World Series Game 4 recap: Yankees defeat Dodgers 11-4 to stay alive
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Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells and Gleyber Torres all hit home runs for the Yankees. The Dodgers remain ahead 3-1 in the series with Game 5 on Wednesday.
Anthony Volpe slides safely into home plate to score in the eighth inning of Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. Luke Hales / Getty Images
Follow along for live coverage of Game 5
The New York Yankees avoided a sweep in the World Series, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 in Game 4 on Tuesday to stay alive.
The Dodgers still lead the best-of-seven battle 3-1, but the Yankees’ bats finally have some juice after a slow start in the Fall Classic.
New York scored only seven runs in the first three games combined before an 11-run outburst Tuesday. Shortstop Anthony Volpe hit a grand slam in the third inning to give the Yankees a 5-2 lead they would never relinquish, while second baseman Gleyber Torres hit a three-run shot in the middle of a five-run eighth inning.
The game started with a familiar script, as Los Angeles first baseman Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer in the top of the first to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. Freeman has hit a homer in every game so far this series, and has a home run in each of his last six World Series games dating back to 2021.
Unlike in Game 3, when Freeman also hit a two-run shot in the first, this time the Yankees came back.
New York outfielder Alex Verdugo drove home a run via fielder’s choice in the bottom of the second to cut the deficit in half. Then Volpe hit his bases-clearing blast an inning later to give them the lead.
Los Angeles chipped away, scoring two runs in the top of the fifth to close the gap to 5-4. But Yankees catcher Austin Wells hit a solo home run in the sixth before New York poured it on in the eighth.
Yankees star Aaron Judge — a leader for AL MVP who has struggled this postseason — even got in on the action, hitting an RBI single for the team’s last run, the first run he’s driven in during the series.
Wells was asked postgame what will need to continue for the Yankees to remain in the series.
“A lot of what happened today,” Wells said. “A lot of good ABs. A lot of moving the lineup over and just trying to get through their pitching staff. It’s going to take a lot.”
Luis Gil started for the Yankees, pitching four innings and giving up four runs.
The Dodgers opted for a bullpen game Tuesday, though they ironically used fewer pitchers than New York. Daniel Hudson, who gave up the grand slam to Volpe, picked up the loss.
Game 5 is Wednesday in the Bronx. Gerrit Cole is in line to start for the Yankees while the Dodgers will turn to Jack Flaherty.
No team in baseball history has come back in the World Series from an 0-3 deficit. Despite facing long odds, Torres said the team is always confident when Cole takes the mound.
“Gerrit is the best pitcher in the game,” Torres said. “We really believe in him. We really believe in what he is capable of doing. But we have to do the job like we did tonight so we don’t have to put all the pressure on him.”
That’s all, folks
The Yankees win Game 4 in an 11-4 blowout as their bats finally come alive, but the Dodgers still lead the World Series 3-1.
Game 5 is Wednesday.
Tim Mayza and Austin Wells congratulate each other after the Yankees won Game 4 on Tuesday. Luke Hales / Getty Images
Yanks up 11-4 after huge eighth
Aaron Judge singled home Juan Soto after the Gleyber Torres homer to give New York an 11-4 lead headed into the ninth.
All signs are pointing to a Game 5.
The Yankees just blew the game open
After Alex Verdugo scored Anthony Volpe on a fielder’s choice, Gleyber Torres hit a three-run homer to give the Yankees a 10-4 lead in the bottom of the eighth.
Gleyber Torres hits a three-run home run in the eighth inning. Sarah Stier / Getty Images
Anthony Volpe slides safely into home plate. Luke Hales / Getty Images
After scoring only seven runs combined in Games 1-3, New York’s bats have come alive in Game 4.
1-2-3 inning for Luke Weaver
Two strikeouts for Luke Weaver in the eighth, who retired the Dodgers in order.
The Yankees will take their 6-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth.
Yanks go down in order
Quick bottom of the seventh, as the Yankees were retired in only 12 pitches.
