NEW YORK’S FINEST: Volpe slam keeps Yankees’ title hopes alive

NEW YORK (AFP) — Filipino-Italian Anthony Volpe smashed a grand slam as the New York Yankees avoided being swept in the World Series on Tuesday with an 11-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Volpe’s third-inning blast gave the Yankees a 5-2 edge, their first lead since Game 1, and later homers by Gleyber Torres and Austin Wells sparked New York’s rout.

“I pretty much blacked out as soon as I saw it go over the fence,” Volpe, who was born in Manhattan to an Italian father and a Filipina mother, said.

“Everyone had confidence that someone was going to get the big hit when the guys have confidence in you, I feel like you could do anything.”

The Yankees pulled within 3-1 in the best-of seven Major League Baseball championship showdown with Game 5 on Wednesday at the Yankee Stadium.

“We showed what we’re capable of doing as a team,” Torres said.

“We’ll just try to continue that. Go tomorrow like there’s no tomorrow.”

No team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win the World Series, but the Yankees became the first team in 54 years to force a fifth game when down 0-3.

“It’s going to take a lot,” Wells said.

“No one has done what we’re trying to accomplish.”

New York denied the Dodgers an eighth World Series title and first since 2020 while keeping alive hopes of the Yankees winning their first crown since 2009 and 28th overall.

“It’s good to have pressure,” Wells said.

“It means that we’re in a good spot and people are counting on you, so I enjoy the pressure.”

Wells, 25, became the youngest Yankees catcher to homer in the World Series after going 4-for-43 in the playoffs previously.

“I just said screw it, we’re down three and just went out there,” Wells said.

“I just blacked out. I don’t really know what I did.”

It was a record-shattering night for Los Angeles first baseman Freddie Freeman, who smashed a two-run homer in the first inning to become the first player with homers in the first four games of a World Series.

Freeman, who blasted a walk-off grand slam to win game one, also moved past George Springer to set a record with homers in six consecutive World Series contests, counting the last two games from his 2021 title run with Atlanta.

Mookie Betts doubled in the first inning and scored on Freeman’s homer then made a great grab for an out in foul territory despite a Yankees fan trying to pull the ball out of his glove.

Volpe scored from third base in the second inning on Alex Verdugo’s ground out but the best was yet to come.