Juan Soto delivered a game-winning three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning, propelling the New York Yankees to their 41st World Series appearance—their first in 15 years—by defeating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series on Saturday night.
Baseball's most iconic team is set to return to the sport's grandest stage. Soto, who joined the Yankees in a seven-player trade with San Diego last December, put the Bronx Bombers in a commanding position with a crucial swing. The Yankees will now aim to secure their 28th championship against either the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 6 of the NL Championship Series is scheduled for Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
In the 10th inning, Austin Wells drew a walk with one out, and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to second baseman Andrés Giménez. Giménez's throw to first was mishandled by rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio, resulting in an error. Gaddis struck out Gleyber Torres and had Soto at a 1-2 count before the Yankees' star outfielder launched a decisive shot over the center field wall. Soto exuberantly made his way down the first-base line, celebrating with his teammates before completing his circuit around the bases.
"I was just telling myself, 'You've got him. You've got him. He can't do anything,'" Soto recounted.
Giancarlo Stanton contributed a two-run homer for the Yankees, who managed to dispatch the Guardians in five games, though the series was far from straightforward. New York secured the first two games at Yankee Stadium without significant drama, but the atmosphere in Cleveland was markedly different, with all three games at Progressive Field being intensely close.
The Guardians fought back to win Game 3 with two, two-run homers in their final two at-bats, and the Yankees narrowly held on to win Game 4 after relinquishing a four-run lead. Ultimately, Cleveland's remarkable season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt fell just short of a World Series appearance. The franchise continues to wait for its first title since 1948, extending baseball's longest current championship drought.
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