We head to eighth with New York up 6-4.
Dodgers strand one in the seventh
No runs for the Dodgers in the top of the seventh. Tommy Edman walked, but both Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts struck out while he was on base.
The Yanks still lead 6-4 as we head to the bottom of the inning.
Yanks add one to lead in the sixth
Austin Wells led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo shot to right field, giving the Yankees a 6-4 lead they’ll take to the seventh inning.
Shohei Ohtani's hometown cheers him on
The World Series is a global event, and no country is burning up with baseball fever more than Japan. Viewership numbers are hitting unprecedented levels with fans glued to TV sets at home, smartphones on the way to work, and screens set up in community centers. The obsession is setting records at the same rate as national hero Shohei Ohtani himself.
Students from the baseball team at Shohei Ohtani's old high school watch the World Series at a community center in Hanamaki, Japan. Janis Mackey Frayer / NBC News
Here in Oshu, where Ohtani grew up, baseball is like a religion. The town was long famous for its beef and ironware; now it’s known for Ohtani. He played Little League and then honed his skills in high school long before the world learned that one of the greatest players the game would know was half a world away.
Now, with Ohtani in his first World Series along with star rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it is a huge deal for a nation where baseball is as ingrained in the culture as it is across America. Sports stores here are packed with merchandise from shirts to hats to inflatable bats. Watch parties are being organized over Japanese breakfast to embrace the 13-hour time difference.
Yasuo Sakamoto, 74, and his wife, Keiko, 70, drove 90 minutes to Oshu’s city hall to see the game and maybe a big win for Ohtani.
“News about Ohtani is always good news,” he said, “If they win, it will be even brighter.”
1-2-3 inning for Clay Holmes
Dodgers go down in order in the top of the sixth.
Austin Wells, Alex Verdugo and Gleyber Torres are due up in the bottom of the inning.
It’s 5-4 Yankees.
Yanks strand two to end the fifth
The Yanks’ first two batters reached base, but a strikeout and two straight fly outs ended the inning with nobody coming home.
The Dodgers are hanging around. It’s a 5-4 game headed to the top of the sixth.
Dodgers add another after Smith homer
It’s a 5-4 game headed into the bottom of the fifth.
After Will Smith’s solo shot, Freddie Freeman drove home Tommy Edman on a fielder’s choice. The Yanks tried to turn a double play on the Freeman grounder, but he just barely beat the throw to first.
Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm and Giancarlo Stanton are due up for New York.
Will Smith hits a Yankee Stadium-only home run
A solo shot from Will Smith into right field makes it a 5-3 Yankees lead.
Smith took an 0-2 pitch from Luis Gil deep to lead off the fifth.
Yankee Stadium is the only park that Smith’s hit would have been a home run in.
Yanks don’t add to lead in the fourth
Alex Verdugo singled, but Gleyber Torres grounded out into a double play and then Juan Soto added a groundout of his own.
New York leads 5-2 as we head to the sixth.
Yankee Stadium comes alive
Anthony Volpe's grand slam gave the fans a reason to cheer finally and Yankee Stadium went nuts with the upper deck seating shaking.
Fans were throwing beer in the air and jumping up and down to celebrate taking their first lead since Game 1.
Dodgers can’t cut into the lead in the top of the fourth
Max Muncy walked, but the Dodgers couldn’t get anything else going in the top of the fourth. Luis Gil has pitched well since giving up a first-inning home run to Freddie Freeman.
Alex Verdugo will lead off the bottom of the fourth for the Yanks.
Grand slam, Yankees! New York leads headed into the fourth
The Yankees take the lead!
Anthony Volpe ripped a grand slam into left field with two outs, and New York now leads 5-2 as we head to the top of the fourth. (Austin Wells flew out to end the inning.)
It was the first grand slam by a Yankee in the World Series since Tino Martinez hit one in 1998 against the San Diego Padres.
1-2-3 third for Luis Gil
Luis Gil needed only eight pitches to retire the top of the Dodgers’ order in the top of the third.
