Baseball is usually a game of slow-burn tension, but World Series Game 5 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees didn't just burn; it imploded. Honestly, if you watched it live, you probably felt like you were witnessing a fever dream. One minute, the Yankees are up 5-0, Gerrit Cole is looking like a literal god on the mound, and the Bronx is absolutely shaking. Then, the fifth inning happened. It wasn't just a comeback. It was a total breakdown of fundamental baseball that we rarely see at the professional level, let alone on the biggest stage in the world.
People will talk about the final score—Dodgers 7, Yankees 6—for years, but the box score doesn't tell you how it felt. It felt chaotic. It felt like the Yankees were fighting against physics and their own nerves all at the same time. The Dodgers clinched their eighth title in franchise history, and Freddie Freeman secured his place as a World Series legend, but let's be real: World Series Game 5 was defined as much by what New York gave away as what Los Angeles took.
That Fifth Inning Was Actually Insane
You have to look at the fifth inning to understand why this game was so special and so painful. Up until that point, Gerrit Cole was throwing a masterpiece. He hadn't allowed a single hit through four innings. The Yankees' offense had finally woken up, with Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hitting back-to-back homers in the first. Giancarlo Stanton added another later. It was 5-0. In the history of the postseason, teams leading by five runs or more were almost certain to win.
Then, the wheels fell off.
It started with an Aaron Judge error. Judge, a Gold Glove-caliber outfielder, simply dropped a routine fly ball from Tommy Edman. It was shocking. Then, Anthony Volpe threw a ball into the dirt at third base on a potential force out. Suddenly, the bases were loaded. Even then, Cole struck out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani. He was one out away from escaping the mess he didn't create.
What happened next is the play that will haunt Yankee fans forever. Mookie Betts hit a soft grounder to first base. Anthony Rizzo fielded it, but Gerrit Cole didn't cover the bag. He just... watched. Betts was safe. A run scored. Then Freddie Freeman singled. Then Teoscar Hernández doubled. Five unearned runs. Just like that, the lead was gone. It was the first time in World Series history a team had blown a five-run lead by giving up five unearned runs in a single inning. Basically, the Yankees forgot how to play catch for ten minutes, and it cost them a championship.
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The Resilience of the Dodgers Bullpen
While the Yankees were melting down, the Dodgers were displaying the kind of organizational depth that makes them so infuriatingly good. Jack Flaherty didn't have it. He got chased early after giving up four runs in less than two innings. Most teams would fold there. But Dave Roberts leaned into his "bullpen game" philosophy, using a rotating cast of arms to keep the game within reach.
Anthony Banda, Ryan Brazier, Michael Kopech, and Alex Vesia all stepped up. They weren't perfect—Stanton hit a sacrifice fly to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead in the sixth—but they kept the damage localized. It was "bend but don't break" personified.
The real story, though, was Blake Treinen. He threw 42 pitches. That’s a massive workload for a high-leverage reliever in that situation. He went over two innings, escaping a massive jam in the eighth when the Yankees had runners on. He looked exhausted. His velocity was dipping slightly. But he found a way to navigate through the heart of the New York lineup. It was gritty. It was ugly. It was exactly what the Dodgers needed to get to the ninth.
Walker Buehler: From Starter to Closer
Perhaps the most legendary part of World Series Game 5 was Walker Buehler coming out of the bullpen on two days' rest. Buehler had started Game 3 and looked dominant, but nobody really expected him to be the one to shut the door in Game 5.
He hadn't pitched in relief since 2018.
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Yet, there he was. Coming out to the mound in the Bronx, facing the bottom of the Yankees order. He looked completely unphased. He retired Volpe. He retired Austin Wells. Then, he struck out Alex Verdugo to end it. The image of Buehler screaming toward the Dodgers dugout is now an all-time classic baseball photo. It showed a level of selflessness and competitive fire that defined this Dodgers roster. They didn't care about roles; they just cared about the twenty-seven outs.
