the game, the Yanks won 11-4. The Dodgers now lead the World Series 3-1.
The fans' Game 5 tickets have been redistributed to a pediatric cancer patient and his family, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
The tickets used last night by the two ejected fans (plus others in that section) have been re-distributed to a pediatric cancer patient and his family, the Yankees said.
Understandably, Boone wasn't the only person (or organization) to speak about against the fans' acts.
"The safety and security of players, fans and Stadium staff is the foundational element of every event held at Yankee Stadium, and it cannot be compromised," the Yankees said in their statement (h/t David Adler of MLB.com).
"Tonight marks the final home game of year, and we want every ounce of our fans' passion on display. Yankee Stadium is known for its energy and intensity, however the exuberance of supporting one's team can never cross the line into intentionally putting players at physical risk."
MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said the players' union was monitoring the situation (h/t Steve Gardner and Gabe Lacques of USA Today): "We have been in regular contact with league security officials since last night's incident and will be closely tracking the response to that incident and the protective measures taken going forward."
And Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman had this to say.
"That looked ridiculous from my perspective," Edman said (h/t Matt Snyder of CBS Sports). "The guy was trying to yank his glove off and pulled on his wrist and it looked like he got ejected, which I'm glad he did. That was unacceptable for a fan."
As for Betts, he was focusing on moving forward after a tough loss.
"When it comes to the person in play, it doesn't matter," Betts said postgame, per ESPN News Services. "We lost. It's irrelevant. I'm fine. He's fine. Everything's cool. We lost the game and that's what I'm kind of focused on."
The Dodgers will look to close out their eight World Series title in franchise history on Wednesday against the Yankees.
Pediatric Cancer Patient Receives Banned Yankees Fans' MLB World Series G5 Tickets
Oct 30, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Fans interfere with Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers as he attempts to catch a fly ball in foul territory during the first inning of Game Four of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The play resulted in an out. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees banned two fans, Austin Capobianco and John Peter, from Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night after the pair ripped the ball out of Mookie Betts' glove during a pop-out in the first inning of Tuesday's Game 4.
"Well, A for effort."
Fan interference was called on this play where a Yankee fan tried to take the ball out of Mookie Betts' glove after an out. pic.twitter.com/iZ6taImncd
The team announced that the tickets would instead be going to a "pediatric cancer patient and his family," according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
"The safety and security of players, fans and Stadium staff is the foundational element of every event held at Yankee Stadium, and it cannot be compromised," the Yankees said in a statement. "Tonight marks the final home game of year, and we want every ounce of our fans' passion on display. Yankee Stadium is known for its energy and intensity, however the exuberance of supporting one's team can never cross the line into intentionally putting players at physical risk."
Ban this Yankees fan for life. What if Mookie gets injured here?
Capobianco, a season-ticket holder, told ESPN's Jesse Rogers that the Yankees refunded him the cost of the Game 5 tickets and informed him that he would be arrested if he attempted to attend the contest. Per Rogers, a source added that it remains unclear if the ban for Capobianco and Peter would extend to next season.
"We're hoping for a short-term ban," Capobianco said. "We don't want to lose the season tickets."
Aaron Boone with his thoughts on the Mookie Betts incident:
"Not good.There's no place for that. Come here, cheer, root for your team, whatever. Should never have your hands on anyone. Not okay" pic.twitter.com/jNBxOxWzyg
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on the fan incident: ‘It was just an unfortunate circumstance. I'm glad it was dealt with the right way.’’ Roberts also thought the discipline was appropriate with the Yankees taking away their tickets for Game 5. ‘’As I understand it, they got…
The Major League Baseball Players Association said it is monitoring the Yankees' response to the incident.
"The MLBPA takes Player safety and security very seriously, including and especially at the ballpark," MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said in a statement. "As with every incident at the ballpark that affects Players, we have been in regular contact with League security officials since last night's incident and will be closely tracking both the response to that incident and the protective measures taken going forward, beginning tonight."
