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World Series Game 5: The New York Yankees vow not to “sink under” before the mammoth task.



CNN

Many say that nothing is impossible in sports, and the New York Yankees hope to prove that again by taking another step toward their unlikely World Series comeback in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The Yankees faced a loss heading into Game 4 on Tuesday, knowing that a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers would have left them without the Commissioner's Trophy.

But instead of another sobering loss, the Yankees' offense came into action and beat the Dodgers 11-4 on Wednesday, cutting the series deficit to 3-1.

It was Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, a New York native who played for his childhood team, who helped turn things around.

On Tuesday, trailing 2-1 in the third inning, Volpe hit a grand slam from Daniel Hudson that increased the score to 5-2, and the Bronx Bombers never looked back.

“We've been through so much all year,” Volpe said, looking ahead to Game 5 in New York – the last game in the Bronx this year. “We won’t go down easily at all.”

Speaking to reporters, Volpe said the team had great confidence in his abilities and added he expected them to win Game 5, which would send the Fall Classic back to Los Angeles – the first time in the history of the World Series that a team trailing 3-0 would force a Game 6, should New York do so.

After watching their team struggle through the first three games of the World Series, Yankees supporters celebrated in style on Tuesday.

New York manager Aaron Boone said that people “finally got to see the top blow from Yankee Stadium in a World Series game” and those associated with the team hope that this is the first step on the way is making a historic comeback.

The Yankees have already defied the odds: Of the 24 previous teams to go 0-3 in the World Series, a total of 21 were defeated in four games, according to Reuters. The other three were eliminated in Game 5.

Should the Yankees extend the series again, the Dodgers will have a chance to win the franchise's eighth championship in Game 6 in front of their home fans.

Despite the loss in Game 4, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he still thought his team's chances of winning the World Series were “great.”

“I don’t think anyone expected these guys to back down,” he told reporters, talking about the Yankees in Game 4.

“We had some offense that I thought could have been better, but we knew it was a bullpen game.

“As far as results go, it feels good for me to have six guys in my stable who are doing well and rested. And being 3-1 up.”

It's fair to say that the Dodgers were able to rest some of their top performers before Game 5, which may give them the edge they need to close out the series.

Dodgers star Jack Flaherty, who had an outstanding game for LA in Game 1, will also pitch again on Wednesday after recovering from a strained hamstring.

“We’re up 3-1 right now,” Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts said, according to Reuters.

“We feel pretty good about it, but you know they're going to struggle. It doesn't matter what the score is and it doesn't matter when it's reached. they will fight. So I mean, no lead is safe until you win the fourth game.”