Now Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm are due up for the Yankees, who still trail 2-1.
Another base running blunder by the Yanks; it’s now 2-1
Almost a very costly mistake for the Yankees in the second. Anthony Volpe was on second base but somehow didn’t score on an Austin Wells double. Volpe was caught between tagging up and running as the ball was in the air before eventually settling at third.
Volpe did score one at bat later on an Alex Verdugo grounder, but New York needs to clean up its act on the base paths.
In Game 3, Giancarlo Stanton was thrown out at home when he was inexplicably waved around third base despite his lack of speed.
Gleyber Torres ultimately flied out with a runner on third to end the inning.
The Dodgers’ lead was trimmed to 2-1.
Double play ends inning for the Dodgers
Gavin Lux doubled to lead off the top of the second for the Dodgers, but two batters later Tommy Edman lined out to short, and Lux was doubled off at second.
Luis Gil gets out of the inning with no damage done. Los Angeles still leads 2-0.
Yanks strand two, we’re on to the second
Juan Soto and Aaron Judge both walked, but the Yankees couldn’t take advantage, as Jazz Chisholm and Giancarlo Stanton both grounded out to end the inning.
The bottom of the order is due up for the Dodgers to start the second inning.
Whoa! A fan just tried to rip the ball out of Mookie Betts’s glove?
Bizarre first out in the bottom of the first.
Gleyber Torres fouled out to right field, where Mookie Betts had to reach into the stands to make the catch. But a Yankees fan literally tried to rip the ball out of Betts’s glove after he made the grab.
Dodgers up 2-0 heading to the bottom of the first
Familiar situation for the Yankees, who trail 2-0 heading into the bottom of the first after a home run from Freddie Freeman — exactly where they were in Game 3.
Let’s see if New York can cut into the Dodgers’ lead.
Freddie Freeman did it again!!!
For the fourth straight game, Freddie Freeman has hit a home run.
This time it’s a two-run shot that also brought home Mookie Betts, who singled one at bat earlier. How is Freeman doing this? He’s homered in every game of the World Series!
He also homered in the last two games of the 2021 when he was on the Atlanta Braves, making it six straight for him.
Game 4 of the World Series is underway...
...And Shohei Ohtani popped out to very shallow center in the game’s first at bat.
Ben Casparius starts the bullpen game for the Dodgers
Ben Casparius, a righthanded rookie reliever, will be the first pitcher on the mound for the Dodgers tonight.
Casparius was called up by Los Angeles at the end of August and appeared in three regular season games.
Rough first pitch(es) for Paul O'Neill
Former Yankees outfield Paul O'Neill struggled in his ceremonial first pitch, sailing one way over the head of AJ Burnett, a pitcher on the 2009 World Series team.
O'Neill gestured for a do-over but then bounced the ball short of Burnett.
List of all the World Series sweeps in MLB history
List of World Series sweeps in history
There have been 21 sweeps in World Series history, but none since 2012. The first one happened way back in 1907, and four have occurred since the turn of the century. Here’s the full list:
1907: Chicago Cubs 4, Detroit Tigers 0 (one game was a tie, so the series went five games)
1914: Boston Braves 4, Philadelphia Athletics 0
1922: New York Giants 4, New York Yankees 0 (one game was a tie, so the series went five games)
1927: New York Yankees 4, Pittsburgh Pirates 0
1928: New York Yankees 4, St. Louis Cardinals 0
1932: New York Yankees 4, Chicago Cubs 0
1938: New York Yankees 4, Chicago Cubs 0
1939: New York Yankees 4, Cincinnati Reds 0
1950: New York Yankees 4, Philadelphia Phillies 0
1954: New York Giants 4, Cleveland 0
1963: Los Angeles Dodgers 4, New York Yankees 0
1966: Baltimore Orioles 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 0
1976: Cincinnati Reds 4, New York Yankees 0
1989: Oakland Athletics 4, San Francisco Giants 0
1990: Cincinnati Reds 4, Oakland Athletics 0
1998: New York Yankees 4, San Diego Padres 0
1999: New York Yankees 4, Atlanta Braves 0
2004: Boston Red Sox 4, St. Louis Cardinals 0
2005: Chicago White Sox 4, Houston Astros 0
2007: Boston Red Sox 4, Colorado Rockies 0
2012: San Francisco Giants 4, Detroit Tigers 0
Yankees need a pep talk ahead of Game 4
Dan Patrick and Kevin Millar unpack Aaron Judge and Freddie Freeman’s performances as the World Series with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers continues.
