2 weeks Ago By Reuters
NEW YORK, USA – New York native Anthony Volpe smashed a grand slam to keep the Yankees’ World Series hopes alive as the Bronx Bombers bludgeoned the Los Angeles Dodgers, 11-4, in Game 4 on Tuesday, October 29 (Wednesday, October 30, Manila time). The 23-year-old shortstop grew up idolizing the Yankees and was the hero New York needed in front of a sold-out home crowd, blasting a home run 390 feet to center field in the third inning and running home again in the eighth. Outfielder Alex Verdugo added an RBI and catcher Austin Wells recorded a solo home run, while second baseman Gleyber Torres got a three-run homer.
Slugger Aaron Judge finally came alive after a dismal series with an RBI. “I pretty much blacked out as soon as I saw it go over the fence,” said Volpe, who was among the huge crowds that watched the Yankees parade the last time they won the championship in 2009. “We just want to keep putting pressure on them, and I think everyone had confidence in everyone in the lineup that someone was going to get the big hit.
” With the Dodgers’ advantage in the series narrowed to 3-1, the teams play once more in New York for Game 5 on Wednesday, October 30. Bizarre turn No team have ever recovered from 0-3 down in the World Series and the Dodgers looked in control as Freddie Freeman smashed one over the right-field wall to take the 2-0 lead in the first inning, becoming the first man to homer in the first four games of the Fall Classic. The evening took a bizarre turn when a fan grabbed Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts by the wrist and tried to wrest the ball from his mitt as the All-Star hopped up for a catch along the right field line.
"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 — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2024 Outfielder Alex Verdugo injected some life into the crowd as he batted in Volpe to trim the Dodgers’ lead in the second inning, as the desperate New York fans let out a deafening roar. With the bases loaded in the next inning, Volpe answered their prayers with a monster homer that soared over center field as his family watched from the stands.
“Hopefully when we win the World Series and I’m with family, we can all reflect on everything,” he said. “It was just a big game.” The Dodgers clawed back some of the momentum in the fifth with catcher Will Smith’s solo homer and an RBI from Freeman, but could not close the deficit as they were forced to run a bullpen game.
Wells added the insurance run in the sixth, Volpe scored off a double from Verdugo, Torres added three more runs to the board and Judge sent right fielder Juan Soto home in a productive eighth inning. Fourth youngest At 23 years, 184 days, Volpe became the fourth-youngest player with a World Series grand slam according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Only Mickey Mantle (1953 Yankees), Addison Russell (2016 Chicago Cubs) and Gil McDougald (1951 Yankees) were younger when they achieved the feat.
“He’s had his ups and downs offensively,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Volpe, who is hitting .273 (12-for-44) in his first postseason. “I’m convinced that some of the adjustments he made this year will serve him well in the long term.
I think we’re starting to see that here in the playoffs with the level of at-bats he’s putting out.” As Volpe rounded the bases, teammates pounded on the dugout rail and FOX cameras showed New York’s Juan Soto hugging teammate Jose Trevino. After crossing the plate, Volpe was greeted with high-fives.
“That was sick,” said Austin Wells, the Yankees catcher and Volpe’s close friend. “When he hit that ball, I knew it was hard off the bat and we were going to score some runs.” Volpe entered the at-bat 1-for-12 in the series, though he had scored New York’s first run on Alex Verdugo’s groundout in the second after drawing a walk.
Volpe also doubled in the eighth, took third on the front end of a double steal and scored on a fielder’s-choice grounder by Verdugo. Before Volpe’s slam, Los Angeles’ Freeman set a pair of records by hitting a two-run homer off rookie Luis Gil in the first inning. After a double by Mookie Betts, Freeman lined a 2-1 slider into the right field seats, becoming the first player to hit home runs in the first four games of a World Series and the first to homer in six straight World Series games overall.
“We were excited,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. “Those guys unfortunately answered back. It was a good ballgame until it wasn’t.
” – Rappler.com.
