The New York Yankees fell in the 2024 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers rode a resilient Blake Treinen and a monster fifth-inning offensive output to complete the comeback on Wednesday night. This fifth-inning rally from Los Angeles started due to a major blunder from New York starter Gerrit Cole.
Cole faced Dodgers star Mookie Betts with the bases loaded in the fifth. Betts grounded the ball to first, which should have ended the inning. However, Cole did not cover the first base bag. First baseman Anthony Rizzo seemed to have expected Cole to cover and did not touch the bag. Betts was safe, and Los Angeles took over from there.
Cole mentioned after the game he wasn't sure how hard the ball came off Betts' bat. “I took a bad angle to the ball. I wasn't sure how hard he hit it. By the time the ball got by me, I was not in a position to cover first. Neither of us were,” the Yankees star said after the Game 5 loss, via SNY.
Yankees' Gerrit Cole reacts to World Series defeat vs. Dodgers
Gerrit Cole pitched well enough despite the fifth-inning collapse. He ended the night on 108 pitches in 6.2 innings of work. He allowed four hits, five earned runs, walked four batters, and struck out six. Cole left the game after the Yankees reclaimed the lead in the sixth.
Related New York Yankees NewsArticle continues below
In the end, victory was not meant for the Bronx Bombers. Gavin Lux tied the game in the eighth with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. And Betts gave Los Angeles the lead for good soon after with a bases-loaded sac fly on his own.
“This is as bad as it gets. It's the worst feeling you can have,” Cole said after the loss, via SNY. “You have to keep sometimes willing yourself to believe and give yourself a chance. You keep pushing and pushing, and ultimately, you fall short. It's brutal.”
The Yankees remain on the search for their elusive 28th World Series championship. It will certainly be interesting to see how New York improves their roster this winter. In any event, the 2024 offseason promises to be an interesting one for the American League pennant winners.
