Dodgers 7, Yankees 6
Game Five of the World Series at Yankee Stadium in New York had a little bit of everything, but the Los Angeles Dodgers came out on top, 7–6, to win its eighth championship in franchise history. There were gusty performances on the mound by Gerrit Cole and Blake Treinen. There was a balk, catcher’s interference, two additional fielding errors, and a costly decision to not cover first base by Cole on a grounder to first. The largest comeback win to clinch a World Series in its history took place (five runs).
Yankees Offense Comes Out Sharp
Three homers began the story of Game Five. Aaron Judge came alive with a homer in the first off Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty. Flaherty threw a fastball right down the heart of the plate, and Judge smashed a no-doubt two-run blast. Then Jazz Chisholm Jr. stepped up to the plate and unloaded on another Flaherty fastball for back-to-back home runs.
Flaherty simply did not have it Wednesday night, and manager Dave Roberts replaced him in the second inning. This factored in later, as the Dodgers used up a lot of relievers in Game Four. The Dodgers wanted Flaherty to eat up some innings, but that didn’t happen.
Giancarlo Stanton smoked a solo shot to right field in the third inning off Ryan Brasier. This made the score 5–0 in favor of the New York Yankees. The Dodgers looked like they had nothing in the tank in terms of offense. That’s because Gerrit Cole had electric stuff. But the electricity wasn’t enough to save Cole from a sloppy fifth inning.
A Sloppy Fifth Inning Evens Score at Five
There were two Yankees fielding errors in the fifth. Enrique Hernandez singled off Cole. Then Judge completely muffed a routine flyball to center. At this point, there were runners on first and second with no outs. On a bouncer to shortstop Anthony Volpe, Volpe fielded the ball and threw it in the dirt to Chisholm at third, and Chisholm could not come up with it.
Cole Remains Electric
Gerrit Cole remained calm, cool, and collected on the mound. If anything, it appeared as if he had become stronger. With the bases loaded for Gavin Lux, Cole struck him out. Up walked Shohei Ohtani, who also struck out. Cole was about to get out of the jam. Mookie Betts came up, again with the bases loaded, and hit a ground ball to first baseman Anthony Rizzo. The ball had some spin on it that momentarily caused Rizzo to adjust his footing. But Cole was not covering first base after Rizzo came up with the ball. Betts was able to make it to first in time for an RBI single.
This seemed to fluster Cole. Other players had made mistakes to put him in this position and now he was the one who made a mistake. Then World Series MVP Freddie Freeman stepped up to the plate and singled in two runs. Teoscar Hernandez decided to join the party and stroked a double over Judge’s head in center to drive in Betts and Freeman. All of a sudden the Yankees, who had been in control the entire game, shot themselves in the feet and allowed the Dodgers to come back and tie the game at five runs apiece.
Aaron Boone’s Take on the Fifth Inning
Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked about the sloppy fielding in the fifth inning. He replied, “Yeah, just we didn’t take care of the ball well enough in that inning. Against a great team like that, they took advantage. It looked like just kind of that sinking liner that just Judgey [Aaron Judge] missed.
The play to Volpe, the right move obviously going to third, a little bit of a short hop over there at to third, didn’t complete the play.
And then Mookie [Betts] hits a squibber so Rizz [Anthony Rizzo] couldn’t really run through it. He kind of had to stay there and make sure he secured the catch because of the spin on the ball. And I think Gerrit [Cole] just — all that he went through in that inning, kind of spent and kind of almost working his way out of it, just didn’t react quick enough to get over.”
Dodgers Make History With Comeback
It was not only amazing to see such a meltdown in the World Series, but no team had ever come back from a five-run deficit to clinch a World Series Championship. And it was all due to sloppy play when their starting pitcher was practically unhittable.
But the game didn’t end in the fifth inning. Game Five all of a sudden became exciting. The Yankee offense came alive again briefly in the bottom of the sixth with a sacrifice fly to center by Stanton to score Juan Soto. The Yankees regained the lead, 6–5. That was the story until the top of the eighth, when Dodgers Lux and Betts racked up an RBI apiece with a pair of sacrifice flies. That was the end of the scoring for the game, and the Dodgers won the game and the World Series.
Cole Remains in the Game
Gerrit Cole was not done in the fifth. Amazingly, Cole returned to the mound not only for the sixth but also the seventh inning. And he wasn’t facing the bottom of the Dodgers lineup in the seventh. On the contrary, he shut down both Ohtani and Betts in the seventh before giving up a walk to Freeman. Cole left the game with two outs in the seventh after throwing 108 pitches (76 strikes). It was a gutsy performance by the Yankees ace.
