The New York Yankees faced a must-win Game 5 in the Bronx, taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were on the brink of capturing their first World Series title since 2020. Gerrit Cole took the mound for the Yankees, determined to stave off elimination and push the series back to Los Angeles. However, the Yankees fell short, ultimately losing the World Series.
Check back for highlights, recaps, and detailed coverage from this decisive World Series game.
Live coverage
Score: Yankees 6-7 Dodgers
Yankees’ World Series dreams shattered
The Yankees saw their World Series hopes dashed in heartbreaking fashion as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied from a 5-0 deficit to secure a 7-6 victory in Game 5, clinching the championship at Yankee Stadium. Despite an early lead, the Yankees couldn’t hold back the Dodgers’ comeback, which set a record as the largest rally in a World Series-clinching game in MLB history.
In the ninth inning, Walker Buehler took the mound in relief, ultimately striking out Alex Verdugo to seal the win, leaving the Yankees stunned and their season ended on their own field. For the Yankees, who battled through a challenging season to reach this point, the loss marked a bittersweet close to a campaign filled with promise.
Catcher’s interference call leads to Mookie Betts’ go-ahead sac fly for Dodgers
The Yankees’ defensive struggles continued, placing the Dodgers in a prime position as the game heads into its final innings with Los Angeles eyeing a World Series title. In the eighth inning, with Shohei Ohtani at bat and runners on the corners with one out, Yankees catcher Austin Wells was called for catcher’s interference when Ohtani’s bat clipped his glove mid-swing, loading the bases.
Seizing the moment, Mookie Betts lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Tommy Edman to tag up and score, giving the Dodgers a 7-6 lead. The interference call marked another costly defensive error for New York, who now face the challenge of containing Los Angeles’s momentum in the game’s closing frames.
With the Dodgers just a few outs away from a potential championship win, the Yankees find themselves needing to regroup quickly if they want to regain control and keep their hopes alive. The Dodgers, meanwhile, are poised to capitalize on any further mistakes as they edge closer to securing the title in what has been an intense and tightly contested series.
Giancarlo Stanton delivers, Yankees reclaim lead on sac fly to go up 6-5
Giancarlo Stanton came through in the clutch with a sac fly, bringing home the go-ahead run and putting the Yankees back on top, 6-5. After a rocky fifth inning, Stanton’s timely hit gave the Yankees the edge as they look to hold off the Dodgers and secure the win.
Yankees collapse in fifth, Dodgers rally to tie game
The Yankees saw their early lead vanish as fielding blunders and missed opportunities in the fifth inning allowed the Dodgers to claw their way back.
Aaron Judge misjudged a routine fly ball in center field, setting the stage for the Dodgers to capitalize. With the bases soon loaded and no outs, Yankees’ miscues continued. Mookie Betts reached first on a grounder after Gerrit Cole failed to cover the bag, letting Kike Hernandez score. Freddie Freeman then delivered a two-run single, trimming the Yankees’ lead to 5-3, before Teoscar Hernandez’s double to deep center completed the Dodgers’ five-run inning, tying the game.
Yankees’ Errors by Aaron Judge, Anthony Volpe Fuel Dodgers’ fifth-inning comeback
Kike Hernandez singled to right, and Tommy Edman reached first after Aaron Judge’s error on a routine fly to center, igniting a Dodgers rally that evened the score.
Yankees build lead despite defensive lapses and Dodger threats
In Game 5 of the World Series, the Yankees managed to maintain a comfortable lead against the Dodgers, but two critical defensive errors briefly provided the Dodgers with hope.
After Kike Hernandez singled to right field, Tommy Edman reached first base following a misjudgment by Aaron Judge, who was unable to secure the catch. This allowed the Dodgers to place two runners on base with no outs, heightening tension in the Yankees’ dugout. Shortly after, Jazz Chisholm Jr. missed a catch at third base, loading the bases for Los Angeles, though Gerrit Cole and the Yankees’ defense held their ground, preventing the Dodgers from scoring.
Earlier in the game, Aaron Judge showcased his power and fielding prowess. After hitting a two-run homer in the first inning to kick off the Yankees’ scoring, Judge robbed Freddie Freeman of a potential hit with a high-flying catch at the wall, keeping the Dodgers scoreless in the fourth inning. Judge came close to another home run in the fifth, sending the ball to the warning track but ultimately flying out, narrowly missing a three-run blast that could have further cemented the Yankees’ dominance.
Giancarlo Stanton also contributed significantly, hammering a solo home run in the third inning that interrupted manager Aaron Boone’s live interview on FOX. Boone’s reaction—”Bang!”—captured his delight in Stanton’s timely hit, which extended New York’s lead to 5-0. Boone didn’t mind the interruption, grinning as he remarked to FOX’s Tom Verducci, “Not at all. Not at all.”
Gerrit Cole continued to keep the Dodgers in check with strong pitching through four scoreless innings. His performance included striking out Tommy Edman in the third inning and getting Mookie Betts out in the fourth after a line drive catch by Judge. The Dodgers managed only a few baserunners against Cole, with Gavin Lux walking on a full count in the third before Shohei Ohtani ended the inning with a fly-out.
The Yankees offense set the tone early. Back-to-back home runs from Judge and Chisholm Jr. in the first inning pushed New York to a 3-0 lead. Anthony Volpe continued the momentum, doubling down the left field line in the second inning and scoring on an Alex Verdugo RBI single, forcing Dodgers’ starter Jack Flaherty out of the game after just 1 1/3 innings. The Dodgers, relying heavily on their bullpen since Game 4, called in reliever Anthony Banda, who managed to escape a bases-loaded jam, striking out Gleyber Torres and getting Chisholm Jr. to ground out, keeping the Yankees’ lead from expanding further.
By the end of the fifth inning, New York held a 5-0 lead, despite the Dodgers’ best attempts to capitalize on Yankees’ defensive lapses.
First Pitch Set for 8:08 PM ET
Pre-game
Dodgers Look to Flaherty, Yankees Rely on Cole
The Dodgers will start right-hander Jack Flaherty (1-2, 6.10 ERA), while Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (1-0, 2.82 ERA) takes the mound, tasked with keeping New York’s World Series hopes alive. In Game 1, Cole had the upper hand, but Freddie Freeman’s grand slam in extra innings led to a Dodgers victory.
Freddie Freeman Chases Record for Consecutive World Series Homers
Freddie Freeman’s home run streak has reached six consecutive World Series games, the longest in Fall Classic history. After homering in each of the first four games this year, Freeman could tie the record for most homers in a single World Series if he goes deep again tonight.
Yankees Lineup for Game 5
The Yankees are sticking with their Game 4 lineup, which fueled their 11-4 victory. Here’s the Yankees’ starting nine for Game 5:
- Gleyber Torres, 2B
- Juan Soto, RF
- Aaron Judge, CF
- Jazz Chisholm, 3B
- Giancarlo Stanton, DH
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Anthony Volpe, SS
- Austin Wells, C
- Alex Verdugo, LF
Special Performances and Fan Updates Before the Game
Grammy winner Babyface will perform the national anthem, his first time singing at a World Series game. The Yankees also announced a gesture of support, redistributing tickets from ejected fans to a young cancer patient and his family, adding an inspiring moment ahead of this crucial matchup.
