NEW YORK – Anthony Volpe was still wearing his dirt-stained pinstripes 20 minutes into Game 4 of the World Series. He had just experienced a moment he described as the coolest of his young life, when 49,354 fans at Yankee Stadium chanted his name after his grand slam in a season-saving 11-4 victory for the New York Yankees over the Los Angeles Dodgers catalyzed. For Volpe, the entire evening tended toward the surreal.

“I think I blacked out when I saw him go over the fence,” he said.

For the Yankees, Volpe’s dream marked the end of a nightmare in the Fall Classic. With a blast in the third inning on Tuesday, Volpe gave the Yankees a lead for the first time since Game 1. From then on, the bullpen hung tight and kept the Dodgers at bay, while the lineup produced a late scoring spurt to force Game 5. Wednesday in the Bronx. The Yankees became only the fourth team in baseball history and the first since 1970 to avoid a sweep in the World Series when they fell behind 3-0. No team trailing 3-0 has ever forced a Game 6.

Wednesday’s game will be a rematch of starters from Game 1, when Yankees great Gerrit Cole dueled with Dodgers midseason addition Jack Flaherty in an instant classic at Dodger Stadium. It took 10 innings to complete the opener of this series. From there, the Dodgers emerged on the brink of the sweep before Volpe took Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson deep. For the rest of the evening, the crowd serenaded Volpe, a New Jersey boy who grew up rooting for the Yankees and idolizing Derek Jeter, excited that the season wasn’t over yet.

For Game 5, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will have his full ensemble of high-leverage relievers available after holstering them on Tuesday. Yankees manager Aaron Boone gets a chance to take his team one step closer to a shocking comeback.

“We wanted to make it tomorrow, and we did it,” Boone said. “I’m happy for the opportunity tomorrow.”

For the first time in the Fall Classic, the Yankees responded when they were hurt by the Dodgers. Volpe’s slam followed another home run in the first inning by Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. After the Dodgers cut the Yankees’ lead to one, rookie catcher Austin Wells launched a solo shot to open the sixth inning and give the bullpen more breathing room. Volpe and Wells pulled off a double steal in the eighth and both scored, the latter on a three-run homer by second baseman Gleyber Torres that softened the edge. The Yankees scandalized Dodgers mop-up man Brent Honeywell for five runs in the eighth, including an RBI single by slumping slugger Aaron Judge, who is batting .133 for the series.

THE @YANKEES BET 10 RUNS #WORLDSERIES GAME 4! pic.twitter.com/qfkORDE5NX

— MLB (@MLB) October 30, 2024

The Dodgers opened the evening in point formation. Before the game, Roberts discussed the importance of height with two rookie pitchers, Ben Casparius and Landon Knack. Casparius pitched in his seventh big league-game, with four appearances in October. Knack made twelve starts during the regular season, but was defeated by the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series.

The rookies inherited a lead. For the second night in a row, Freeman delivered a two-run homer in the first inning. He lifted a slider from Yankees starter Luis Gil to the right-field porch in a replay of his leadoff hit in Game 3.

“Everyone was talking today about, ‘You guys just got to score first, score first,’” Boone said. ‘Yes, it’s great, but so am I. . . what if we don’t? We can’t win? We just have to play.”

The Yankees overcame a Volpe bases error to score a run in the second. After drawing a walk and stealing second base, Volpe hugged the base when Wells smoked a fastball off the center field wall. Volpe could only advance to third base. “That’s completely up to me,” Volpe said. “It’s not a difficult book, a lesson we practice, a lesson Little Leaguers create.” He was still able to score when outfielder Alex Verdugo hit a soft grounder to the right side, cutting the deficit to one.

For the third, Roberts replaced Casparius with veteran reliever Hudson. The Dodgers prefer to use Hudson in lower leverage situations. He quickly showed why. Hudson drilled Judge with a 95 mph fastball. Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. smoked a single. Hudson walked designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton on six pitches. After an innocent pop-up by first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Volpe stepped in with two outs to load the bases.

Suddenly, Volpe represented an organizational triumph for the Yankees and something of a disappointment. He was considered one of baseball’s best players before making his debut last season at age 21. He won a Gold Glove in the field, but failed to provide much pop with his bat. He wasn’t much more productive in his second season. His OPS dropped a few points, to .657.

Before Tuesday’s game, Boone struck a prophetic tone when asked about Volpe. “I feel like in a few years we’ll look up and see a really, really strong offensive player,” Boone said. “For some people, that doesn’t always happen during a rapid ascent. But I feel like he’s moving the needle in a really good way.

Boone serves as a source of optimism for his team. The words may have felt hollow at 5 p.m. Volpe had not homered since September 21. He went 1-for-12 in the first three games of this series. He still came forward, ready to strike. When Hudson pumped a slider on the first pitch, Volpe pulled the baseball just past the left-field porch for just the second grand slam of his career.

“Just getting a lead was huge tonight.” Wells said. “And he gave that to us, with that one wave.”

The Dodgers didn’t let the Yankees go easily. Gil yielded a leadoff homer to catcher Will Smith in the fifth. He walked his final batter before ceding the stage to funky left-hander Tim Hill. The Dodgers scored a second run in the inning after Shohei Ohtani singled and Freeman beat out a double play ball.

Wells greeted Knack maliciously in the sixth. Knack tried to pump a 90 mph fastball at the top of the strike zone. Wells hit the ball into the second deck of right field. Like Volpe, he was also in the midst of a slump, hitting .093 for October and benched for Game 3. Back in the lineup, he provided two of the biggest swings, a bookend to Volpe’s signature explosion.

The two clubs return to this stage on Wednesday. Both understand the assignment.

“I feel great,” Roberts said. “I feel great.”

Volpe could only hope to replicate his performance from Game 4.

“It’s not going to be easy for us,” he said. ‘Not at all.’

(Photo by Anthony Volpe: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)