The Yankees were at rock bottom before Anthony Volpes heroics

The Yankees needed one man to step up in their darkest hour.They spotted the Dodgers two runs — again — when Freddie Freeman planted one in the right field bleachers — again.

A chilly night had turned even colder because now there was a hint of winter lurking on the other side of midnight.Until Anthony Volpe said: Not yet.With one swing, a glorious third-inning swat that landed in the left-field stands and cleared the bases, Volpe paved the way for an 11-4 victory that extends the Yankees season at least one more game, narrowing the gap in this 120th World Series to three-games-to-one, keeping them in play.One thing that was certain as the Yankees reported for work Tuesday afternoon for Game 5 of the 120th World Series at Yankee Stadium: If they were going to — Aaron Boone’s words — “shock the world” in the days ahead, they were going to have to win an elimination game Tuesday night.It was the 23rd elimination game the Yankees have faced in their World Series history.It is the 11th win.

Both of those are more than anyone else.They’ll get another one Wednesday, the last of a line that looks like this:1921 (0-1 in elimination games): Trailing 4-3 in the Series — which was best-of eight at the time — the Yankees and Waite Hoyt lose a 1-0 heartbreaker as the home team at the Polo Grounds when the Giants score a first-inning run and Art Nehf throws a four-hitter.1922 (0-1): Once again Nehf goes the distance, beating the Yankees, 5-3, to complete a sweep for the Giants (though there was also a tie thrown into the mix; Giants won, 4-0-1).1926 (0-1): In a do-or-die Game 7, the Cardinals’ Grover Cleveland Alexander wins his famous bases-loaded duel with Tony Lazzeri in the seventh, and the series ends, stunningly, when Babe Ruth is caught trying to steal second.1942 (0-1): Trailing 3-1 to the Cardinals in Game 5 but tied 2-2 in the ninth at Yankee Stadium, Red Ruffing surrenders a two-run homer to St.

Louis’ Whitey Kurowski that delivers the Seri...