Just when it looked like the New York Yankees would send the World Series back west for Game 6, a series of untimely defensive errors cost the Bombers five runs to tie the game in the fifth inning.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole had five runs to his name early in the fifth and faced a bases-loaded situation with two outs against the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts. Then all hell broke loose in the Bronx.

With the score 1-0, Betts dribbled a slider to first base on what should have been a routine groundball for the Yankees to get out of trouble. Instead, Cole appears to have forgotten how to perform one of the most basic defensive tasks pitchers face.

“First, no one! INCREDIBLE! Atrocious defense against the Yankees that led directly to a Dodger run in Game 5!” – Joe Davis on the Dodgers-Yankees Game 5 call for Fox ⚾️🎙️ #WorldSeries #MLB pic.twitter.com/tY2uvtzNsW https://t.co/WmXUlA4lTa

– Awful Announcement (@awfulanncreasing) October 31, 2024

“Ground ball on the right side. Rizzo. First, no one! Incredible! “Atrocious Yankees defense that led directly to a Dodger run in the fifth,” blared Joe Davis, Fox’s lead MLB play-by-play announcer. Cole’s failure to cover first base was completely stunning and certainly had every Little League coach in America screaming at the television.

But unfortunately for Yankees fans, the blunder bonanza didn’t end there. After the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman drove in two more runs with a base hit, Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge misplayed a fly ball off the wall, allowing two more runners to score. Early in the inning, Judge dropped a routine pop out that put runners on base.

THE DODGERS HAVE TIED IT NOW!

Five runs by the Dodgers in a disastrous defensive inning by the Yankees.

Hopefully Tom Emanski isn’t watching.⚾️#WorldSeries #MLB pic.twitter.com/f5vFCdbTIW

– Awful Announcement (@awfulanncreasing) October 31, 2024

Luckily, the Yanks left the inning with only five runners crossing home plate. They managed to rally in the sixth inning and regain a one-run lead. But if they fail to solve the problem now, there will be a lot of blame to go around.

(Terrible announcement on X)