World Series 2024: Volpe slam sparks comeback as Yankees beat Dodgers 11-4

NEW YORK (AP) – Anthony Volpe's grand slam in the third inning overcame Freddie Freeman's record-setting home run and the New York Yankees avoided a World Series victory with an 11-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night that forced a Game 5.

Freeman hit a home run for the sixth straight time in the Seriesscored a two-run drive in the first inning for the second straight time, once again stunning the Yankee Stadium crowd.

Looking to become the first team to overcome a 3-0 series deficit, New York prevailed 5-2 on Alex Verdugo's RBI grounder in the second and Volpe's drive off Daniel Hudson in the third. Volpe turned on a first-pitch slider on his knees and drove it into the left field seats.

“I was hectic. I didn’t know I had it,” Volpe said. “And then I passed out.”

Volpe scored New York's first run when he walked after a 2-0 deficit in the second inning and came home despite an uncharacteristic baserunning error that could have cost the Yankees a run. He also doubled and stole two bases.

“Great. Volpe, he did everything tonight,” said Gleyber Torres.

Austin Wells and Torres hit home runs for the Yankees, who opened the game with a five-run eighth. New York had scored just seven runs in its first three games.

“Goodnight to us and we’ll get another opportunity tomorrow,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Los Angeles finished 6-4 in a two-run fifth that included Will Smith's home run off starter Luis Gil and an RBI grounder by Freeman. Despite a sprained right ankle, Freeman was able to hit a relay to avoid an inning-ending double play that was originally ruled out but was reversed in a video review.

Wells hit a second-deck home run in the sixth against Landon Knack, and Verdugo added another run-scoring grounder in the eighth before Torres hit a three-run home run against Brent Honeywell.

Tim Hill, winning pitcher Clay Holmes, Mark Leiter Jr., Luke Weaver and Tim Mayza managed five innings of one-hit relief with seven strikeouts in a row, and the Yankees avoided what would have been their first Series loss since 1976 .

Game 5 takes place on Wednesday night, with Yankees star Gerrit Cole and the Dodgers' Jack Flaherty meeting in a rematch of Game 1.

“Gerrit is the best pitcher in the game. We really believe in him,” Torres said. “But we have to do the job just like we did tonight so we don’t have to put all the pressure on him.”

New York's Aaron Judge drove in his first run of the series with an RBI single in the eighth and is 2 for 15 in the four games. Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani is also 2 for 15 after going 1 for 4 with a single had scored, his first hit since then his left shoulder partially severed in game 2.

21 of the previous 24 teams that took a 3-0 series lead won the series, all but the 1910 Philadelphia Athletics over the Chicago Cubs, the 1937 Yankees over the New York Giants, and the 1970 Baltimore Orioles against the Cincinnati Reds. All three of those series ended in five games.

The 2004 Boston Red Sox, caused by a base steal by current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, are the only team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in one round and beat the Yankees in the AL Championship Series.

New York ended a seven-game losing streak against the Dodgers in 1981. The Yankees got their first seven RBIs from the bottom three hitters in their batting order, Volpe, Wells and Verdugo, who went 4-for-32 with three RBIs the series.

“I don’t think anyone expected these guys to lay down. We had some offense that I thought could have been better, but we knew it was a bullpen game,” Roberts said. “As far as results go, it feels good for me to have six guys in my stable who are feeling good and rested.”

Freeman hit a home run when he sent a slider from Gil into the short porch in right field after Mookie Betts' one-out double. He became the first player to hit a home run in the first four games of a World Series, and his streak of long balls in six straight games is one more than Houston's George Springer in 2017 and 2019.

Freeman's walk-off grand slam with two outs in the 10th inning turned over the opener and gave the Dodgers a 6-3 victory. The Yankees hadn't led since.

Volpe walked rookie Ben Casparias in the second, reached third on Wells' double off the centerfield wall and scored on Verdugo's groundout.

Losing pitcher Hudson loaded the bases in the third when Judge hit a pitch with one out, Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a single off the right field wall and Giancarlo Stanton walked. Anthony Rizzo jumped out and Volpe scored a record sixth Slam of the postseason.

NEXT

Cole allowed one run over six-plus innings in the opener – Kiké Hernández tripled in the fifth when right fielder Juan Soto took a bad route and then scored on Smith's sacrifice fly. Flaherty gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings, including a two-run home run from Stanton.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB