The Los Angeles Dodgers fought back from a five-run deficit in Game 5 of the World Series to avoid going back to Los Angeles, much to the relief of Dave Roberts.
Had the New York Yankees fielded the ball cleanly, there would undoubtedly have been a Game 6 at Dodger Stadium. In fact, the Bronx Bombers might have even had a 3-2 lead in the series.
However, the Yankees had what has been described as the worst defensive inning in the history of baseball.
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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, #30, celebrates with the Commissioner’s Trophy during the 2024 World Series championship parade near Los Angeles City Hall. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
Once the Yankees took a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth, though, the pressure was on, the Dodgers manager said.
“When you’re down 3–0, you’re at the point where you have nothing to lose now. When you’re down 3–0 everyone is expecting you to lose anyway,” Roberts said on Mookie Betts’ podcast of the Yankees, who lost the first three games of the Fall Classic. “So now, that, for me, is freeing. And they played free, won Game 4.
“And I will tell you this now, publicly, I was so afraid to come back to Los Angeles for Game 6. If we were to come back, the noise, the pressure becomes real. Because then, you’re going to start potentially being part of history in the wrong way.”
New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto, #22, reacts with outfielder Aaron Judge, #99, after Judge dropped a fly ball during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium. (James Lang-Imagn Images)
JUAN SOTO NONCOMMITTAL ON FUTURE WITH YANKEES FOLLOWING WORLD SERIES LOSS
No team had ever even forced a Game 6 in the World Series after trailing 3-0; 21 of those instances wound up in sweeps, while only three others went to a fifth game. Of course, Roberts’ stolen base turned out to be the catalyst in the 2004 Boston Red Sox’ 3-0 comeback against the Yankees in that year’s American League Championship Series.
However, Anthony Volpe’s magic in Game 4 was not enough, as the Yankees committed a series of errors in the fifth inning. Aaron Judge dropped a routine fly ball in center field, Anthony Volpe misfired on a throw to third baseman Jazz Chisholm, and Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rizzo did not communicate who was going to cover the first base bag on a simple ground ball.
Afterward, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez each drove in two runs to tie the game.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole, center, is pulled by manager Aaron Boone, left, as first baseman Anthony Rizzo, #48, puts his hand on Cole’s shoulder during the seventh inning in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 in New York City. ((AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
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With that, it was the Dodgers’ eighth World Series title in franchise history.
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