The New York Yankees are World Series bound for the first time since 2009 after defeating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in extra innings of Game 5 of the AL Championship Series on Saturday.
A dramatic game-tying home run from Giancarlo Stanton in the sixth inning and a go-ahead three-run blast by Juan Soto in the 10th inning powered the Yankees back into the Fall Classic.
With the victory, the Yankees secured their 41st World Series appearance, marking a return to the Fall Classic after a 15-year absence, when they won their 27th championship.
Soto, who delivered the decisive blow, called the opportunity to send his team to the World Series the “best feeling you can ever have.”
“Thats what we play for, that’s what we came for since day one, we grinded every day, we’re here and we accomplished it,” Soto said after the game. “We have all the talent that we need to go all the way. Right now we feel really good.”
The Yankees now await the winner of the NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets. The Dodgers hold a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6 on Sunday in Los Angeles.
Cleveland took an early 2-0 lead in Game 5, with Guardians starter Tanner Bibee keeping the Yankees’ offense at bay. Bibee carried a shutout through 5 2/3 innings, retiring 12 of 13 batters entering the sixth inning.
However, fatigue began to show as he faced the heart of the Yankees order, allowing Gleyber Torres and Soto to hit back-to-back singles.
After Aaron Judge grounded into a double play, the Yankees’ rally seemed to be extinguished.
But, Giancarlo Stanton had other plans. Down to his last strike, with two outs, Stanton crushed a 446-foot moonshot to left-center field, tying the game 2-2 with his 16th career postseason home run.
Stanton’s blast, clocked at 117.5 mph off the bat, moved him past Babe Ruth and Judge for the fourth-most postseason homers in franchise history. His four home runs in the ALCS earned him series MVP honors.
In the 10th inning, catcher Austin Wells got the Yankees offense going, drawing a full-count walk off Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis. Moments later, Alex Verdugo came up to bat and hit into a would-be double play, but shortstop Brayan Rocchio dropped it, allowing both runners to be safe.
Following a Gleyber Torres strikeout, up came the big offseason acquisition Soto, who was traded to the Yankees from the San Diego Padres in a seven-player trade in December.
Facing a 1-2 count, Soto fought through a seven-pitch at-bat before mashing a three-run home run to seal the victory for the Yankees. The superstar outfielder celebrated at first base, pounding his chest as he looked towards his team’s dugout, before rounding the bases.
“Just an at-bat for the ages,” Boone said of Soto’s shot. “It’s not surprising either that he does it. It is like that’s who he is. He’s so good at seizing the moment.”
Soto’s blast was the first postseason series-clinching home run in extra innings since Boone’s iconic homer in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox.
Yankees closer Luke Weaver, who blew the save in Game 3, redeemed himself by pitching two innings, while facing four batters in the bottom of the frame to shut the door on the Guardians’ hopes of a comeback.
“Obviously we’re hurting. What a game to finish it on. This group of guys worked extremely hard from day one. We believed, and we still believe we can be better. We can be more,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said after the game.
“But I couldn’t be more proud of what this group accomplished. There’s only one team that gets to win the last game of the year, and unfortunately it’s not going to be us.”
The Yankees will now prepare for the World Series, with Game 1 scheduled for Friday, October 25, as they seek to capture their 28th title in franchise history.