With their backs against the wall, the New York Yankees kept their World Series hopes alive with an 11-4 Game 4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the process, the Yankees accomplished a World Series feat not seen in over 50 years.
New York forced a Game 5 after trailing 3-0 for the first time since the 1970 Cincinnati Reds. There had been nine sweeps since Cincinnati’s Game 4 win, via Sarah Langs of MLB.com.
The Reds did end up losing the 1970 World Series in five games. The Yankees are looking for a different outcome and are hoping their season-saving win leads to a new spark inside the organization.
New York certainly found a spark when Anthony Volpe stepped to the plate in the bottom of the third inning. With the bases loaded, Volpe hit a momentous grand slam, giving the Yankees a 5-2 lead.
The Dodgers scratched and clawed their way back, cutting the lead to 5-4 after the fifth inning. However, the Yankees weren’t prepared to squander their opportunity. Catcher Austin Wells hit a mammoth solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. It was the first of six unanswered runs for the Yankees, five of them coming in the bottom of the eighth inning.
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Even with their win, New York still has plenty of work to do if they want to actually win the World Series. Tuesday’s victory marked the first of four straight the Yankees will need if they want to steal the championship ring away from the Dodgers. However, after losing three straight games, New York is hopeful the tides of momentum are now swaying in their favor.
They’ll have an opportunity to make it two straight wins in Game 5 on Wednesday night. Gerrit Cole will be on the mound for the Yankees. While they can’t expect a Volpe grand slam every night, New York simply wants to keep the good times rolling.