Gerrit Cole Ripped By Fans Over His Explanation of Key Mistake in Yankees' Loss

Andy Nesbitt | Oct 31, 2024

This was one of three costly mistakes by the Yankees in the fifth inning of Game 5. / @FOXSports

The New York Yankees coughed up Game 5 of the World Series in brutal fashion on Wednesday night and ended their season by watching the Dodgers celebrating a title in the Bronx.

The Yankees and their fans will probably never forget a disastrous fifth inning that saw them make three stunning mistakes in the field.

One of those came with the bases loaded and two outs when pitcher Gerrit Cole didn't get over to cover first for Anthony Rizzo who had to field a spinning grounder hit by Mookie Betts. Instead of getting out of the inning, the Dodgers scored a run on the play and then added four more in the frame to draw even at 5-5.

Look at this play:

I still cannot believe this is real. pic.twitter.com/RspguqTrqb

— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) October 31, 2024

Cole tried to explain after the game what he was thinking in that moment:

"I took a bad angle to the ball. I wasn't sure how hard he hit it," Cole said. "By the time the ball got by me, I was not in a position to cover first. Neither of us were."

Here are his full comments:

"I took a bad angle to the ball. I wasn't sure how hard he hit it. By the time the ball got by me, I was not in a position to cover first. Neither of us were"

- Gerrit Cole on what happened on Mookie Betts' ground ball in the 5th inning of Game 5 pic.twitter.com/xeXOnPTA2E

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 31, 2024

Fans were not impressed:

Sir. 😳🤦🏻‍♀️ you stopped mid play.

You could’ve covered first
🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🫣🫣🫣😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 https://t.co/8NqBHO0G9t

— Suzy (@BourbonNBball) October 31, 2024

Bro you legit hard stopped mid-play

— TechBaseGaming🇵🇷 (@TechBaseGaming) October 31, 2024

He just stopped running which he never should’ve done. Was pitching hell of a legacy game up until that point too. Got too caught up in the moment

— Yankee Mandela (@YankeeMandela) October 31, 2024

Awkward interviews by both of them after the game. Clear neither accepted responsibility and neither threw the other guy under the bus.

— GSkulls54 (@gskulls54) October 31, 2024

Bad angle? He was halfway in the dugout.

— Chris Russo (@realchrisruss0) October 31, 2024

You literally stopped running...

— Queens To Midtown: All Mets & Knicks (@AllAccessNYKNYM) October 31, 2024

Ball hit to the right the pitcher is taught to run to first. You let the 1B call you off. This is done in the first 72 hours of pitchers reporting. Yet, it wasn’t done in a do or die WS game.

— Chris Salazar (@CjSal4) October 31, 2024

Bad angle? Watch the tape….he was heading straight for the bad but stopped…excuses

— Frankie (@Fzino) October 31, 2024

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