Aaron Boone ‘Heartbroken’ After Yankees’ 2024 World Series Loss vs. Dodgers in Game 5

The New York Yankees had Game 5 of the World Series under control, leading 5-0 after three innings. But a series of mind-boggling defensive errors and the inability to generate much more offense beyond the early flurry led to a shocking 7-6 loss, as the Los Angeles Dodgers capitalized on the mistakes and clinched a title in Yankee Stadium.

“I’m heartbroken,” an emotional Aaron Boone told reporters after the game. “It doesn’t take away my pride of what that means to me and what that group forged this year, and what we’ve been through to get here. But I’m heartbroken. And I’m heartbroken for those guys that poured so much into this. The ending is cruel.”

Boone said the clubhouse was initially closed to reporters after the game as Yankees players consoled one another following the difficult loss.

The fifth inning, in particular, was brutal for the Yankees. Aaron Judge dropped a routine fly ball in center field, Anthony Volpe made a throwing error attempting to get a force out at third base and Gerrit Cole didn’t cover first base on a weak ground ball, allowing Mookie Betts to beat Anthony Rizzo at the bag and extend an inning.

When the dust had settled from those mistakes, the Dodgers pushed five runs across the plate, evening the game.

“Obviously, we had a rough inning tonight,” Boone said regarding the fifth.

It was a frame that will live on in New York sports’ infamy. Perhaps the Yankees wouldn’t have pulled off the reverse sweep even if they had won Game 5, with the final two games of the series back at Dodger Stadium. But they didn’t give themselves the chance to find out.