World Series Game 4 Takeaways: Yankees Roar Back to Life Behind Volpe’s Grand Slam
The New York Yankees will live to play one more day. Facing a potential World Series sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers, they managed to rally, taking Game 4 by a score of 11–4 to climb back to a 3–1 deficit in the series. Highlighted by a grand slam from shortstop Anthony Volpe, the offense finally came alive for New York, taking advantage of a bullpen game by Los Angeles. That sets up one more game in the Bronx on Wednesday.
Here are three takeaways from the action:
The Bottom of the Yankees Lineup Delivers
Volpe’s grand slam was the sort of moment the Yankees had been desperate for in this series. Here was not just a big hit, but a critically timely one, and from an unexpected source.
The 23-year-old shortstop has gone through his share of ups and downs this year. (Including in the second inning on Tuesday, when he drew a walk and put himself in scoring position with a steal, only to fail to make it home on a double because of a baserunning blunder.) But he authored the defining moment of his young career with his grand slam in the third inning. It erased an early Dodgers lead and paved the way for a Yankees victory. And it was just one piece of an incredible night for the bottom of this lineup.
No. 7 hitter Volpe finished 2-for-3 with his homer, a double, a walk and two steals, becoming the first player ever to collect four RBIs and two stolen bases in a World Series game. The only hitter who nearly matched that production? No. 8 hitter Austin Wells. The catcher has struggled at the plate all October. Yet he, too, was 2-for-3 with a home run, double, walk and a steal. (The pair executed a double steal in the eighth inning.) The Yankees needed a big night from their bats. They certainly got it—anchored by some unlikely hitters.
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The Dodgers’ Bullpen Saves its Best Arms
The Dodgers’ lack of healthy starters has meant that every postseason round includes a bullpen game or two. While the approach has generally worked for them—including in the clinching game of the NLCS—this one was more of a slog. They began with rookie Ben Casparius, making his first career start, before giving the ball to Daniel Hudson, who gave up the grand slam to Volpe, and then Landon Knack.
Yet they were able to get something crucial there. With the Dodgers trailing, Knack was able to eat up the middle of the game, throwing four innings while allowing one run. He was followed by Brent Honeywell, Jr., who let the game break open for the Yankees. This was certainly not the ideal scenario for the Dodgers. (That would have been completing the sweep to win the World Series.) But this was the ideal way to lose.
It kept the Dodgers from having to use any of their high-leverage relief arms. The Yankees did not see Alex Vesia, or Ryan Brasier, or Anthony Banda, or Michael Kopech, or Blake Treinen. The Dodgers would have preferred not to have a Game 5. But if they were going to have one, this was exactly how they would have liked to set it up.
Aaron Judge—Kind of—Finds a Way Through His Slump
Judge spent the first seven innings of Game 4 getting on base every way but hitting. He worked a walk, got hit by a pitch and put himself in position to benefit from a grounder bobbled by Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman.
It was not exactly a dream performance. But it beat what Judge had been doing in almost every other game this October.
And finally, in the eighth inning, with Honeywell on mop-up duty for the Dodgers, the slugger connected for some good contact. With an RBI single to left field, Judge had his first hit since Game 1, and he was greeted with resounding cheers from the home crowd. This was not an emphatic slumpbuster. But it was, at the very least, something different, and much, much better.