An Autopsy Of That Fantastic 5th Inning That Ended The Yankees Season

CJ GUNTHER. Shutterstock Images.

Bill Buckner. Grady Little. The 5th Inning. We have a new entry in the sports failure lexicon. The Yankees disastrous 5th Inning is instantly one of the biggest fuckups in baseball history. And unlike Grady, or even Fred Merkle in 1908, the 5th Inning is unique because it wasn't one player or decision. It was mistake after mistake after mistake with some of the biggest names in baseball shitting the bed on the World Series stage. 

So let's go through this historic and hysterical inning in baseball history batter by batter and break down how the Yankees fucked up their best chance to win a World Series in 15 years.

NYY 5, LAD 0 

0 Outs

Gerrit Cole entered the 5th inning on a roll: 4 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 3 K. He was absolutely dominant. The only thing that could stop him would something insane like the Dodgers getting 6 outs in an inning.

You even had an amazing catch the inning before in center field by Aaron Judge that led Hubbs to declare on the stream: "Tell me he's a bad centerfielder!"

1st Batter: Enrique Hernandez

Cole left a fastball too much in the zone and Hernandez slapped a single to right. The only reason this seemed notable is that it was the first hit of the game for Dodgers.

2nd Batter: Tommy Edman

Remember how Hubbs declared Judge a good centerfielder? 

I can help you with that Hubbs. Aaron Judge is a bad centerfielder. He's an incredible hitter and should be a first ballot HOFer. He's also had a -1.7 defensive WAR the past two seasons. He's gotten clearly worse when it comes to range. Maybe when Juan Soto goes to the Mets, you can move Judge to right field.

Of the three massive fuckups this inning (and also accounting for the later balk and catchers interference), this is the least egregious. The other errors were mental mistakes. Judge just took his eyes off the ball for the second or maybe lost it in the lights. Had he just dropped that catch in the 4th and caught this one, I'm not writing this blog right now and we're getting baseball tomorrow night. Alas, Yankees.

3rd Batter: Will Smith

This is the play that Volpe for some reason threw to third base instead of second. It's wild that this mistake happened only 5 pitches after the Judge drop. I like Volpe a lot and think he'll go to multiple all-star games in his career. But this was a tough mental mistake by someone who had a very good post-season. 

4th Batter: Gavin Lux

5th Batter: Shohei Ohtani

2 Outs (Should be 4)

NYY 5, LAD 0

This is where Cole sacked up and almost got out of this thing. He strikes out Lux and Ohtani on 4 pitches each. Ohtani has maybe never looked more helpless in his career just flailing at pitches. You could have given Ohtani 6 strikes in this at bat and I still don't think he puts a ball in play.

6th Batter: Mookie Betts

The Point Seen 'Round The World.

This play was so shocking that Mike Francesa literally did the Home Alone face on the stream. When the camera pans over to first base and NO ONE IS THERE was one of the more shocking things you'll see in a baseball game. I get it. They are human beings and everything happens so fast. However, as someone who spent my life hating this team in the Bronx, it was magical.

Not enough credit is going to Mookie Betts for busting his ass down the line on a play that seemed like a routine grounder to first. Cole will spend his winter wondering why he decided pointing was a better idea than running. If he never wins a World Series, he may spend the rest of his life wondering.

Anyway, a run scored but the Yankees still had a healthy lead.

NYY 5, LAD 1

2 Outs (Should be 5)

7th Batter: Freddie Freeman

Freddie Freeman just may have had the greatest offensive World Series performance I've ever seen. He tied the World Series RBI record with 12…but in only 5 games. He slugged 1.000 over the 5 games. He had 4 home runs…and even had a triple on top of that.

That week off from the NLCS must have done wonders for that ankle. Freeman didn't even have an extra base hit in either the NLDS or the NLCS.

I don't think anyone was shocked to see him just drive a ball to center to score 2 runs.

NYY 5, LAD 3

8th Batter: Teoscar Hernandez

This was Bane breaking Batman's back. No matter how this game ended after this, the Series was over. It wasn't just that the game was tied. Remember, the Yankees took the lead before Tommy Kahnle walked the ballpark and then you had a balk and catcher's interference. 

It was more that this nightmare inning was no longer a footnote. It was a statement. If Cole is able to get Betts rather than point at an inanimate object, the score is still 5-0. If anything the Yankees would have proved that they gave the Dodgers 5 outs in an inning and were still shutting them out. 

Amazingly, this still wasn't over.

NYY 5, LAD 5

2 Outs (Should be 5)

9th Batter: Max Muncy

Muncy, who literally went 0-for-2024 World Series somehow got a walk here. In hindsight, it's wild that Cole was able to shake off this inning and pitch so well in the 6th and 7th. 

10th Batter: Enrique Hernandez

He grounded out to Volpe who just took it to second base himself. Imagine if he somehow threw the ball away?

NYY 5, LAD 5

3 Outs (Should be 6)

5 Runs (0 Earned)

4 Hits

2 LOB

This is a fuckup right on par with Buckner. They are both similar in that there are several people to blame. The 1986 Red Sox had not only Buckner, but Calvin Schiraldi, John McNamara and Bob Stanley all played a part. In fairness, the stakes were also higher. That was the 10th inning in Game 6. 

But if you need to reach back 38 years to find a comparable nightmare World Series fuckup, you have some legitimate history on your hands. Gerrit Cole can win a 3rd ERA title or even another Cy Young. But until he can win a World Series, The Point will be the first moment you think of when you think of his career.

For the time being, that 5th Inning will be the first thing you think of when you think of the Yankees. For someone like me who hates this team more than any other, it was the perfect ending.