NEW YORK — The New York Yankees have woken up.
A little late.
The Yankees pounded, crushed and manhandled the Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, avoiding a sweep with an 11-4 victory.
There’s not much to see here.
Dodgers pitcher Daniel Hudson reacts in the dugout after giving up a grand slam to the Yankees in the third inning of Game 4 of the World Series.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
On a night when two Yankees fans literally ripped a foul ball out of Mookie Betts’ glove, the Yankees were desperate.
On a night in which Dave Roberts used Ben Casparius to start and Landon Knack to cover four innings and Brent Honeywell to finish, the Dodgers were cautious.
“At the end of the day, we’re still in a good position and we feel good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
On a night when Anthony Volpe set the tone by meeting Daniel Hudson’s hanging slider in the third inning and depositing it into the left field stands for a grand slam, the Yankees were inspired.
On a night in which Freddie Freeman’s wildly celebrated two-run homer in the first inning didn’t come close to holding up, the Dodgers were mostly “meh.”
“I think we were very hyped, we were excited, those guys unfortunately responded,” Roberts said. “It was a good game until it wasn’t.”
From the moment Aaron Judge sent the rowdy crowd into a tizzy all game long when he reacted angrily to being hit in the hand by a Hudson pitch in the third inning, the Yankees attacked.
From the moment it was obvious that their mound was going to be occupied by the back of their bullpen, the Dodgers mostly watched and waited.
“We have no choice right now but to just play pitch-by-pitch,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Compete, leave everything there. And we did very well today.”
This loss isn’t a big deal for the Dodgers because they deliberately didn’t leave it all there. For the third time this postseason, comfortable with their lead and protecting their influential relievers for later games, the Dodgers postponed the celebration.
That’s right, the Dodgers postponed the celebration.
Yankees catcher Austin Wells watches his solo home run off a pitch from Dodger Landon Knack during Game 4 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
It sounds crazy. It sounds risky. It sounds like the Dodgers are equating Game 4 of the World Series to a fervent spring training game, but guess what? Works. Two postponements helped them cruise to a four games to two victory over the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series.
When you don’t have a decent fourth starting pitcher option, you have no choice but to run a bullpen game. And when you’re up three games to none in the series, it’s understandable, even reasonable, to protect your best relievers if that bullpen game suddenly falls apart.
Postponements have worked for them before, and they will work here too. The Dodgers are still firmly in control.
“We knew it was a bullpen game,” Roberts said. “Results-wise, having six guys in your bullpen that feel good, rested, I feel good about that. And being up 3-1, yes.”
Roberts was absolutely thrilled to have relievers like Blake Treinen, Michael Kopech, Alex Vesia and Anthony Banda ready for Game 5 on Wednesday.
“I feel very good, I feel very good,” he said. “It’s about the guys you have available. Some of those guys are… all rested. So we have guys who are physically well.”
Everything remains in play for the Dodgers, who still lead the Series as Roberts referenced, while the history of their previous lead has not changed: no team has come back from a deficit of three games to none to win a World Series.
Furthermore, while most teams crumble under the weight of three to zero (the previous nine poor souls were swept), a different kind of story is also on the Dodgers’ side.
No team that is down three games to none has forced a Game 6.
So this issue lives to fight another day, Wednesday night here, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole against Dodgers ace Jack Flaherty. They’ve met before in this Series, and it was basically a draw, and it should be again.
Flaherty, the Dodgers’ late-season savior, limited the Yankees to two runs in 5⅓ innings in the opener, while Cole limited 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 rested (they were all used Tuesday by their out-of-control manager Aaron Boone), while the Dodgers’ best relievers will be ready to go.
Second, for all the Yankees’ bluster on Tuesday (they had nine hits with three home runs), their best hitter still isn’t hitting. Aaron Judge went 1-for-3 to get two hits in 15 at-bats in the Series. And if he can’t hit, the Yankees can’t recover.
Flaherty said: “I’m not worried about how it’s gone to this point. I’m just worried about trying to get one more.”
Cole responded: “Hey, we’re still in the World Series. Hey, we’re in the Bronx. “We still have a chance to win this series.”
No, they don’t have it. Someday history will be made, but it won’t be here.
The Dodgers played smart, if strange, on a night when the Yankees’ valiant effort could be summed up in two words.
And.
