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Dodgers fans show up in NYC still feeling confident after Game 4 loss to Yankees

Updated on: October 30, 2024 / 1:08 PM PDT / KCAL News

Dodgers fans show up in NYC to cheer on the Boys in Blue in Game 5

Dodgers fans were ready for a World Series sweep going into Game 4 Tuesday night. But the Yankees beat the odds, scoring an 11-4 victory at their home stadium in the Bronx to finally put New York on the board.

Still, LA remains just one game away from winning it all with a 3-1 series lead. And that was front of mind for fans in New York cheering on the Boys in Blue. A fan who traveled across the country to root on the Dodgers had one message for the Yankees: "Better luck next year." Many are hoping for a repeat of what happened the last time New York and LA faced off in the World Series — 43 years ago.

"I'm wearing my Dodgers shirt from '81, the last time they won in Yankee Stadium," one LA fan told KCAL News' Darren Haynes from Times Square. "We're hoping for this again tonight."

A Los Angeles Dodgers fan speaks to KCAL sports anchor Darren Haynes ahead of World Series Game 5 against the New York Yankees on Oct. 30, 2024. KCAL News

Game 4 started off strong for LA when Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer in the first inning, breaking a major league record as he became the first player to homer in six consecutive World Series games — dating back to when he homered in Atlanta's last two World Series games against Houston in 2021.

He's now the second player to homer in four straight games in a single World Series, ESPN reports.

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is greeted in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning during Game 4 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 in New York, New York. Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images

But the game also grew tense from the start when a fan in Yankees gear ripped the ball out of Mookie Betts' glove as he reached over a wall to catch it during the first inning. The Yankees said the fan and a man who grabbed Metts' other hand were both escorted out and will not be allowed back for Game 5.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 29: Fans interfere with Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers as he attempts to catch a fly ball in foul territory during the first inning of Game Four of the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The play resulted in an out. / Getty Images

New York came alive in the eighth inning with Anthony Volpe's grand slam, energizing the team to an 11-4 win as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts preserved his top relievers, a decision that has not gone without criticism.

It's a risky strategy. But one many believe will pay off, as Los Angeles Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke writes: "For the third time this postseason, comfortable with their lead and protecting their high-leverage relievers for later games, the Dodgers punted," Plaschke writes. "It sounds crazy. It sounds risky... but guess what? It works. Two punts helped them navigate to a four-games-to-two victory over the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series."

"Punting has worked for them before, and it will work here too," he writes. "The Dodgers still are firmly in control."

Marissa Wenzke

Marissa Wenzke is a journalist based in Los Angeles. She has a bachelor's degree in political science from UC Santa Barbara and is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School.