NEW YORK— The New York Yankees have woken up.

A little late.

The Yankees mauled and crushed the Dodgers Tuesday night in Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, averting a sweep with an 11-4 victory.

There’s not much to see here.

One night when two Yankees fans literally ripped a foul ball out of Mookie Betts’ glove, the Yankees were desperate.

On a night when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts used Ben Casparius to start and Landon Knack to cover four innings and Brent Honeywell to end, the Dodgers were cautious.

“At the end of the day, we’re still in a pretty good place and feeling good,” Roberts said.

One night when Anthony Volpe set the tone by running into Daniel Hudson’s hanging slider in the third inning and putting it into the left-field stands for a grand slam, the Yankees were inspired.

On a night when Freddie Freeman’s celebrated two-run homer in the first inning didn’t come close to scoring, the Dodgers were mostly meh.

“We were really high, we were excited, but those guys unfortunately answered back,” Roberts said. “It was a good ball game until it wasn’t.”

From the moment Aaron Judge sent the raucous crowd into a game-long tizzy when he angrily reacted to being hit in the hand by a Hudson pitch in the third inning, the Yankees were on attack.

From the moment it was clear their mound would be filled with the back of their bullpen, the Dodgers mostly watched and waited.

“We don’t have a choice right now, we’re just going one pitch at a time,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Compete, leave it all out there. And we did that very well today.”

This loss isn’t a big deal for the Dodgers because they purposely didn’t leave it all out. For the third time this postseason, comfortable with their lead and protecting their high-leverage relievers for later games, the Dodgers punted.

That’s right, the Dodgers punted.

It sounds crazy. It sounds risky. It sounds like the Dodgers are equating Game 4 of the World Series with a spring training battle, but guess what? It works. Two punts helped them to a four-game-to-two victory over the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series.

If you don’t have a decent fourth starting pitching option, you have no choice but to play a bullpen game. And when you have a three-games-to-zero lead, it’s understandable and even reasonable to protect your best relievers if that bullpen play suddenly falls apart.

Yankees catcher Austin Wells sees his solo home run off a pitch from Dodger Landon Knack during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankees Stadium Tuesday.

(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

Punting has worked for them before, and it will work here too. The Dodgers are still firmly in control.

“We knew it was a bullpen game,” Roberts said. “As far as outcomes go, to have six guys in your cage who feel good and rested, I feel good about that. And a 3-1 lead, yes.”

Roberts was definitely excited about having relievers like Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Alex Vesia and Anthony Banda ready for Wednesday’s Game 5.

“I feel great, I feel great,” he said. “It’s about the guys you have available. Some of those guys are… they’re all rested. So we have guys who can do up-down.

It’s still all up to the Dodgers, who still lead the Series as Roberts referenced, while the history of their previous lead hasn’t changed – no team has come back from a three-games-to-none deficit to win a World Series win.

While most teams crumble under the weight of three against zero (the previous nine poor souls were wiped out), there is also a different kind of history on the Dodgers’ side.

No team trailing by three games to zero has even forced a Game 6.

So this motherfucker lives to fight another day, Wednesday night here, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole vs. Dodgers ace Jack Flaherty. They’ve met before in this Series, and it was essentially a draw, and it should be again.

Flaherty, the Dodgers’ late-season savior, held the Yankees to two runs in 5⅓ innings in the opener, while Cole held the Dodgers to one run in six innings.

But the Dodgers will have the advantage for two main reasons.

First, the Yankees’ best relievers won’t be working on any rest — they were all understandably used by their flailing manager on Tuesday — while the Dodgers’ best relievers will be ready to hit the ground running.

Second, for all the Yankees’ roar on Tuesday — they had nine hits with three home runs — their best slugger still wasn’t slugging. Judge went one for three, giving him two hits in 15 at-bats in the Series. And if he can’t rake, the Yankees can’t recover.

Flaherty said: “I’m not worried about how things have gone so far. I’m just afraid I’ll try to get another one.’

Cole replied, “Hey, we’re still in the World Series. Hey, we’re in the Bronx. We still have a shot at this.”

No, they don’t. History will be made someday, but it won’t be here.

The Dodgers played it smart, if strangely, on a night when the Yankees’ valiant effort could be summed up in two words.

So what.