It appeared the New York Yankees were on their way to forcing a Game 6 in commanding fashion when they opened up an early 5–0 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.
That lead disappeared in a matter of minutes.
After Kike Hernandez led off the inning with a base hit, the Yankees continued to shoot themselves in the foot for the rest of the frame. Tommy Edman reached base when Aaron Judge dropped a routine fly ball, which was his first error of the 2024 season, and Will Smith got aboard on a throwing error from Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe.
With the bases loaded, Yankees starter Gerrit Cole whiffed Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani for the inning's first two outs. And when he got Mookie Betts to hit a soft ground ball to first baseman Anthony Rizzo, it appeared the Yankees would get out of the inning with no harm done.
But Cole didn't cover first base, and Betts beat Rizzo to the bag to bring home a run.
The @Dodgers get on the board in Game 5. #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/Mif4HgFsoO
— MLB (@MLB) October 31, 2024
Los Angeles was just getting started. The Dodgers scored four more runs that inning to tie the game at five runs apiece, with Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez bringing in a pair apiece. All in all, the Dodgers sent 10 batters to the plate and scored all five runs with two outs.
An epic meltdown at Yankee Stadium. An epic meltdown that could cost New York a chance at another World Series championship.
The MLB world was astounded by the Yankees' unforgivable mistakes:
The Yankees playing defense in the 5th inning. pic.twitter.com/MmYvwFcPTm
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) October 31, 2024
Really can’t believe what I’m seeing this inning. Yankees defense completely short-circuiting. No idea why Rizzo didn’t charge that week grounder. #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/KKPnLpgHgu
— Andrew Tavani (@andrewtavani) October 31, 2024
AWFUL showing on defense by the Yankees in the fifth inning. 😬 pic.twitter.com/Op8G5JhG1C
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) October 31, 2024
#Yankees should be laughing thru game 6. Instead bullshit laziness on defense has given the #Dodgers life. Cole needed to be on 1st base!
— Boomer Esiason (@7BOOMERESIASON) October 31, 2024
No excuses!
The ole saying: defense wins championships.
— Jason Stewart (@JasonStewart) October 31, 2024
Yankees proving bad defense loses championships.
No excuse for Cole to not cover the bag here. Brutal.#WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/ynX8R8Xqp7
Yankees defense pic.twitter.com/EmZaqrsAZT
— lex targaryan (@ThisActuallyLex) October 31, 2024
If the Yankees can rally back for a Game 5 win, they'll force Game 6 at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. But if they can't, those fifth-inning blunders will haunt them for the entire offseason.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Yankees Commit Three Defensive Blunders in Nightmare Fifth-Inning Meltdown.