As for Betts, the superstar outfielder didn't seem terribly interested in addressing the situation in depth when asked about it by reporters on Tuesday night.
Mookie Betts wasn’t interested in talking about the incident with the two fans in the first inning, calling it “irrelevant” to the final result of the game. pic.twitter.com/t1TJKdvG25
"When it comes to the first-inning play, it doesn't matter," he said. "We lost. It's irrelevant. I'm fine, he's fine, everything's cool. We lost the game, and that's what I'm kinda focused on. We gotta turn the page and get ready for tomorrow."
The Dodgers currently lead the World Series, 3-1, with Game 5's first pitch scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.
Yankees Rumors: Pete Alonso, Bregman, Santander Linked If Juan Soto Leaves in MLB FA
Oct 30, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Yankees doubles during the eighth inning of Game Four of the 2024 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees want to re-sign Juan Soto during the upcoming offseason.
But they reportedly have no shortage of backup options if they cannot.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Wednesday that Soto remains the team's "top priority" but listed Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman and Anthony Santander as other potential offensive options.
Heyman also highlighted Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, Max Fried, Jack Flaherty, Yusei Kikuchi and Sean Manaea as pitchers the Yankees could pursue and noted the American League East team believes it could sign three or four impact stars if Soto joins another club.
Alonso immediately jumps out given his connection to the Big Apple as a member of the New York Mets.
He would certainly help make up for some of the lost power if Soto signs elsewhere, as his 34 home runs this season marked the fourth straight year he surpassed the 30 long ball mark. He also led the league with 53 home runs in 2019 as the National League Rookie of the Year.
Still, a lineup featuring Aaron Judge, Alonso and Giancarlo Stanton would be somewhat repetitive with right-handed sluggers. That would make it easier for opposing teams to attack the Yankees in key situations with right-handed bullpen arms.
Part of Soto's value is that he breaks up Judge and Stanton as a powerful left-handed hitter.
Heyman called the Bronx Bombers the "favorites to sign Soto since they are MLB's highest-revenue team and he generally seems to be enjoying his time here." But he also noted the Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers could be viable suitors who are willing to dish out the massive contract it will surely take.
Soto is just 26 years old and already has a resume that includes a World Series title, a batting title, four Silver Sluggers and four All-Star nods.
He launched 41 home runs and tallied 109 RBI in his first season with the Yankees and has largely thrived in the postseason while slashing .319/.441/.638 with four home runs and nine RBI through 13 games.
The Yankees are a World Series team with Soto and want to remain that way in 2025. But their fans can at least take solace knowing there are contingency plans in place to make sure there is still star power in New York.
Yankees Fans Who Interfered with Mookie Betts Banned from MLB World Series Game 5
Oct 30, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Fans interfere with Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers as he attempts to catch a fly ball in foul territory during the first inning of Game Four of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The play resulted in an out. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees have banned the fans who interfered with Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts in Game 4 from attending Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night.
"Tonight marks the final home game of the year, and we want every ounce of our fans' passion on display," the team said in a statement. "Yankee Stadium is known for its energy and intensity, however the exuberance of supporting one's team can never cross the line into intentionally putting players at physical risk.
"The Yankees and Major League Baseball maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward the type of behavior displayed last night. These fans will not be permitted to attend tonight's game in any capacity."
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com noted the Yankees said the tickets will be re-distributed to a pediatric cancer patient and his family.
The play occurred in the bottom of the first when Yankees leadoff hitter Gleyber Torres hit a fly ball into foul territory. Betts jumped before hitting the wall to make the catch, but two fans grabbed at his glove attempting to dislodge the ball. One of them held Betts' arm while trying to get the ball out.
"Well, A for effort."
Fan interference was called on this play where a Yankee fan tried to take the ball out of Mookie Betts' glove after an out. pic.twitter.com/iZ6taImncd
The fans were immediately ejected from the stadium for their actions.