Freddie Freeman’s Historic Run
We can't talk about the 2024 World Series without talking about Freddie Freeman. The guy was playing on one good ankle. He had a severely sprained right ankle that would have sidelined most players for a month. Instead, he hit a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 and proceeded to homer in the next three games.
In Game 5, his two-run single during that disastrous fifth inning for the Yankees was the glue that held the comeback together. He finished the series with 12 RBIs, tying the all-time record set by Bobby Richardson in 1960. Freeman was the unanimous MVP, and rightfully so. He provided the steady veteran presence that the Dodgers needed when Shohei Ohtani was struggling with a partially dislocated shoulder.
Speaking of Ohtani, he didn't have a monster series at the plate. He was clearly hurting. He went 2-for-19 overall. But his presence in the lineup changed how the Yankees had to pitch to everyone else. It forced Gerrit Cole and the Yankee relievers to be careful, which opened doors for Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández. Even a "limited" Ohtani is a massive factor in a championship series.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Yankees' Collapse
Social media was quick to blame Aaron Boone or the "Yankee DNA," but the truth is more technical. The Yankees' defense had been a quiet concern all season. They ranked near the bottom of the league in several defensive efficiency metrics. In the regular season, you can mask those flaws with home runs. In World Series Game 5, those flaws were exposed under a microscope.
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The failure of Cole to cover first base wasn't a lack of effort; it was a lapse in fundamental communication. In the heat of the moment, with the crowd screaming, the mental fatigue of a long postseason run took its toll. You see it in every sport—the moment the pressure reaches a boiling point, the things you do in your sleep become the hardest things to execute.
Also, credit where it's due: the Dodgers' baserunning was aggressive. Tommy Edman and Mookie Betts put pressure on the defense by running hard on every play. They forced the Yankees to make quick decisions, and the Yankees blinked.
The Financial Context of This Matchup
There’s a lot of talk about how "money won the series." Yes, the Dodgers have a massive payroll. Yes, they spent over a billion dollars in the offseason. But the Yankees have a massive payroll too. This wasn't a David vs. Goliath story. It was Goliath vs. Goliath.
The difference was in the margins. The Dodgers' scouting department found guys like Max Muncy and Justin Turner years ago, and they continued that trend with the way they utilized their roster in 2024. They aren't just rich; they are smart. They used every resource available to ensure that even when their starting rotation was decimated by injuries (missing Glasnow, Kershaw, and Stone), they had a path to victory.
Actionable Insights for Baseball Fans and Players
Watching a game like this offers more than just entertainment. It’s a case study in high-pressure performance. Whether you're a coach, a player, or just a die-hard fan, there are real takeaways from the chaos of Game 5.
- Fundamentals Win Championships: You can hit 50 home runs, but if you can't cover first base on a ground ball or catch a routine fly, you will lose to elite teams.
- Mental Reset Capability: The Dodgers didn't panic when they were down 5-0. They stayed within their approach, waited for an opening, and pounced. Developing the "next play" mentality is crucial.
- Versatility Over Rigid Roles: Modern baseball favors the flexible. Walker Buehler being willing and able to close a game despite being a franchise starter is the blueprint for postseason success.
- Depth is Insurance: Build a roster (or a team in any field) that can survive the loss of its stars. The Dodgers won despite Ohtani being hampered because the bottom of their order and their middle relief were prepared.
World Series Game 5 was a reminder that baseball is a game played by humans, not robots. It is prone to error, emotion, and spectacular shifts in momentum. The Dodgers earned their rings by being the more disciplined, resilient group when the lights were the brightest. For the Yankees, it’s a long winter of wondering "what if" regarding a fifth inning that will live in infamy.
To truly understand the legacy of this game, look back at the defensive positioning during the fifth. Notice how the Dodgers' runners didn't hesitate for a second when the ball hit the grass. That’s not luck; that’s preparation meeting opportunity. The 2024 trophy resides in Los Angeles because they didn't beat themselves, and in the World Series, that's often the only thing that matters.