Well, look who finally decided to show up at the World Series: The Yankees.
After yet another home run by Freddie Freeman put them in a 2-0 hole before they could even come to bat, it looked like the Los Angeles Dodgers would complete the sweep last night. But a funny thing happened on the way to that happening: It didn't.
In the bottom of the 1st, Gleyber Torres hit a drive down the right-field line. Mookie Betts reached over the fence to catch it, and did -- but a fan reached over and pulled the ball out of his glove. And that fan was assisted by another. They were thrown out of the Stadium, and have been banned from attending Game 5. As of this writing, no decision had been announced covering them thereafter. The umpires ruled fan interference, and Torres was out, which he would have been, anyway.
That was an ugly moment. But the Yankees and their fans were hanging on another ugly moment: The only comeback from three games to none in a postseason baseball series, when the Boston Red Sox cheated their way to victory over the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series. Despite the Yankees taking the 1st 3 games, winning 19-8 in Game 3, Kevin Millar told the media, "Don't let us win tonight." But the Red Sox did win that night. And the next. And the next. And the next.
The idea that the Yankees, who had scored 7 runs in the 1st 29 innings of the Series, could score enough runs to beat the Dodgers 4 times in a row was ridiculous. They got a run on a groundout in the bottom of the 2nd to make it 2-1 Los Angeles. But going into the bottom of the 3rd, it was still looking like a sweep, by a Dodger team who, aside from Freeman, wasn't hitting a whole lot better.
But the Yankees loaded the bases in the bottom of the 3rd, and Anthony Volpe, born in Manhattan, grew up in Watchung, Somerset County, New Jersey, graduated from The Delbarton School, a Catholic prep school in Morristown, New Jersey, and attendee of the 2009 World Championship parade at the age of 8, fulfilled part of the dream by hitting a grand slam home run. Yankees 5, Dodgers 2.
But in the 5th, Will Smith hit a home run, and Freeman had another RBI. The Dodgers were within 5-4. Was this part of a terrible one-game collapse? No: Austin Wells hit one out in the bottom of the 6th. In the 8th, Verdugo, as he had in the 2nd, brought a run home on a groundout. Then Torres hit a home run.
Aaron Judge had reached base 3 times -- without a hit: He drew 2 walks and was hit with a pitch. Finally, later in the 8th, he singled Juan Soto home. Final score: Yankees 11, Dodgers 4.
Luis Gil started, but allowed 4 runs in 4 innings. Tim Hill got 2 outs in the 5th, Clay Holmes got the last in the 5th and all of the 6th to end up as the winning pitcher, Mark Leiter Jr. got 2 outs in the 7th, Luke Weaver got the last in the 7th and all of the 8th, and Tim Mayza pitched the 9th. Between them, the bullpen went 5 innings, no runs, 1 hit (Hill), 1 walk (Leiter), and 7 strikeouts.
As for the offense: 7 runs in 29 innings, followed by 11 runs 7 innings. I've said it many times over the last few years, echoing the line from the TV game show To Tell the Truth: "Will the real New York Yankees please stand up?"
"Don't let us win tonight." Is this the start of the 1st genuine 3-0 postseason comeback? Game 5 is tonight, at 8:00. Gerrit Cole starts against Jack Flaherty. If Cole is on his game, and the Yankees get the runs again, we go to a Game 6 in Los Angeles on Friday night. Game 7 would be in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
Impossible? No. Highly unlikely? The Yankees, especially in the postseason, have done many unlikely things. We shall see.
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