After the game, ESPN's Jesse Rogers spoke to the fan who held Betts' arm. The fan, Austin Capobianco, is a Yankees season ticket holder and said he and the other fan, John Peter, have talked about this potential scenario happening with a foul ball in the past.
"We always joke about the ball in our area," Capobianco, 38, said at a local bar after the game. "We're not going to go out of our way to attack. If it's in our area, we're going to 'D' up. Someone defends, someone knocks the ball. We talk about it. We're willing to do this."
The umpires ruled fan interference on the play and Torres was ruled out. Betts was visibly angry on the field about the situation, but he downplayed it after the game.
"When it comes to the person in play, it doesn't matter," Betts said. "We lost. It's irrelevant. I'm fine. He's fine. Everything's cool. We lost the game and that's what I'm kind of focused on. We got to turn the page and get ready for tomorrow."
The Yankees were able to keep their season alive for at least one more game with an 11-4 win over the Dodgers in Game 4. Wednesday's game will be the last one at Yankee Stadium for the 2024 season, regardless of the outcome.
If the Yankees win Game 5, the series will shift back to Los Angeles for at least one more game. The Dodgers can win their second World Series title in the last five seasons with one more victory.
Jazz Chisholm Jr.: Yankees Can 'Shock the World,' Make Historic World Series Comeback
Oct 30, 2024
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 28: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees looks on prior to Game 3 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Monday, October 28, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
After the New York Yankees stayed alive in the 2024 World Series with an 11-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 on Tuesday night, third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. expressed confidence that the Yanks have what it takes to come all the way back.
Although no team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in the World Series, Chisholm noted that the Yankees have belief they can make it happen, telling reporters:
"I still think we can shock the world. I think the one thing about us is we love history and we love to make history, so for us we're out here trying to make history right now. We know it's never been done, a 3-0 comeback, but we feel like we're the team that can do it."
"One thing about us, we love history. And we love to make history."
By virtue of Tuesday's win, the Yankees forced a Game 5 on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, which will see New York start ace Gerrit Cole against Jack Flaherty.
After ranking first in Major League Baseball in home runs and third in scoring during the regular season, the Bronx Bombers were listless offensively over the first three games of the World Series, scoring a total of seven runs.
They exploded for 11 runs in Game 4, though, on the strength of three homers and six extra-base hits overall.
After falling behind 2-0 on Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman's fourth home run of the World Series, shortstop Anthony Volpe struck the big blow for the Yankees in the third inning, hitting a grand slam that provided them a lead they would never relinquish.
The history of teams going down 3-0 in a seven-game series during the MLB playoffs is well known, as only one team has ever completed such a comeback.
Coincidentally, the Yankees were on the wrong side of it in 2004 when the Boston Red Sox went from 3-0 down to beating their rivals 4-3 in the American League Championship Series.
The Red Sox parlayed that historic comeback into their first World Series win since 1918, breaking the 86-year Curse of the Bambino.
While the Yankees aren't trying to break a supposed curse, it has been 15 years since their last World Series championship, which is a lengthy drought for a franchise with 27 all-time titles.
In fact, it is the Yankees' longest World Series drought since going 18 years between titles from 1978 to 1996.
The Yankees already cleared one significant hurdle, as they were the first team since 1970 to go down 3-0 in the World Series and win Game 4. The previous nine teams in that situation were swept, per StatMuse.
Of course, the Yankees looked to have the pitching advantage on paper on Tuesday with Luis Gil going up against a conglomeration of Dodgers bullpen pitchers, but the matchup should favor New York again in Game 5.
New York is throwing its ace in six-time All-Star and reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole, while the Dodgers are countering with Flaherty, who was a trade deadline acquisition.
The Dodgers came out on top with the same matchup in Game 1, but it took a walk-off grand slam from Freddie Freeman off Yankees lefty Nestor Cortes, who had not pitched in a month.
