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

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."

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.

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 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."