NEW YORK – The Yankees finally broke through with their first World Series win in front of a rousing crowd in the Bronx, reminding everyone that they won’t go down without a fight. Whether it was the pressure of playing in an elimination game and playing with urgency, or whether it was seeing multiple relievers and capitalizing on the Dodgers’ bullpen play, the Yankees’ 11-4 win on Tuesday night was spot on what they needed to regain their confidence in the Fall Classic.

After all, they are the best team in the American League for a reason.

Here are our four biggest takeaways from Game 4 in the Bronx.

(RELATED: Complete coverage of the World Series)

1. Volpe’s signature Yankees moment

It was sweet, sweet redemption for Anthony Volpe. One inning after failing to score on an Austin Wells double from second base, he took the opportunity to make up for his mistake when the Yankees, trailing 2-1, loaded the bases for him in the third inning . The Yankees looked for ways to get on base, but they still needed the big hit, and it seemed unlikely they would actually capitalize on it after Anthony Rizzo came out for the second out with the bases juiced. But it was also pretty clear that Daniel Hudson, who was the second man out of the bullpen in the Dodgers’ bullpen game, wasn’t having it.

Volpe pounced on the first pitch Hudson offered him, an 89 mph slider that hit the bottom of the zone before the Yankees’ shortstop sent it into left field. The fans couldn’t believe it as the ball kept flying over left fielder Teoscar Hernández’s head and into the seats. Only when it landed safely behind the left field wall did a worried and restless home crowd of 49,354 finally erupt for the first time in this World Series.

Volpe’s grand slam gave the Yankees a lead they refused to lose. The first home run of his postseason career was just his second overall since August 4th. —Deesha Thosar

2. Freddie Freeman do it again

No, that wasn’t a repeat. Freddie Freeman had no extra base hits, just one run scored and one RBI in the first two rounds of the postseason. He was too hobbled by his ankle sprain to play in the Dodgers’ decisive Game 6 of the NLCS, and there were questions about whether it had been his valiant effort to be in the lineup – despite his obvious pain and despite the apparent excitement of the force , which he gave to his teammates who admired the daily effort it took him to get on the field, did more harm than good.

The Yankees have not seen this version of the All-Star first baseman. A week off transformed Freeman from a singles hitter into a hard-hitting juggernaut. His teammates thought he had found his swing again when they watched him in batting practice a few days before the start of the World Series, watching him line up baseballs over shortstops as he normally does when swinging to right.

The Yankees didn’t get that version of Freeman either. Instead, they saw the one who is on a historic postseason home run pace. Freeman hit the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history in Game 1, added a solo shot in Game 2, and energized the opposing Yankee Stadium crowd with a two-run pitch in the first inning of Game 3 Silent and then did so again in Game 4. In the process, Freeman – who also hit a home run in the final two games of the Braves’ 2021 title run – set a major league record by hitting in six Hit a home run in consecutive World Series games.

Entering this World Series, he has now hit a home run in four straight games. At the time of his big hit in Game 4, Freeman had scored more runs in that series than the entire Yankees team. His 10 RBIs are the most by a Dodgers player in a World Series. This time, however, it wasn’t the dagger like it was in Game 3, as the Yankees’ lineup fought back. — Rowan Kavner

3. With a little help from Judge’s friends

It was hard to imagine the Yankees getting a single win in this World Series without one of two things happening: Either Aaron Judge wakes up, or the guys he’s been rooting for all year finally give him some love this support back. It was mostly last Tuesday when the bottom-ranked Yankees finally lined up quality hitters for the first time in the series. Austin Wells, one of the Yankees’ best hitters in July and August and working his way into the American League’s Rookie of the Year discussion, blasted a solo shot into right field in the sixth inning for a much-needed insurance run . That home run came after an excellent hit in the second inning when he blasted a double over the pads in center field.

With the Dodgers in the other dugout, no lead is safe, as the Yankees learned the hard way in Game 1. That might explain New York’s five-run outburst in the eighth inning, in which Volpe and Wells again reached safely to set the table for a Gleyber Torres three-run home run. Amazingly, the Yankees scored their first 10 runs of the game without Juan Soto or Judge prominently involved. – Thosar

4. The Dodgers bullpen game goes wrong quickly

Tuesday was the fourth bullpen game of the postseason for the Dodgers. The first, in an elimination Game 4 in the NLDS, was a clinic in which eight different pitchers worked together to hold the Padres scoreless in an 8-0 shutout that came amid a record-breaking 33 consecutive scoreless innings for the Dodgers. Pitching staff.

The last three haven’t gone so smoothly, including the first of the World Series on Tuesday in the Bronx. Given four chances to win a game, manager Dave Roberts decided against using all of his best, leverage pieces as he needed to in this first crucial matchup in San Diego. It looked more like Game 2 of the NLCS when the Dodgers essentially punted after the Mets tagged Landon Knack for five runs. Roberts didn’t want to tire out his best arms in a long series, and he didn’t want the Mets to take another look at those arms in a negative situation. The move ultimately paid off.

A similar situation occurred Tuesday against the Yankees. While Roberts said everyone was available, it was clear he would need some length from rookies Ben Casparius and Knack and would decide who to use based on the game situation from there. “Every man will face costs in the future,” Roberts said. Michael Kopech had pitched in each of the first three games. Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda, Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol each started in pairs. Neither of them saw the field after Volpe’s grand slam off Daniel Hudson put the Yankees in the driver’s seat.

Roberts has pushed a lot of the right buttons so far this October, so we’ll see if saving his best guys for Game 5 and beyond was the right decision again. — Rowan Kavner

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Deesha, the daughter of Indian immigrants, grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the LA Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. Rowan, an LSU graduate, was born in California, grew up in Texas and then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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