Cole figures to give Yankees manager Aaron Boone as much length as he needs in a must-win situation, and if New York prevails in Game 5, the series will head back to L.A. with some of the pressure shifting toward the Dodgers.
How the Yankees Can Come Back to Stun Dodgers and Make MLB World Series History
Kerry Miller
Oct 30, 2024
New York's Anthony Volpe and Aaron Judge
Heading into Game 4 of the World Series, the New York Yankees seemed deader than disco.
Historically speaking, the series ended in Game 3.
Of the 24 previous World Series in which one team jumped out to a 3-0 lead, 21 ended in sweeps, and the other three ended in Game 5.
Forget about actually completing the comeback. No one had even really threatened to pull it off.
And there was nothing about the Yankees' vibe in the previous two games that suggested they would be one of those teams to force a fifth game.
Though every game came down to the wire, nothing could go right as they continued to reel from Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam in Game 1.
The Dodgers turned duck snorts into runs; the Yankees ran into outs at the plate when they weren't too busy striking out in the first place.
Freeman continued to rake, driving in as many runs in the series (seven) as the Yankees had scored as a team through three games.
That trend continued in earnest early in Game 4. For the second consecutive night, Freeman delivered a two-run dinger before the Yankees even saw a pitch. One inning later, a baserunning blunder resulted in New York leaving a run on the board.
Lather, rinse, repeat...sweep?
Not so fast.
In the blink of an eye—quick as a fox—something changed.
In a moment that felt *kind of* similar to former Red Sox speedster, current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stealing that base in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, Anthony Volpe broke the dam with a two-out grand slam in the third inning, turning the Dodgers' bullpen game into a heavily-watched batting practice en route to an 11-4 victory.
Austin Wells launched a moon shot. Gleyber Torres got a hold of one, too. And Aaron Judge delivered perhaps an incredibly meaningful meaningless RBI single in pushing the Yankees' lead to its final margin.
Just one game that won't change anything in the grand scheme?
Or the first big step on an unlikely journey to something historic?
Getting the Series Back to LA
The next step starts with Gerrit Cole, both literally and figuratively.
New York had no answer for Los Angeles' $325 million ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in Game 2, but the Yankees could make this a series again if their $324 million ace does his thing in Game 5.
Though they ultimately squandered his effort, Cole was on point in Game 1, allowing just one run in six innings of work. Maybe it wasn't vintage Gerrit Cole with just four strikeouts, but he battled and he shut down a loaded LA lineup a whole heck of a lot better than any other Yankees starter has managed thus far.
Cole has now made four starts this postseason with a 2.82 ERA, after closing out the regular season with a 2.25 ERA over his final 10 outings.
One more gem in Game 5 wouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.
Maybe they'll let him empty the tank in this one, too, after he (and Derek Jeter) were frustrated with Aaron Boone's decision to lift him after just 88 pitches.
The Offense Has Risen From the Dead
And now the Yankees bats are awake, which is a scary proposition for the Dodgers.
Austin Wells
Judge isn't all the way there yet, but he's at least beginning to stir, getting on base three times via a hit-by-pitch, walk and the aforementioned RBI single.
He didn't strike out in Game 4, after whiffing in 14 of his previous 25 ABs.
That's a start.
Getting what they did from the bottom of the lineup Tuesday night was massive, though. Volpe and Wells had been a combined 2-for-22 with 11 strikeouts in the first three games before exploding for four extra-base hits.
They can replicate that, too. The July/August version of Wells practically ran away with the AL Rookie of the Year vote. Volpe hit .382 with a 1.041 OPS through his first 15 games this season, before putting up marks of .373 and 1.078, respectively, in his first 14 games after the All-Star Break.
They're normally tertiary characters in the Yankees' 2024 story, but when either one gets into a groove, watch out.
Even if the No. 7 and 8 hitters don't continue to rake, maybe just seeing that it can happen will take some of the weight of the world off Judge's shoulders, leading to the type of tear through the final three games and one AB of the series that Freeman had for the first three games and one AB.
