Juan Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the New York Yankees advanced to their 41st World Series – and first in 15 years – over the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday. evening.
Baseball's biggest brand returns to the main stage in October.
Soto, who was acquired in a seven-player trade with San Diego in December, brought the Bronx Bombers to the position with a big swing.
The Yankees will try to win their 28th title against the New York Mets or the Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 6 of the National League Championship Series is Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
In the 10th, Austin Wells followed with one out and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to second baseman Andrés Giménez, whose soft throw was dropped by rookie shortstop Brian Rocchio for an error in the bag.
Gaddis struck out Kleiber Torres before the elegant New York outfielder sent a shot over the center field wall and scored Soto on a 1-2 count. Soto danced down the first base line, stopping to celebrate with his teammates before rounding the bases.
“I said to myself, 'You're in love with that guy. You're totally over that guy. “I had nothing,” Soto said.
Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer for the Yankees, who took care of the Guardians in five games, but it wasn't easy.
New York won the first two at Yankee Stadium without much fanfare or drama. It was a different story in Cleveland, however, as all three games were exciting games on progressive field.
The Guardians rallied to win two in Game 3, two-run homers in their final two at-bats, and the Yankees held on to win Game 4 after taking a four-run lead.
Cleveland simply didn't have enough, and a surprising season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt was cut short. World Series. The franchise has been without a title since 1948, baseball's longest current drought.
The Yankees are back in the World Series, where they have their fans every year.
The club's 82-80 fourth-place finish in the American League East last season led to “soul searching as an organization” over the winter, according to coach Aaron Boone, who was widely criticized but was one of three coaches. New York made the playoffs in six of its first seven seasons.
The core of the team remained largely intact, and the acquisition of Soto in a blockbuster trade on December 7 (New York sent five players to San Diego for the three-time All-Star outfielder) accelerated the team's return to title contention. .
“That was a good day,” Boone said with a laugh before the game.
Stanton's 446-foot rocket into the left field stands tied the game at 2-6 and chased Tanner BB, who struck out New York's dangerous designated hitter in his first two at-bats and held the Yankees scoreless for the first five innings. .
It was Stanton's fourth home run of the series – third in three days – and 16th of the postseason, putting him in fourth place on the club's all-time list behind Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20) and Mickey Mantle (18). .
Before the game, Boone was asked what makes Stanton so great.
“First of all, he can hit harder than anyone,” Boone said. “So the physical aspect of what he does is different than anyone else in the world.”
But Boone praised Stanton's discipline, “his approach, his process, how he reads guys.”
“He does something when he interacts with people based on the fact that he's very physically capable,” Boone said.
The Guardians took a 2-0 lead with two outs in the top of the fifth on Steven Kwan's RBI single off Carlos Rodan. But Cleveland missed one more big opportunity, loading the bases when Lane Thomas grounded out to Mark Leiter Jr. on his first pitch.
