It was a 5th inning that will live in infamy. Two — really, three — errors, including one by New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge, resulted in five Los Angeles Dodgers runs to tie the game.
To be sure, the Dodgers’ grit and superstar talent had every bit to do with their World Series victory, the franchise’s eighth championship. Mookie Betts hustled to first in that inning of innings, beating Anthony Rizzo to the bag as ace Gerrit Cole looked on in frustration.
Cole and Rizzo are no chumps. They too have hard-earned World Series rings, but still none with the Yankees. Cole had a no-hitter through four and pitched two more innings after his defense failed him. But Mookie is in a league of his own.
It did not have to be this way. The Yankees could have ended Wednesday night up 3-2 in the series. They were one out from winning Game 1. Even Game 2 was winnable. Down two with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the nine, the Yankees missed two shots to tie or win the game.
As for Game 5, along with the errors, two other statistics will haunt the Yankees: they left a whopping 12 runners on base and batted 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The Yankees, as they’ve done all season, earned nine walks along with eight hits. They had their chances but simply didn’t deliver. The Dodgers are a more polished team, more evenly stacked, and with one more superstar in the field.
It’ll be a long off-season for the Yankees. The biggest question, of course, is whether they will re-sign Juan Soto. He’ll cost them $600 million or more. Soto’s heroics in the ALCS versus the Cleveland Guardians show he’s worth every penny. The Yankees simply would not have gone this far without him, especially given Judge’s weak postseason performance.
Aaron Judge’s postseason struggles increase the value of free agent Juan Soto. Will Hal Steinbrenner be willing to sign a $600 million-plus contract?
The future of much of the supporting cast is also up in the air. Gleyber Torres, who was rejuvenated at the end of the season and in the playoffs, when it mattered most, is now a free agent.
Much of the bullpen — including Clay Holmes Tommy Kahnle, and Jonathan Losisiga — are now unrestricted free agents. Cole can also opt out of his contract.
Jazz Chisolm, who brought an instant jolt of lightning to the Yankees offense when he joined the club mid-season, is arbitration-eligible but will remain with the team. Alex Verdugo is a free agent. His time with the club will probably come to an end and the era of Jasson Dominguez will officially begin.
Twenty-eight other MLB teams would have loved to been in the Yankees’ position this week. A World Series appearance would have been considered a success. But for the Yankees, there is no other goal but winning that 28th World Series title, which has been elusive for 15 years. It is a Sword of Damocles hanging above the head of Judge in particular. He has achieved nearly all there is to accomplish in the regular season. He needs his ring.
This winter, the Yankees will have to assemble the pieces for when that hunt resumes in the spring.
Globely News covers the game changers transforming the worlds of business, sports, politics, and technology. From AI and electric vehicles to the rise of China and the NFL's next stars, we've got you covered.