Goodness knows it can happen quickly with the surefire 2024 MVP Judge, and Roberts' decision to let Brent Honeywell Jr. pitch to him in the eighth inning may have been a big mistake.
Remember that 16-game homerless streak late in the regular season, which was followed by seven home runs in the span of 35 at-bats?
Or the taters he mashed in back-to-back games against the Guardians a couple weeks ago?
For all the criticism heaped upon the home run king thus far in October, he could 'All Rise' to a World Series MVP with a strong final chapter in a historic comeback.
Dodgers Are Still Vulnerable
And, friends, let's not forget our minimal faith in the Dodgers' starting rotation heading into this World Series. Yamamoto's postseason ERA was north of 5.00. Walker Buehler was sitting at 6.00. Jack Flaherty was above 7.00.
Jack Flaherty
All of those picks of Dodgers in 6 or Dodgers in 7 were rooted in the assumption that their high-octane offense would simply outscore the Yankees.
Instead, those Dodgers bats have been—aside from Freeman, of course—kind of...bad?
Shohei Ohtani is clearly not right with that left shoulder injury. Max Muncy hasn't been able to buy a hit in the World Series after that incredible on-base streak in the NLCS. And though they have scored at least four runs in every game of this series, the Dodgers have yet to score five in regulation and have mustered one run against the Yankees bullpen over the past three games.
If this trend continues, is that amount of scoring going to be enough to bury the Yankees?
Or, if it continues while Flaherty gets lit up in Game 5 and the Yanks chase Yamamoto early in Game 6, will it bury the Dodgers?
Listen, it would be fitting for Flaherty to waltz into Yankee Stadium Wednesday night and shove seven scoreless innings down their throats after they balked at trading for him over concerns about his medical records.
However, if his Game 5 outing of the World Series looks anything like his Game 5 outing of the NLCS (3 IP, 8 ER) and the Yankees become the first team in World Series history to force a Game 6 after trailing 3-0, suddenly anything becomes possible back in LA.
It's still quite unlikely to happen. DraftKings has the Yankees at +600 to win the series even after Game 4.
Before this series even began, though, I warned y'all that weird stuff always seems to happen in the Fall Classic in presidential election years.
Even if they ultimately fall short of winning it, New York's rallying from a 3-0 deficit to force what could be the greatest Game 7 of all time would certainly qualify.
Sure would be a comeback worthy of its own documentary one day...
MLB Fan Predicts Yankees' World Series Game 4 Win vs. Dodgers in Viral 2016 Post
Oct 30, 2024
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: Aaron Judge #99 and Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees celebrate with Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 and Anthony Volpe #11 after winning Game 4 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
It's nearly impossible to predict the outcome of the World Series at the beginning of the season, let alone years in advance.
However, one baseball fan had no trouble predicting how the 2024 World Series would go in 2016.
After the New York Yankees beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the Fall Classic on Tuesday, a 2016 post resurfaced in which a fan correctly predicted the result.
"2024 World Series. Yankees v Dodgers," the fan posted on X. "Game 4 Yankees with a blow out."
2024 World Series Yankees v dodgers Game 4 Yankees with a blow out
The Dodgers took a 3-0 lead in the series, but in Game 4—as the fan predicted—the Yankees won 11-4 in dominant fashion.
There's no telling how the fan knew what would happen—it was probably a lucky guess—but fans were blown away by the wildly accurate prediction.
Some fans replied asking if their respective teams were due for a World Series in 2025, while Yankees fans were more concerned with whether a comeback was in the cards for them this year.
The fan hasn't provided any updates since the post went viral, so it seems New York fans will have to wait to find out their fate.
The Yankees will need a historic comeback to erase the 3-0 deficit against the Dodgers, but a big win in Game 4 has the momentum shifting toward them. After sluggish offensive performances in the first three games of the series, New York's bats woke up on Tuesday and scored 11 runs, the most so far in the postseason for the Yankees.
