The first step towards history is complete, as the Yankees used an Anthony Volpe grand slam and a five-run eighth inning to avoid a sweep and pick up their first win in a World Series game in 15 years.
The road to a miraculous comeback is still long and daunting, but the Yanks are on the board in the series, now trailing the Dodgers 3-1, and with Gerrit Cole armed and ready to go in game five, the avenue towards making the series very, very interesting is in sight.
Of course, the Yankees had to get the first one on Tuesday night, and they did so with some encouraging developments. They finally fought back after falling behind early yet again, this time off yet another Freddie Freeman home run. Anthony Volpe came alive, cranking a grand slam and a double to go along with two stolen bases to become the first player in World Series history to drive in at least four runs and swipe two bags. Austin Wells seemed to get his stroke back, blasting a double off the right center field wall before crushing a no-doubt home run to give the Yanks some much-needed breathing room.
In a five-run eighth inning, Aaron Judge got in on the fun with an RBI single, his fourth time reaching base in the game. He still didn’t flex his MVP power, but it was at least a step in the right direction. Back at the bottom of the order, Alex Verdugo drove in two and worked an 11-pitch at-bat before driving in Anthony Volpe with an RBI groundout, one night after ending the game three loss with a two-run home run.
The bats finally came alive, and they were by no means overmatched in the first three games of the series. They were simply missing pitches to hit or watching them go by, so is there reason to believe that the offense can ride Tuesday’s success to a few more wins? Why not?
Of course, the Yanks will have to keep the Dodgers offense in check to complete a miracle comeback, and through four games, the bullpen has been up to the challenge. On Tuesday, the bullpen tossed five shutout innings and continued their overall success in the series, as it has been early deficits from the starting rotation that has burned the Yanks in the early games of the series.
But the Yankees have their ace going in game five in Gerrit Cole, who threw just 88 pitches in game one and should be ready to go for the long haul. Suddenly, the path can be seen if you really squint. Cole shuts LA down in game five, Carlos Rodon avoids his home run lapses (which he has proven he can do in this postseason) and keeps the momentum going in game six, and....who knows?
Again, it’s still a dream at this point. But of the 24 times that a team faced a 3-0 hole in World Series history, 21 were swept. Three made it to game five, and none to game six. The Yankees have already drastically defied the odds by keeping the series alive. With their ace on the mound on Wednesday, perhaps they can defy the odds a bit longer.