Only one team has come back from 3-0
Yankees fans need no reminder that the Boston Red Sox in 2004 are the only team in MLB history to come back after losing the first three games in a best-of-seven series.
They did it against the Yankees in the ALCS en route to their first World Series title in 86 years. The only other team to force a Game 7 was the 2020 Houston Astros who then lost to the Tamp Bay Rays.
Lineups announced
The Yankees make a couple changes in the do-or-die game. The team swaps Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisolm and bring back Austin Wells at catcher after giving Jose Trevino the start last night.
Ashanti to sing national anthem
Grammy-winning singer Ashanti will sing the national anthem before Game 4.
West Coast vs East Coast: Beyond the field
The West Coast versus East Coast rivalry extends far beyond baseball this week. Ted Chen reports for the NBC Los Angeles.
Yanks turn to a rookie pitcher to extend their season
Luis Gil stepped in earlier this season when Gerrit Cole started the season on the IL and pitched as well as anyone in the American League. He finished the season with a 15-7 record with a 3.50 ERA and a WHIP of 1.193. Most concerningly though for the Yankees is that he led the AL with 77 walks, which may be problematic for a patient Dodgers lineup.
Paul O'Neill to throw out the first pitch
Former Yankees outfielder Paul O'Neill, who was a member of four championship teams during their 1990s dynasty, will return to the Bronx tonight to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. He follows ex-teammate Derek Jeter who took the mound last night.
Everything you need to know about Game 4 of the World Series
The Los Angeles Dodgers will play for the sweep at Yankee Stadium up 3-0 in the best-of-seven World Series. Game 4 of the World Series will be played on Tuesday at 8:08 p.m. ET on Fox.
Walker Buehler’s dominant start proves why he’s still the best big game pitcher in the business
In a pressure-packed World Series game in hostile territory in the Bronx, most pitchers would wilt like a flower that’s been cutoff from water. But Walker Buehler isn’t most pitchers.
When it comes to big games in the playoffs, Buehler turns into a maestro of October, and his dominance on the mound is his Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Buehler delivered yet another gem of a performance on Saturday to give the Dodgers a commanding 3-0 lead in the World Series and put his team on the edge of their eighth championship in franchise history.
For most of the night, the sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium sat awestruck at how easily Buehler mowed down the best offense in baseball. Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts was one of them.
“Walker was fantastic,” said Roberts. “His stuff was as good as it’s been all year. This is as confident as I’ve ever seen him.”
Former Yankees star Nick Swisher and Dodgers’ fan-favorite Andre Ethier stop by "TODAY" to share their thoughts on the upcoming game three of the MLB World Series between the rival franchises.
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Freddie Freeman tying records with his homers
Told he had tied a World Series record by homering in five straight games, Freddie Freeman grinned.
“Let’s hopefully make it six,” he said.
Freeman put Los Angeles ahead 15 pitches into the game with a two-run homer off Clarke Schmidt, and the Dodgers beat the Yankees 4-2 last night to take a 3-0 World Series lead.
He matched the mark set when George Springer homered in Games 4 through 7 in 2017 as the Houston Astros beat the Dodgers for the title, then hit another in the 2019 opener against Washington.
Freeman homered in Atlanta’s last two games against Houston in the 2021 World Series, and he has connected in all three games of this one. He became the third player to homer in the first three games of a World Series after Hank Bauer in 1958 and Barry Bonds in 2002.
