Despite another Freddie Freeman home run, the Dodgers’ pitching faltered in a bullpen game Tuesday as the Boys in Blue failed to complete the World Series sweep of the New York Yankees, who won 11-4 on a huge grand slam by Anthony Volpe and a three-run shot by Gleyber Torres.
Freeman’s homer game in the top of the first inning for the second straight night, when he threw a pitch over the right field wall that scored Mookie Betts, who had doubled in the previous at-bat.
It was his sixth straight World Series game with a homer, dating back to his time with the Atlanta Braves in 2021, when he won his first title.
A controversial moment occurred in the bottom of the first inning, when Betts jumped the right field wall in foul territory to catch a pop-up. However, when he came down with the ball, two Yankee fans tried to snatch the ball from his gloveprompting him to respond and point them to a referee. Both were eventually ejected from the match.
In what was yet another bullpen game for the Dodgers, the first few innings were shaky but scoreless until Daniel Hudson loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning, allowing for a tide-turning grand slam for young shortstop Anthony Volpe, who shocked the Yankees. a 5-2 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Los Angeles catcher Will Smith hit a counter field homer off Yankee starter Luis Gil to cut the lead at 5-3. He is now the all-time leader among Dodger catchers in postseason home runs. In the same inning, Freeman beat out a groundball that would have been a double play, allowing the Dodgers’ fourth run to score.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Yankee catcher crushed a solo shot off Landon Knack, scoring a much-needed insurance run as the Dodgers edged closer to tying the score. They added another in the bottom of the eighth inning after former Dodger Alex Verdugo’s 12-pitch at-bat resulted in an RBI fielder’s choice as Volpe slid past Will Smith’s tag attempt.
Gleyber Torres then smoked a three-run home run off Brent Honeywell Jr., giving the Yankees a six-run lead – which was more than needed to take home the victory in Game 4.
As has been the case throughout the postseason, New York reliever Luke Weaver came in to dazzle his opponents, throwing one and a third scoreless innings and striking out three batters, including Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy.
Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday night at 5:08 PM PST at Yankee Stadium. The Dodgers will send Jack Flaherty to the mound against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
