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 – by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series on Saturday night.
Baseball’s biggest brand returns to the main stage this October.
Soto, acquired in a seven-player trade with San Diego in December, put the Bronx Bombers in position with one 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 NL Championship Series is Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
In the 10th, Austin Wells walked with one out and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to second baseman Andrés Giménez, whose soft toss to the bag was dropped by rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio due to an error.
Gaddis struck out Gleyber Torres and had Soto in a 1-2 count before the stylish New York outfielder sent a shot over the center wall. Soto danced down the first base line and paused to celebrate with his teammates before spinning around the bases.
“I just said to myself, ‘You’re all over that guy. You’re done with that guy. He has nothing,” Soto said.
Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer for the Yankees to lead the Guardians in five games, but it wasn’t easy.
New York won the first two at Yankee Stadium without much fanfare or major drama. In Cleveland, however, it was a different story as all three games at Progressive Field were nail-biters.
The Guardians rallied to win Game 3 on two two-run home runs in their last two at-bats, and the Yankees held on to win Game 4 after blowing a four-run lead.
Cleveland just couldn’t have enough, and a surprising season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt ended just short of a World Series. The franchise remains without a title since 1948, baseball’s current longest drought.