CLEVELAND — Juan Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the New York Yankees advanced to their 41st World Series — and first in 15 years — by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday night.
Baseball’s biggest brand is going back to October’s main stage.
Soto, who was acquired in a seven-player trade with San Diego in December, moved the Bronx Bombers into position with one big swing against Hunter Gaddis.
“I was all over it, I was all over it,” Soto told TBS of the decisive at-bat. “That was the only thing I was thinking. I was just saying to myself, ‘You’re all over that guy. You’re all over that guy.’ … I just had to make good contact, and I did.”
It was the second extra-inning home run in a potential series-clinching game in Yankees postseason history. The other was by Aaron Boone, the team’s current manager, in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox.
“We’re right where we belong,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who pulled off the deal for Soto.
In the 10th, Austin Wells walked with one out and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to second baseman Andres Gimenez, whose soft toss to the bag was dropped by rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio for an error.
Gaddis struck out Gleyber Torres and had Soto in a 1-2 count before New York’s stylish outfielder sent a shot over the wall in center. Soto danced down the first-base line and paused to celebrate with his teammates before circling the bases.
Soto is eligible for free agency this winter, and Yankees fans chanted “Re-sign Soto!” during the postgame festivities.
ALCS MVP Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer for the Yankees, who took care of the Guardians in five games, but it wasn’t easy.
New York won the first two at Yankee Stadium without much fanfare or any major drama. But it was a different story in Cleveland as all three games at Progressive Field were nail-biters.
The Guardians rallied to win Game 3 on two, two-run homers in their last two at-bats, and the Yankees held on to win Game 4 after blowing a four-run lead.
“This was a roller coaster and we were able to just keep punching back,” Stanton said. “We know there’s much more work to do and it’s only uphill from here and we got to get it done.”
Cleveland just didn’t have enough and a surprising season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt ended just short of a World Series. The franchise remains without a title since 1948, baseball’s current longest drought.
The Yankees are back in the World Series, a place where their fans expect them to be every year.
The club’s 82-80, fourth-place finish in the AL East last season led to some “soul searching as an organization” during the winter, according to Boone, who has been widely criticized but is one of just three managers to take New York to playoffs in six of his first seven seasons.
Though the team’s core stayed mostly intact, getting Soto in a blockbuster trade on Dec. 7 — New York sent five players to San Diego for the three-time All-Star outfielder — accelerated a return to being a title contender.
“That was a good day,” Boone said with a laugh before the game.
Stanton’s 446-foot rocket into the left-field bleachers tied it at 2-2 in the sixth and chased Tanner Bibee, who had struck out New York’s dangerous designated hitter in his first two at-bats and held the Yankees scoreless for the first five innings.
It was Stanton’s fourth homer in this series — his third in three days — and his 16th in the postseason, moving him into fourth place on the club’s career list behind Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20) and Mickey Mantle (18).
Before the game, Boone was asked what makes Stanton so good.
“He can hit it harder than anyone, first of all,” Boone said. “So there’s the physical nature of what he does that’s different than just about everyone in the world.”
But Boone went on to compliment Stanton’s discipline at the plate, “his approach, his process, how he studies guys.”
“There’s something that he does when he gets familiarity with people on top of being very physically gifted,” Boone said.
The Guardians took a 2-0 lead in the fifth off Carlos Rodon on Steven Kwan’s RBI single with two outs. But Cleveland missed a big chance for more, leaving the bases loaded when Lane Thomas grounded out on the first pitch to him from Mark Leiter Jr.
Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.
OMAHA, Neb. — Calvin Jones, who rushed for more than 3,000 yards in three seasons at Nebraska and was with the Green Bay Packers when they won the Super Bowl after the 1996 season, has died. He was 54.
Police said Jones’ body was found in the basement of a house in north Omaha on Wednesday night. Police have not confirmed a cause of death pending an autopsy.
A friend of Jones, Jo Dusatko, told the Omaha World-Herald that carbon monoxide poisoning was suspected. She said the furnace in the home was not working and that Jones was using a generator in the basement.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Husker legend and Super Bowl Champion, Calvin Jones.
Jones was a high school All-American at Central High School before he went to Nebraska, where he rushed for 3,166 yards and 40 touchdowns and was an All-Big Eight pick in 1992-93.
