For Anthony Volpe, a lifelong Yankees fan who grew up idolizing the players he now calls teammates, the third inning of Game 4 in the World Series brought a surreal moment he’d only dreamed of as a kid. Now on the field at Yankee Stadium, the homegrown shortstop found himself playing the role of a lifetime, igniting the crowd with a grand slam that kept the Yankees alive in the series against the Dodgers. After taking a commanding lead, the Yankees pulled off an 11-4 victory, reducing their series deficit to 3-1. Yet, for Volpe, the excitement didn’t peak there; the cheers and chants from fans, flooding the stadium in the ninth inning, would soon mark an unforgettable moment that topped even the grand slam.
At just 23 years old, Volpe was living out the dream he’d carried since he was a young boy, attending the Yankees’ last World Series parade in 2009. This time, though, he was on the field, wearing pinstripes, as he sent a 107.6 mph shot over the left-field wall to give the Yankees a lead they would hold onto for the rest of the night. That moment held all the elements of a cinematic sports scene, but the ninth inning would etch the day in his memory forever. Standing at shortstop, he heard the stadium erupt with chants of his name: "VOL-PE! VOL-PE! VOL-PE!" The wave of support, starting with the famous Bleacher Creatures and expanding to every corner of the stadium, took him back and solidified his mark in Yankees history.
"Definitely No. 1," Volpe said after the game, referring to the chant as the top moment of his career so far, surpassing even the grand slam. For a team that had struggled to find its rhythm and faced elimination in every moment of the game, this electrifying grand slam was a shot of adrenaline for both Volpe and the entire Yankees lineup.
A Tough Road to Victory
The Yankees had their backs against the wall, having scored only seven runs in the first three games of the series. Their bats had been silent, missing crucial scoring opportunities and unable to gain any substantial lead since their Game 1 heartbreaker, when Nestor Cortes gave up a walk-off grand slam. With the series slipping away, a win in Game 4 was non-negotiable.
In the opening innings, the Yankees seemed to fall back into a pattern that had haunted them throughout the series. Freddie Freeman’s powerful two-run homer over the short porch in right field gave the Dodgers an early lead, pushing his World Series streak with a home run to six consecutive games – a record that silenced the crowd early on. The Yankees countered with two scoring chances in the first two innings but failed to capitalize fully. In a moment that could have shifted the game’s momentum, Volpe hesitated on a tag-up play, leading to only one run from Alex Verdugo’s groundout.
Redemption in the Third
Despite the initial blunder, Volpe found his rhythm again in the third inning, turning his disappointment into a historic play. With the bases loaded, Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson stepped in, hoping to shut down the Yankees’ attack. However, a hit to Aaron Judge, a single to Jazz Chisholm Jr., and a walk to Giancarlo Stanton loaded the bases for Volpe. Relying on his instincts and experience, Volpe anticipated Hudson’s pitch, recognizing the slider from a previous strikeout in Game 3. He didn’t miss the chance this time, connecting with the ball and launching it over the fence for his first postseason home run, and a grand slam that would be remembered for years.
Volpe’s grand slam was the first by a Yankee in a World Series since Tino Martinez’s unforgettable hit in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series against the Padres. At just 23, Volpe became the youngest Yankee to accomplish this feat since the legendary Mickey Mantle did it back in 1953.
After that big hit, Alex Verdugo could sense the shift in the Yankees’ dugout. "That big hit, we've been looking for it," Verdugo said. "It happened and it just felt like a big exhale in the dugout. Everybody could play and free up again, just worry about adding on and keeping the lead." The Yankees weren’t merely hanging on anymore; they were finally in control.
Relievers Rise to the Occasion
While Volpe’s grand slam provided a turning point for the Yankees’ offense, the bullpen ensured that the momentum stayed in New York’s favor. Although the Dodgers managed to narrow the lead to one run in the fifth inning with two runs off Luis Gil, the Yankees’ bullpen took control from there, shutting down the Dodgers’ bats. Yankees’ relievers allowed no hits over the last four innings, a critical effort that kept Los Angeles from gaining ground.
A breakthrough performance came from Austin Wells, who had been struggling in the postseason with a dismal 4-for-43 record and 19 strikeouts. In the sixth inning, he silenced his critics with a solo shot to the upper deck, adding another run to the Yankees’ tally. And as if on cue, Gleyber Torres took things to another level in the eighth with a three-run homer, part of a five-run rally that extended the Yankees' lead and exhausted Dodgers right-hander Brent Honeywell, who threw 50 pitches in the inning.
Looking to Make History
With the Yankees’ dominant performance in Game 4, manager Aaron Boone made a strategic call not to use the team’s top reliever, Luke Weaver, in the ninth inning, keeping him fresh for Game 5. Now, the Yankees have the opportunity to attempt a comeback that would make baseball history: no team has ever forced a Game 6 after trailing 3-0 in a World Series.
"We love history," Jazz Chisholm said with a grin. "And we love to make history. For us, we're out here trying to make history right now." This determination captures the team’s spirit. With Weaver ready for Game 5, the Yankees will be looking to keep the momentum alive and build on the historic play from Game 4.
Volpe’s Journey to the Moment
Leading up to this pinnacle, Volpe had experienced a bumpy road in the playoffs. He came into Game 4 with just one hit in his previous 12 World Series at-bats, struggling through seven strikeouts. Despite an impressive regular-season performance with a .243 batting average and a .657 OPS, Volpe raised his postseason numbers, hitting .310 with an impressive .804 OPS. He credited this improvement to the extra work he’d put in during the Yankees’ four off-days between the regular season and the start of the American League Division Series.
Reflecting on his journey, Volpe noted that the experience was not only a dream for him but a shared one among family and friends. "It’s pretty crazy to think about," he admitted. "It’s my dream, but it was all my friends' dreams, all my cousins' dreams, probably my sister's dream too. But winning the World Series was first and foremost by far. Nothing else compares."
The Yankees’ Path Forward
The Game 4 win breathed new life into the Yankees' World Series hopes, and with that kind of grit, they’re closer than ever to making history. As the Yankees gear up for Game 5, the team remains focused on one mission: proving that they’re still in the game and ready to fight their way out of a 3-0 series deficit. And for Anthony Volpe, the dream isn’t just about one swing or one game; it’s about making memories that stretch beyond his time on the field and resonate with the history of the New York Yankees.
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