The New York Yankees’ acquisition of Juan Soto came with plenty of risks. New York gave up five pieces to the San Diego Padres in order to acquire the slugger – who’s contract is set to expire this offseason.
There was no guarantee that he would stay. There’s still no guarantee that he will stay. All Yankees fans could reasonably hope for is that the slugger could provide enough moments in one season to last a lifetime.
If that was his job, consider it done.
Soto’s tenth inning, three-run blast off Cleveland Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis brought the American League pennant back to New York for the first time since 2009 and sent the Yankees to the World Series for the first time in 15 years.
They now await the winner of the National League Championship Series. They will either play their ancestral rivals – the Los Angeles Dodgers – or there will be a second Subway Series in this century against the New York Mets.
Yankees RF Juan Soto hit the home run that sent them to their first World Series in 15 years
The New York Yankees mob the mound as they advance to their first Fall Classic since 2009
Luke Weaver, who came in the game in the ninth inning and stayed in for the tenth, was credited with the win for the Yankees.
As for the Guardians, their hunt for their first World Series since 1948 will continue. Gaddis was credited with the loss.
Soto wasn’t just the man that sparked the win, he was the one that caught the final out – running into the infield as his Yankee teammates spilled out of the dugout to celebrate their accomplishment.
For his heroics throughout the series – in which he hit four home runs – Giancarlo Stanton was named MVP of the ALCS.
The Yankees’ bats started off hot in the first inning with a hit by second baseman Gleyber Torres and a double by Soto. But Torres was sent home on Soto’s hit, and a perfectly accurate throw from Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez beat the runner and he was tagged out.
Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee then loaded the bases by plunking outfielder Aaron Judge and third baseman Jazz Chisholm, but got out of the inning untouched by forcing New York first baseman Anthony Rizzo to line out.
The Yankees then proceeded to be retired in order for the next four innings in a row in an impressive display from Bibee – including four strikeouts from innings two through five.
In that time, Cleveland scored when catcher Bo Naylor knocked through a double that sent his brother – first baseman Josh Naylor – home for a 1-0 lead.
Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee dominated the Yankees through the first five innings of play
Andres Gimenez celebrates after hitting a double in the fifth inning against the Yankees
But the Yankees were relatively alive thanks to some strong pitching from starter Carlos Rodon. He may have given up two hits through the first four innings, but he kept the team in the game.
That was, until he gave up a double to Gimenez in the bottom of the fifth. Down to their final out of the inning, the Guardians sent up outfielder Steven Kwan who knocked through a single to score Gimenez to make it a 2-0 lead.
Hope was low for fans of the Yankees after their offensive display had been unfruitful up until the sixth inning. Torres hit a single in the top of the sixth and Soto grabbed a hit of his own right after, but a ground ball by Judge led to a double play putting New York on its heels once again.
Up stepped Giancarlo Stanton. The slugger fell into an 0-2 hole early in the at-bat but worked it into a full count.
Bibee’s sixth pitch was middle-middle. Stanton hacked at it and sent it 446 feet deep to left center field. After six innings of hand wringing, the Yankees had tied the game at 2-2.
Giancarlo Stanton tosses his bat after tying the game in the sixth inning with a home run
Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase didn’t slip like in Games 3 and 4 when called in for relief
The chess match continued – with neither side able to take their chances in innings seven and eight.
Emmanuel Clase – who gave up back-to-back home runs in Game 3 and the go-ahead run in Game 4 – took the bump in the top of the ninth in the hope that he could put the mistakes of the two previous nights behind him.
He dispatched Judge and Stanton before giving up a single to Chisholm – who had only managed two prior hits in this series. Fortunately for Clase, he got out of the inning unscathed after pinch hitter Oswaldo Cabrera tapped a grounder back to Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio to end the top of the ninth.
Off to the bottom of the ninth we went. Luke Weaver, who surrendered the game-tying home run in Game 3, looked for his own kind of redemption against the bottom of the Guardians lineup. He retired the side in order, forcing extra innings for the second time in this championship series.
Juan Soto watches as his tenth inning home run flies out of the park to take a 5-2 lead
Soto celebrates with his Yankees teammates after hitting the go-ahead home run in the tenth
Catcher Austin Wells jumps into the arms of closer Luke Weaver after the last out of the ALCS
Hunter Gaddis took the mound for Cleveland in the top of the tenth, dispatching Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe with a lineout before walking catcher Austin Wells. New York outfielder Alex Verdugo rolled what should have been a double-play ball up the middle, but Rocchio bobbled the transition and both runners were left safe.
After dispatching Torres, up stepped Soto. The outfielder worked a 1-2 count before fouling off three straight pitches. He took the seventh pitch deep to center field – seemingly hanging in the air for an eternity – before finally landing on the other side of the wall for a three-run home run to take a 5-2 lead.
Cleveland’s turn. Weaver stayed in, managing to get Kwan to ground out. Kyle Mandzardo poked a ball through the gap between shortstop and third to get on base. Jose Ramirez, the usually reliable hitter who had been silenced throughout the night, hit a fly out to Judge in center.
The final hopes rested on Lane Thomas. After stretching his at-bat to a 1-2 count, Thomas popped it up to right field. After being the one to take the lead, it was only fitting for Soto to be the one to catch the final out to send the Yankees to their first Fall Classic in 15 years.
For a team that is annually burdened with expectations, there were plenty of opportunities this season to cast doubt on the Yankees.
Now, they have the chance to add a 28th banner in The Bronx – which would only expand their perch atop the baseball world.