Jones and Derek Brown formed the tandem called the “We-Backs,” a nod to the Cornhuskers’ I-back position, with Jones the backup to Brown in 1991. Jones’ breakout that season came when he ran 27 times for a Big Eight freshman-record 294 yards and a school-record six touchdowns in a 59-23 victory over Kansas. His rushing total against the Jayhawks ranks No. 2 on the Nebraska single-game rushing chart.
Jones declared for the NFL draft in 1994 and was a third-round selection of the Raiders. He appeared in 15 games over two seasons with the Raiders and had a total of 27 carries for 112 yards and two catches for 6 yards. He appeared in one game for the Packers in 1996 but had no carries.
Las Vegas will host the College Football Playoff national championship game at Allegiant Stadium on Jan. 25, 2027, the CFP announced Friday.
“Las Vegas has shown the world they have amazing venues and boundless energy to host an event like the College Football Playoff National Championship in spectacular fashion,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a statement. “I can’t think of a better stage to crown the best team in college football in 2027.”
Las Vegas will become the third city in the Pacific time zone to host the CFP title game, joining the Bay Area (2019) and Los Angeles (2023). Miami will host the next national championship game on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium, a contest that will feature the winners of the Fiesta and Peach bowls, which will host the semifinals.
Sites have not been announced beyond 2027 in Las Vegas.
“Pairing the energy of Las Vegas with the College Football Playoff National Championship will make for a truly extraordinary event, both on and off the field,” said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “We appreciate the opportunity the CFP has provided us to welcome college football’s greatest athletes and biggest fans for an unmatched national championship experience in the city built for celebration.”
Ohio State star running back Quinshon Judkins is leaving school early and will declare for the NFL draft, he told ESPN.
His addition to the 2025 draft highlights another high-end tailback, as Judkins is projected to be a Top 50 pick, according to NFL scouts, and ranks as the No. 5 overall running back in the upcoming draft in Mel Kiper Jr.’s position rankings.
Judkins was at Ohio State for just one season and left as a national champion, and his decision comes off a dazzling three-touchdown performance in Ohio State’s victory over Notre Dame on Monday night. Judkins ran for 100 yards on 11 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns. He caught two passes for 21 yards and a touchdown.
“My time here at Ohio State was like no other,” Judkins told ESPN in a phone interview. “It was like no other place I’ve ever been. I enjoyed my time here so much. I’m ready to take the next step in my journey and prove I’m best running back in the draft class.”
On the season in Columbus, he ran for 1,060 yards, caught 22 passes for 161 yards and scored 16 touchdowns for the Buckeyes. Judkins split carries at Ohio State with senior tailback TreVeyon Henderson, who is Kiper’s No. 9 tailback prospect. Judkins said his time at Ohio State helped prepare him for this step, as he saw value being around so many NFL players and bonding together to win.
“My coaches helped so much take my game to next level and develop me into a better player,” he said. “It was a super beneficial mentality to have being a pro, it helped me so much in that aspect.
“Playing around the best players in the country. You get to compete against the best players. It helped me sharpen my tools.”
He came to Ohio State last year after two seasons at Ole Miss. In Oxford, he was a first-team All-SEC tailback in 2023 and set Ole Miss school records with 1,567 rushing yards and 16 rushing TDs in 2022.
Coming off three productive seasons, Judkins showcased his versatility. He finished his three-year career at OSU/Ole Miss with 4,227 yards from scrimmage and 50 touchdowns.
He’s also a threat out of the backfield in the pass game, as he has 59 catches in his career for 442 yards and five touchdowns.
Judkins’ most productive season in his career came in his true freshman season. He led the SEC in rushing attempts (274) and went on to average a career-high 5.7 yards per carry. In total, he had 1,699 yards from scrimmage. He also led the SEC in touchdowns with 17 in 2022.
“Whoever picks me is going to get a super passionate player,” he said. “A guy who makes plays on the field and can catch the ball, run the ball and pass protect. I can do so many things that have a huge impact on the game. Not only just that, but also a younger guy who can come in and have great leadership. My time at Ohio State, I’ve learned so much about that and being a great teammate as well.”
He stressed there was no better way to finish his career than with a championship.
“It’s an amazing feeling just leaving as a champions,” he said. “This is what me and my brothers and coaches set out to do to achieve that goal, and there’s no better feeling. It’s a feeling that’s also unreal to speak about, it’s something that will live forever and a memory me and my brothers will have forever.”
