Yankees 11, Dodgers 4 – 2024 World Series Game 4: Bullpen struggles mightily, bats look dead aside from Freddie, things get sloppy late

Chad Moriyama 10/29/2024 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

The Yankees came into Game 4 with their season on the line, and while the Dodgers jumped out to an early lead behind Freddie Freeman, it was the Yankees who landed the biggest blow behind an Anthony Volpe grand slam. They then blew it open late when the Dodgers got sloppy as they continued to play a terrible game in a 11-4 loss.

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For once this postseason, the Dodgers faced a pitcher who struggled in the second half, as Luis Gil had a difficult time keeping the ball in the park and in the zone down the stretch. On paper, that was a great matchup for this offense, and they had quality at-bats against him early at least.

The Dodgers have struggled with RISP this series, and the chances started in the 1st when Mookie Betts doubled with one out. Fortunately, the one guy carrying this offense came up in Freddie, and he homered for the sixth World Series game in a row and fourth in a row this year to make it 2-0.

Gil then faced the minimum in the 2nd after a Gavin Lux lead-off double was stranded by a Will Smith pop-up and a Tommy Edman lineout to first that doubled up Lux on a brutal baserunning error.

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The Dodgers were technically running a bullpen game, but with a three game advantage, one or two pitchers were obviously going to be counted on as bulk guys. To start that run was Ben Casparius, and the first out he got was actually a dangerous one for Mookie, as he caught a ball near the stands and the Yankees fans assaulted him to get it out.

Unfortunately, Casparius followed that by issuing walks to Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, but he rebounded by getting a pair of groundouts from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Giancarlo Stanton to keep the Yankees at zero.

He faced trouble again in the 2nd, getting an out to start but then walking Volpe, who stole second. Austin Wells followed with a double off the top of the wall in center, but Volpe got a terrible read and ended up only at third, which stopped Wells, too. They did get a run on a groundout from Alex Verdugo to make it 2-1, but Gleyber Torres flew out harmlessly. It could’ve been at least a tie game without the boner.

With the heart of the Yankees order due up, it was Daniel Hudson in the 3rd taking over for Casparius, and he started well with a strikeout. But then he hit Judge, Jazz singled to corner the runners and then stole second, while Stanton walked to load the bases.

Hudson was all over the place with location, but Dave Roberts stuck with him anyway. That started by getting a pop-up from Anthony Rizzo to put him on the verge, but he then hung a first-pitch slider to Volpe for a grand slam to put the Yankees up 5-2 in a flash.

Hard to be a fan of the decision.

On the other side, Gil appeared to settle, getting a big three outs in a row against the top of the order in the 3rd, and then issued only a walk in the 4th. However, the 5th started with Will lofting one the other way for a Yankees Stadium homer to cut the deficit to 5-3.

He then walked Edman, and that was the end of his day as Tim Hill entered. Shohei Ohtani, who opened his stance this time, singled on the first pitch to put a pair on. A Mookie grounder led to an out at second and the runners being cornered, and while Freddie followed with a grounder of his own, he beat out at first to avoid the double play and score Edman to make it 5-4 Yankees.

Aaron Boone then turned to Clay Holmes, who got the final out of the 5th. Holmes continued in the 6th, cruising through a 12-pitch inning.

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The second bulk guy for Dave was Landon Knack in the 4th, who faced the minimum thanks to a single being erased by a double play. The 5th started with trouble as Edman made an error on a Judge grounder and then Knack walked Jazz. However, a strikeout and a couple of flyouts helped him avoid disaster.

The 6th was a different story, as he gave up a Wells homer to start the inning and increase the lead to 6-4.

But Knack did settle in and get the next six batters in a row to get the Dodgers through the 7th.

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Next up for the Yankees was Mark Leiter Jr. for the 7th, who started with a strikeout but then walked Edman, who stole second. He then got a huge strikeout of Ohtani before giving way to Luke Weaver, who struck out Betts. He continued in the 8th as well, getting a clean frame, including two strikeouts.

Still, the Dodgers were still in the game at that point.

Not for long, as Brent Honeywell Jr. entered in the 8th, starting with an out and then giving up a somewhat controversial double to Volpe. It wasn’t for sure whether he fouled off a 2-2 pitch, but regardless, he then yanked a ball to left where Teoscar seemed to throw him out but he knocked the ball out of Lux’s glove. Great.

Wells then seemingly popped out to Smith, but he couldn’t glove it (dunno whether it was just a failure or it hit the net), and a walk put a pair on before a double steal put both in scoring position. Verdugo hit a grounder right to Lux who was playing in, but he threw wild and Volpe scored to make it 7-4.

Torres followed with a three-run homer to make it a 10-4 laugher.

But wait, there’s more, as Soto double and Judge singled to make it 11-4 before he got Jazz and Stanton to pop-up.

Now the Yankees bats are taking good swings and the Weaver was able to sit down for the 9th, with Tim Mayza taking over instead and ending it with a clean frame.

Joy.

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The World Series is now 3-1, so the Dodgers still have a commanding lead, but … you’d rather not let them have life.

Same teams, same place, and same time tomorrow at 2:08 PM HT/5:08 PM PT/8:08 PM ET on FOX. It’ll be a rematch of Game 1 of the World Series between Jack Flaherty and Gerrit Cole, which is why despite the advantage the Dodgers really should’ve wanted to win Game 4.

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