Twenty years ago, the Boston Red Sox smashed the 86-year Curse of the Bambino by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series.
They had a chance to break the Curse 18 years earlier against the New York Mets, but a last-minute breakdown handed the Mets the win. Boston had three wins going into Game 6 at Shea Stadium, but one of the worst errors in MLB history changed the course of the series.
In the tenth inning of a 5-4 game with runners on the corners, Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson knocked a grounder to Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner. Wilson has exceptional speed, and Buckner tried to rush the play to beat him out at first, but the ball dribbled through his legs and out of his reach. New York scored two runs to win the game and went on to take the World Series from Boston in Game 7.
Buckner's gaffe is one of the most memorable in baseball history and was one of the clearest indications that the Red Sox were indeed Cursed. But the Yankees' defensive breakdown in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series against the Dodgers may have overtaken Buckner's error as the worst defensive sequence in postseason history.
We take another look at how the 5th inning unraveled for the Yankees, ultimately leading to 5 runs for the Dodgers pic.twitter.com/Znsfiljd0R
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 31, 2024
Yankees' defensive implosion in World Series absolves Red Sox, Bill Buckner of worst miscue in postseason history
The fifth inning was the beginning of New York's downfall. The Yankees had a 5-0 lead and Gerrit Cole hadn't allowed a hit until the top of the fifth frame. After he did, his defense collapsed. Aaron Judge misplayed a routine fly ball for his first error of the entire season. Anthony Volpe spiked a close-range throw to third baseman Jazz Chisholm. Both Cole and Anthony Rizzo neglected to cover first base at the same time.
Los Angeles collected five unearned runs to tie the game and went on to win the series. The Yankees' defensive blunders may have overtaken Buckner's as the worst play in the World Series because they were a series of mistakes that led directly to their elimination.
Buckner's play still allowed the Curse to continue, though, and the Yankees are far from cursed. They're perennial playoff contenders and have the most World Series of any team in MLB, but their 15-year championship drought is their longest since their 17-year dry spell from 1978-96.
New York is also sure to have a sooner chance at redemption than the '86 Sox did. If Judge continues to post monster seasons every year and the Yankees sign Juan Soto to one of the biggest deals in MLB history, they'll have plenty of opportunities to redeem themselves in the future.