How to Lose a World Series in 5 Days

The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t win the 2024 World Series. The New York Yankees, along with their manager Aaron Boone, lost it. And it was pathetic.

Throughout this season, the New York Yankees could never get out of their own way. For a team so loaded with talent, they underperformed in the dumbest ways. If you asked yourself, what record would a team featuring the presumptive AL MVP, a previous MVP winner, the reigning Cy Young award winner, and many other All-Stars finish with, would the answer be 94-68? On paper, that seems like a good record, but the World Series truly exposed the flaws of this iteration of the Yankees. This team hasn’t been able to run the bases, play defense, or hit in the clutch since 2017. Nowhere was this more obvious than in their most important series of 2024. 

In Game 1, the Yankees got a dominant performance from ace pitcher Gerrit Cole as he went six innings giving up only one run on four hits. However, he was only given two runs of support, as the Yankees bats went cold with runners on, going a combined one for eight with runners in scoring position. Unfortunately, the 2-1 lead didn’t last, as the right fielder Juan Soto committed a bad fielding blunder which allowed Shohei Ohtani to get to third on a double and then score the tying run on a sac fly. Later in the top of the ninth, the Yankees had two runners on for Aaron Judge and still failed to convert. They did, however, manage to drive in a run in the tenth, three outs away from a win. Then, the bullpen imploded as the previously steady Jake Cousins gave up a walk and a single before getting pulled for Nestor Cortes. To this day, this decision makes zero sense to me, as Cortes hadn’t pitched in over a month and now was coming in to face the top of the lineup with the game on the line. Unsurprisingly, the decision backfired, as after getting Ohtani to fly out, Cortes walked Mookie Betts and gave up a walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman.  Throughout the whole game, the Yankees had many opportunities to put the game out of reach but failed, and then made one terrible blunder which the Dodgers were able to capitalize on. 

In Game 2 it was clear that the Pinstripes’ momentum was completely gone. The pitching started poorly as Carlos Rodon gave up four runs through three innings, and the bats went completely cold. Most of the game was a dull and miserable affair, as the Yankees failed to get any action on the basepaths. This all changed in the ninth, however, as Soto, Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm, and Anthony Rizzo loaded the bases with the Yankees down by two. Sadly, the unclutch hitting came back full force as Anthony Volpe swung out of his shoes on a pitch way outside. This left New York with one out remaining and Austin Wells coming up. Wells had struggled in the playoffs but had had a fantastic season that put him in rookie-of-the-year talks. Nevertheless, Aaron Boone elected to replace him with Jose Trevino, the veteran catcher who lost his job to Wells and had only four playoff at-bats. Unsurprisingly, this decision also backfired as Trevino flew out on the first pitch, ending the threat. It seemed like Boone wanted to use his most inexperienced pieces in the most important moments.

In sports history, only one team has ever been able to come back from being down 3-0 in a best-of-seven series. In other words, Game 3 was do or die for the Yankees’s hopes of winning the World Series. However, the game was much the same as the starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt lasted only 2.2 innings giving up three runs while the bats remained ice cold. Just like Game 2, they only managed four hits through the first eight innings, leaving them down 0-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. There, Alex Verdugo hit a pointless two-run home run with two outs to give the Yankees a semblance of hope which was quickly neutralized. In possibly the most important game of their season, the team was completely hapless and outmatched. It was as if the talent and potential they had demonstrated throughout the season was all a mirage. Nothing of what they’d done well before was working and it made for a terribly frustrating experience. 

While in Game 4 the team showed promise, it was expected as they were faced with a do-or-die situation. Game 5 was the true kick in the gut. For once, the bats started strong as home runs from Stanton, Judge, and Chisholm propelled the team to an early 5-0 lead. Simultaneously, Cole was pitching another gem, as he hadn’t allowed a hit through four innings. Unfortunately, it was in the top of the fifth that things changed. A single from Enrique Hernandez broke up a no-hitter, and then Tommy Edman hit a soft line drive straight at the sure-handed center fielder Judge. And he dropped the ball. Judge looked at the runner before making the catch and that distracted him enough to miss it. I still don't understand it. Ironically, that blunder was followed by an even worse one by the shortstop Volpe who failed to record an easy double play on a soft ground ball, leaving the bases loaded with no outs. In 2023, Volpe won the gold glove for his defense. In 2024, he’s making errors in the World Series. 

Somehow it got even worse as after getting two strikeouts, Cole induced a soft ground ball to first from Betts. The first baseman Rizzo expected Cole to cover the bag, but for whatever reason he didn’t, allowing Betts to reach and drive in a run. After that, the inning came undone, as the Dodgers would drive in four more runs to tie the score. While New York was able to retake the lead in their half of the sixth, the top of the eight proved to be the killer. Reliever Tommy Kahnle came in to protect the lead, but promptly gave up consecutive singles and a walk to load the bases. He was then pulled for Luke Weaver, a previously standout pitcher in the playoffs. Even he was unable to save the situation, as he gave up back-to-back sacrifice flies to give the Dodgers a 7-6 lead. After that, it was hopeless. The Yankees tried to threaten in the eighth, but failed to drive in a run and then went down in order in the ninth. Overall, they left 12 runners on base and went 1-for-10 with RISP. 

It is impossible to win the World Series when you give away two games through ridiculous errors. Even the Dodgers were well aware of the Yankee lack of fundamentals, yet it seemed like no attempt was made to change. Since 2017, this team has been happy with a winning record and the occasional divisional championship, but never truly challenged for more. I doubt that’ll change now, as they’re planning to keep Boone and will have to dish out the money for Soto who’s now a free agent.