World Series: Gerrit Cole gave the Yankees a chance, but they didn't take it

Finding a bright spot from Game 5 of the 2024 World Series and at least knowing what the final score would be is not a particularly easy task. Aaron Judge seemed to find his momentum with a much-needed home run in the first inning, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. immediately followed with a shot of his own to give this series a sudden jolt. A few innings later, Giancarlo Stanton extended his folk hero status with another home run, giving the Yankees a 5-0 lead in Game 5. You will read all about what followed, but it was all in vain with many of the game's heroes even coming back later to bite them.

This was the game for Gerrit Cole to cement his legacy. With their backs against the wall, he and the Yankees had a chance to bring that series to 3-2 on the road back to LA. Even if it's not ideal, there are worse situations, and it doesn't matter what series it is Was. But of course none of that matters anymore. Gerrit Cole was far from perfect, but he struggled in Game 5, his teammates (and even himself at one point) simply couldn't capitalize on their chance.

Cole began his appearance at the top of his game, with a 1-2-3 frame at the start of the first, followed by another in the second, while recording his first two strikeouts of the night against Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy. At this point, the Americans had already gained significant momentum with the two home runs in the first inning and also added a run in each of the next two innings. Cole was back on track in the third, only having to easily avoid a two-out walk and record another K. A five-run lead and a seemingly determined Gerrit Cole is a good recipe for success, but clearly one that can go sour quickly.

In the fourth, with Mookie Betts on base, Aaron Judge quickly regained favor when he made a diving catch against the wall, robbing Freddie Freeman of extra bases and helping keep Cole's shutout intact through four frames.

In the fifth inning, however, the history of Cole's performance, and likely the entire Yankees' season, was written. After a single started the inning for LA, inexplicable errors by Judge at center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop loaded the bases with no outs. Cole, who was not to blame for the precarious situation, still seemed to have the good things going as he sank a fastball from Gavin Lux to take him out and almost brought Shohei Ohtani to a match in return. Then the Dodgers got going with another easy out.

The bottom line is yes, Gerrit Cole should were there to cover the bag. It's a play every pitcher has made incredibly often, but he didn't make it here. In this case, there are two valid arguments in its defense. The first is the hard-hitting spin-off from Betts' stick, where the ball initially appeared to carry Anthony Rizzo straight into the sack before traveling further away from the foul line. And while that may not be entirely fair (he should have just been covering anyway), he also simply shouldn't have gotten into this situation in the first place; With some slick defense, he and the Yankees are back in the dugout, but unfortunately the bases were still full of Dodgers.

We all know that Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández didn't miss their chances.

Somewhat surprisingly, Aaron Boone continued his ace in the sixth inning, where Cole returned to form with a flawless 1-2-3 frame. He came back again for the seventh, triggering two groundouts from Ohtani and Betts before striking out Freeman. It was there that Boone finally pulled the plug on a very reluctant Cole, and his rollercoaster ride was ultimately over.

He went 6.2 innings, allowing four hits and striking out six. He didn't have an earned run in the plate, but the five disastrous unearned runs will stay with the Yankees for some time.

Often the best thing a pitcher can do for his team is to put everyone else in the best possible position to succeed. And by and large, that's exactly what Gerrit Cole did in Game 5. He wasn't even innocent when the wheels fell off, but he took the mound and kept the powerful Dodgers at bay for much of Game 5, or at least was in on the game in a way that should have. We won't remember his trip in a particularly positive way, but it was one team Loss in the truest sense of the word. The 2024 Yankees had a chance and couldn't answer the bell.