What Went Right for the Yankees
The Yankees offense had been a sleeping giant before Game Four, when they unleashed the beast with an 11–4 victory. The Yankees brought that momentum into Game Five and began right where they left off in Game Four. They hit three home runs: one apiece by Judge, Chisholm, and Stanton. Judge made a leaping catch into the wall to snag a long drive off the bat of Freddie Freeman. They unloaded for six runs off eight hits in Game Five.
Gerrit Cole was amazing. His totals on the night were five runs (all unearned) off four hits and four walks with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Those stats don’t do him justice. He was incredible. If not for the fifth inning, we would all be talking about how great Cole is.
What Went Wrong for the Yankees
Inept fielding is the story of what went wrong in Game Five. A dropped ball in center by Judge, a bad throw by Volpe at short, catcher’s interference to put Ohtani on first and load the bases for Mookie Betts to hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth. It was the sixth time a catcher’s interference was called in the World Series. The last time was in 1982 by Hall of Famer Ted Simmons. There was even a balk by Yankees reliever Luke Weaver. All of it was sloppy and something we don’t often see in a World Series.
What Went Right for the Dodgers
Quite frankly, the Yankees blowing the game with sloppy fielding in the fifth inning with their ace on the mound having electric stuff was the main thing that went right for the Dodgers. Had the Yankees not blown the lead, there would likely be a Game Six. Having said that, Dodgers hitters were able to come up with clutch hits and make the Yankees pay for their mistakes. There were also gutsy performances by the Dodgers pitching staff, including Blake Treinen, which we’ll discuss momentarily.
What Went Wrong for the Dodgers
The Dodgers were not able to do much against Gerrit Cole without help from Yankees fielding mistakes. They used four relievers in Game Four, and those relievers were gassed for Game Five. They wanted Jack Flaherty to eat up innings, but he was removed after an inning and a third. Flaherty’s stats on the night: four runs (all earned) on four hits and one walk with one strikeout. His fastball leaked over the plate and got smashed into the stands by back-to-back Yankees batters. In all, the Dodgers gave up six runs.
Quick Hits
Gutsy Performances by Dodger Pitching
The Dodgers had used up their bullpen in Game Four, and with the Dodgers in serious need of pitching, Blake Treinen came through to keep the Dodgers in Game Five. He didn’t have his best stuff. His command of his fastballs was off from the start. His slider, however, was working well. He generally pitches for one inning and throws maybe 15 pitches in that single inning. In Game Five, he threw 42 pitches and only 25 were strikes.
Blake Treinen Gassed but Poised
In the bottom of the eighth, Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. were due up. Soto grounded to first. Judge doubled to left, and Chisholm walked. Treinen appeared to be gassed. Dodger skipper Dave Roberts visited the mound. Treinen was bent over at the waist with his hands on his knees for a moment as Roberts approached. It seemed like Treinen was done for the night. After a few words with Treinen, Roberts returned to the dugout without replacing him.
Stanton stepped up with two on and one out, already with a homer and sacrifice fly on the night. Treinen got his second wind and got Stanton to fly to right, then struck out Rizzo to finish the eighth. Trienen’s numbers in Game Five: no runs on one hit, one walk, and three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. And he also earned a well-deserved win. Many will remember Freddie Freeman and his amazing World Series, but the Dodgers do not win Game Five without Treinen.
Buehler Earns a World Series Save
The Dodgers had Daniel Hudson warming in the bullpen for the ninth. Hudson had an ERA of 7.50 in the 2024 postseason. But there was one other hurler in the pen Wednesday. That hurler was Walker Buehler. Buehler started Game Three two nights prior to Game Five. He had great stuff and stifled the Yankees for five innings without allowing a run. He only threw 76 pitches before being removed with a three-run Dodgers lead. Buehler obviously had something left in the tank because his pitches, especially the curve, had the Yankees on their heels in Game Five.
Volpe was seemingly locked in at the plate, fresh off his grand slam in Game Four and having a two-hit night in Game Five. Buehler got the budding star to ground out to third. He then struck out the final two batters, Austin Wells and Alex Verdugo, to secure the first save of his major league career. In the 2020 World Series, it was Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias who secured a save to clinch a World Series Championship. In 2024, it was Buehler’s turn.
When asked after the game about how long Buehler was able to pitch, Roberts responded: “It was one inning. That’s why it was huge that Blake [Treinen] could get Stanton and then punch out Rizzo right there. So that was just our last bullet in the sense of with the lead.”
Looking Ahead
Blake Treinen notched the win while Tommy Kahnle was hit with the loss. Walker Buehler earned the save. Both the Dodgers and Yankees now head into the offseason to focus on their teams for the 2025 season.
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