New York will look to keep that magic going on Wednesday as the series stays in the Bronx.
Anthony Volpe: 'I Blacked Out' After Grand Slam to Help Yankees Beat Dodgers in WS G4
Oct 30, 2024
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees hits a grand slam in the third inning during Game 4 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe didn't know in the moment he had delivered the pivotal hit in his team's 11-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series.
"I didn't know. I was hustling," he said during Fox's postgame show. "I didn't know I got it, but, and then I blacked out right when it went out."
In the second inning, Volpe may have kept a run off the board when he failed to properly read the trajectory of Austin Wells' double to deep center. At the very least, Volpe could've easily scored, and Wells might've even had a triple if his teammate hadn't hesitated so much on the basepath.
"That's completely on me, it's not a hard read. One we practice, one that Little Leaguers make. But Dugie picked me up"
That was all forgotten when the middle infielder cleared the fences.
Volpe capped off his performance by helping to manufacture another run in the eighth. He stretched a single into a double, stole third, and then came home on a fielder's choice.
For now, Volpe is the toast of New York. It's a storybook outcome for somebody who grew up in New Jersey rooting for the Yankees.
Anthony Volpe says Yankee Stadium chanting his name in the 9th inning of World Series Game 4 is the #1 coolest moment in his life pic.twitter.com/RpSowH63r3
However, his heroics will be lost to history for the most part if New York winds up losing this World Series, which is one downside to playing for this franchise. By and large, Yankees players don't become October legends for almost winning it all.
Should the Yanks go on to lift their 28th title and achieve the impossible — no team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in the Fall Classic — then Volpe's grand slam will take on mythic proportions as the moment when the offense roared back to life.
Anthony Volpe Grand Slam, Yankees Offense Energize MLB Fans in WS G4 Win vs. Dodgers
Oct 30, 2024
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: Giancarlo Stanton #27 and Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees celebrate after Volpe's grand slam in the third inning of Game 4 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The New York Yankees aren't waving the white flag just yet.
The Bronx Bombers extended the 2024 World Series with an 11-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman quickly quieted the Yankee Stadium crowd with a two-run homer in the first.
The home team got a run back in the second before shortstop Anthony Volpe hit a grand slam in the third.
The American League champions tacked on additional insurance runs in the eighth, three of which came off the bat of second baseman Gleyber Torres.
Volpe is an example of the fine margins between being the hero or the goat in the postseason.
In the bottom of the second, it looked like he might've cost New York a run with his sloppy baserunning. What could've been an RBI triple by Wells was instead a double that put runners on second and third. While Volpe scored on a fielder's choice, the Yankees only got one run when they might've been able to tie the game.
New York needed some unsung heroes to step up considering Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton combined to have two hits, both of which came when the outcome was pretty much decided.
The supporting cast more than delivered to compensate.
This one is turning into a blowout. Gleyber Torres just hit a three-run, opposite-field home run, and the Yankees have put up a four-spot in the eighth inning to extend their lead to 10-4. Yankee Stadium is alive. And Game 5 is only three outs away.
I am very interested to see the Yankees lineup go against this Dodgers starting rotation a second time. Cole needs to keep the game close obviously to give the offense a chance to eat.
I understand, intellectually, why Dave Roberts just punted this game, but it certainly doesn't feel like a great idea to let every single Yankees hitter get well and regain confidence like this.
Because Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made this a bullpen game from the outset, there was always the chance it would get away from Los Angeles in a big way. New York's offensive outburst could prove to be an anomaly.
Ask the San Diego Padres how much a blowout victory against the Dodgers can mean toward the series as a whole.
Jack Flaherty is scheduled to oppose Gerrit Cole on Wednesday night. The L.A. right-hander has allowed 14 earned runs in 20.2 innings in these playoffs. If the Yankees can jump on Flaherty early, their seemingly impossible comeback bid gets a little bit closer to a reality.
