Andrew’s One Good and One Bad (Game 5, World Series)

Andrew’s One Good and One Bad

By Andrew Hefner

October 31, 2024

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The plan for Games 5 and beyond was always all or nothing, and up until the 5th inning of last night's game, the Yankees were on the right track. Unfortunately, in the 5th inning, the Yankees defense imploded and that resulted in the ultimate demise of the 2024 New York Yankees. To cap off the 2024 season, let’s take a look at One Good and One Bad from the final game of the World Series.

The Good

The first 3 innings of Game 5 once again showed what the Yankees offense was capable of. Aaron Judge got the party started in a big way, mashing a 2 run homer to put the Yanks up early, and was followed by Jazz Chisholm with a solo shot to add to the lead. The Yankees approach at the plate was far improved compared to previous games and then, in the following innings, runs were manufactured in a way that fans hadn’t much seen. There was so much going right and for the second night in a row, the Yankees showed signs of life on the offensive side of the ball. It’s rough that it had to end as soon as they began to get hot again, but if some variation of this year's lineup (meaning the inclusion of Torres and Soto) can be replicated next year, I don’t see any problem with expecting another deep run. 

The Bad 

I was baffled by the absolute lack of discipline and thinking on the defensive side of the ball for the entire second half of the game. Judge got the party started in a major way, crashing into the left field wall to make an amazing catch to keep the Dodgers in check early. Just one inning later though, he would get the party started for the Dodgers, dropping a fairly routine line drive that would lead to the downfall of the 2024 New York Yankees. Anthony Volpe would then try to make a force out at third on a ground ball to get the lead runner out, but unluckily for him, the ball didn’t quite make it to Jazz Chisholm’s glove meaning there were no outs on the play. Then, with a chance to end the inning, Anthony Rizzo fielded a ground ball at first, but then didn't move. Rizzo was obviously expected Gerrit Cole to cover first for him, but Cole also didn’t make a move, so Rizzo sprinted towards first but by then it was too late. 5 runs scored in that one inning which ended up tying the game for the Dodgers. From there, the Yankees offense failed to convert much more and just before midnight on October 30, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series.  

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There is not much more to look forward to in the Bronx for now, but there certainly are now a lot of questions to be answered. What are the futures of Boone and Cashman? Is Soto returning and for how much? Can they do it again? For the next couple of weeks these questions will be answered but for now let’s take a second to reflect. This season was always the all or nothing season. A splash was made over the offseason and now, with a newly revamped lineup, the Yankees were ready to fight for 28. Although they walked away with the A.L. pennant, us Yankees fans will never settle for second best, so here’s to hoping they will be back soon. I hope you all enjoyed 2024. Let’s get Soto back!