Giancarlo Stanton hit a home run at the start of the third inning, giving the Bronx Bombers a 5-0 lead. "You feel good, confident with your ace and with a five-run lead, but that's baseball, you know?" commented Mexican outfielder Alex Verdugo.
In the Yankees' universe, 15 years is a long time between titles. "This is a very tough time for us," admitted Boone. After losing the first three games against the Angels, the Yankees won the fourth 11-4, relying on Volpe to avoid a sweep.
The New York bullpen squandered a one-run lead in the eighth inning, and the Dodgers held on to win 7-6 in the fifth game, securing their eighth championship and second in five years. "I have a broken heart," expressed manager Aaron Boone.
That left them with the possibility of becoming the first team out of 25 that fell behind 3-0 in the World Series to force a sixth game, which would have been back at Dodger Stadium. They also had an exciting start in the fifth, with consecutive home runs from Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the first inning.
Cole navigated through four hitless innings, dodging a walk at the start of the fourth with the help of a remarkable catch by Judge as he crashed into the left center field wall. "They played the best baseball in this World Series," said Boone.
Just when it seemed that Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees were back in this World Series, they practically relinquished the trophy. An epic collapse of defensive mistakes, starting 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. 'The ending has been cruel.'
Finally back in their first World Series since 2009, the Yankees didn't last long. It was the latest autumn failure for the most successful baseball franchise, which used to dominate October. Not anymore. At least not recently.
