The key to Austin Wells’ and the Yankees’ turnaround at the plate on Tuesday was simple.
“I just said screw it,” the Yankees catcher told the Fox broadcast after the Bombers kept their season alive with an 11-4 Game 4 victory over the Dodgers.
Wells had struggled at the plate this whole postseason, entering the game he had been a dismal 4-for-43. That all changed on Tuesday night.
The catcher doubled, hit a home run and drew a walk when the Yankees needed their bats to come alive the most.
“We were down three and really just went out there and said screw it,” he said.
The night started with Wells doubling on a ball crushed off the fence to move Anthony Volpe to third in the bottom of the second.
Volpe scored later in the inning on an Alex Verdugo groundout for the Yankees’ first run of the night.
Wells’ 384-foot home run into the right field stands helped give the Yankees a two-run cushion over the Dodgers in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Yankees catcher emphatically flipped his bat into the air before rounding the bases.
“Kind of felt it after last night, like down 3-0, like why not go out tomorrow and have fun? Like see what happens,” Wells said in his news conference about his mindset.
He added: “Knowing that this was the last guaranteed day of baseball for the season, definitely didn’t want to take it for granted and wanted to enjoy the moment.”
The Yankees bats collectively came out of their slump as the Bronx Bombers put up double-digit runs for the first time all postseason and the first time they’ve scored more than three runs in the World Series.
“Obviously a lot of big at-bats. Volpe with a big blow,” Yankees skipper Aaron Boone said. “Like you said, the bottom of the order, Volpe, Wells, Verdugo, all with really good at-bats. And then just a nice job of tacking on there.”
