Photo Credit: Godofredo Vasquez/AP
Just when it appeared Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees were right back in this World Series, they all but gave away the trophy.
An epic meltdown of defensive miscues, beginning with Judge’s embarrassing error in center field, helped the Los Angeles Dodgers rally in a five-run fifth inning that tied the score at 5.
Young shortstop Anthony Volpe and ace pitcher Gerrit Cole also committed costly mistakes. New York’s bullpen squandered a one-run lead in the eighth, and the Dodgers held on for a 7-6 victory Wednesday night in Game 5 that wrapped up their eighth championship and second in five years.
“This is like, as bad as it gets,” Cole said. “It’s the worst feeling that you can have.”
Finally back in their first World Series since 2009, the Yankees didn’t last long.
It was the latest autumn failure for baseball’s most successful franchise — one that used to own October.
Not anymore. Not lately, at least. And in the Yankees’ universe, 15 years is a long time between titles.
“We didn’t get the job done,” Judge said. “We made some mistakes along the way that hurt us.”
On deck, an offseason of uncertainty as New York tries to retain free agent slugger Juan Soto, who is expected to have several eager suitors and command a massive contract.
“I’m really happy with the city, with the team, how these guys do, but at the end of the day, we will see,” Soto said. “We’re going to look at every situation, every offer that we get and take a decision from there.
“I feel like every team has the same opportunities,” he added. “I don’t want to say anybody has any advantage because at the end of the day we’re going to look at what they have and how much they want me.”
Judge wants Soto back in the Big Apple.
“I think everybody in this room wants him back,” the captain said. “You could look at the stats and what he did on the field, I think it was the type of leader he is in this clubhouse. He just does a lot of the little things that people don’t notice that truly make him one of the best players if not the best player in the game. ... I definitely would love to see him in pinstripes for quite a long time.”
After losing the first three games to LA, the Yankees won 11-4 in Game 4 behind Volpe to prevent a sweep. That left them looking to become the first of 25 teams that fell behind 3-0 in the World Series to force a Game 6, which would have been back at Dodger Stadium.
And they got off to a rollicking start, too, with back-to-back homers by Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the first inning. Giancarlo Stanton went deep leading off the third, and the Bronx Bombers had a 5-0 cushion.
“You feel pretty confident with your ace up there and a five-run lead. But you know, that’s baseball, man,” left fielder Alex Verdugo said. “They played the better baseball in this World Series.”
Cole cruised through four hitless innings, pitching around a leadoff walk in the fourth with the help of a remarkable catch by Judge as he crashed hard into the left-center fence.
California, here we come, right?
