Gleyber Torres makes up for earlier gaffe with game-securing homer in Yankees win

Gleyber Torres came through with a huge blast in the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 4 of the World Series on Tuesday night to finally give the Yankees some much-needed breathing room as they extended their season by a day with an 11-4 win in The Bronx.It came after a shaky beginning to the game for Torres, who was hitless in his first four at-bats from the leadoff spot and then made a miscue on defense that helped cost the Yankees a run when they were clinging to a lead in a game they had to win.His slow toss to Anthony Volpe at second base in the fifth inning allowed the Dodgers to score a run, as the hobbled Freddie Freeman beat out a potential inning-ending double play.Tommy Edman scored on the play to cut the Yankee lead to one run.But Torres more than made up for that with a three-run homer in the eighth that put the Yankees up 10-4.“It feels good to be able to help tonight,’’ Torres said.“We had guys on base and didn’t score the first two games.

We had to change that.”What went from a situation in which Aaron Boone may have asked Luke Weaver to get the final seven outs of the game heading into yet another potential elimination game became a bit of a late blowout, so Tim Mayza entered in the ninth to finish the game and allow Weaver some rest for Wednesday.“To add on and get Weaver out of the game changed everything for us and will help [Wednesday],” Anthony Rizzo said.“That was the biggest part of that home run.”Tuesday showed what the Torres experience can be like for the Yankees, as he’s made more than his fair share of mental mistakes throughout his career, but his bat always has the potential to change a game.Torres was terrible at the plate for much of the first half of the season, but he responded well to a move to the leadoff spot and rebounded with a solid second half.He followed that with a strong ALDS against the Royals and then an even better showing in the ALCS versus Cleveland, but he’s continued to make mistakes in ...