Yankees vs. Guardians: Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton power Yankees to World Series in ALCS Game 5

CLEVELAND – Every foul ball felt like a countdown.

In the top of the 10th inning of a tied ALCS Game 5, Juan Soto tied a battle he had won many times before. Hunter Gaddis was on the hill, the latest — and, ultimately, last — Cleveland reliever tasked with taming a Yankees lineup that has plenty of firepower.

Two batters earlier, Alex Verdugo hit a ground ball to second baseman Andres Gimenez that appeared to be an inning-ending double play. But shortstop Brian Roccio couldn't handle Jimenez's rushing, underhand toss. No production of a play that may result in two outs. It was an error at the worst of times by one of the best middle-infield defenders on the planet, and it allowed Gaddis to still be in contention with two outs. After he struck out Gleyber Torres, Sotoi stood in Gaddis' way to keep the game — and the season — alive for the Guardians.

Gaddis went to Soto with the soft stuff, mixing sliders and changes in various places hoping to achieve a whiff or weak contact. Soto shut down each offering, slowly tilting the at-bat in his favor as he gathered information and redirected the pressure to Gaddis to attack with something more straightforward.

On the seventh pitch — and the first fastball of the at-bat — Soto connected cleanly. But the ball was hit at an ultra-steep, 37-degree launch angle, sending it soaring into outer space, spinning back into the night sky while Earthlings watched and waited. For six and a half seconds, the entire ballpark — and an eager Yankees fan base around the world watching — wondered if Soto had hit a home run to send New York to the World Series for the first time in 15 years.

As if there really was any doubt.

As one of only three active Yankees in the World Series alongside Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rizzo, Soto has charted that path before. He understands what it takes to make a deep October run, and he's routinely delivered in the biggest moments of the biggest games. Still just 25 years old — he turns 26 on Friday, the day the World Series begins — Soto has already produced heartbreaking homers and clutch hits for a career.

And on Saturday in Cleveland — once that huge fly ball finally landed over the center-field wall, it wouldn't let go, giving New York a 5-2 lead — Soto produced arguably his most memorable swing yet.

About 90 minutes before Soto hit the moon with his long ball, Giancarlo Stanton — a legendary October performer — hit a very different kind of home run than the one Stanton usually hits: a ridiculous laser beam that practically teleports from his bat. beyond the outfield fence to its final landing spot.

For five-plus innings, Guardians' tenor Bibby was cruising, responding to calls for short rest and making a quality start when his side desperately needed it. The Guardians were hoping for length from Bibby in Game 5 after the previous two games taxed their bullpen to the extreme.

As a result, BB was given the opportunity to face the top of the New York lineup for the third time to open the sixth inning. After Torres and Soto reached base to start the frame, BB Aaron drew a double play from Judge to minimize the threat and escaped unscathed.

Dangerous Stanton came forward as the tying run.

Stanton quickly swung through a slider and changeup to fall into an 0-2 hole. The next three pitches were nowhere near the zone though. With the count complete, catcher Bo Naylor set out in hopes that BB could chase down a slider to Stanton. But the slider didn't slide far enough. And against Stanton — as we've seen on several occasions this month — such mistakes have had devastating consequences.

kaboom is gone If Soto's homer felt like an eternity, Stanton's was the complete opposite. Immediate contact was made, results determined. The ball was clearly steaming, sent screaming down a line from home plate to the left-field bleachers to tie the game.

Stanton had a hit in his previous two at-bats against BB, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. As manager Aaron Boone explained before the game when asked what makes Stanton different, Stanton is remarkably good at applying what he learns from each consecutive at-bat against the same pitcher.

“He's incredibly disciplined, his approach, his process, how he studies guys,” Boone said. “One thing we've talked about a lot over the years … he, more than most, when he sees the pitcher over and over again, really benefits. So I think he processes when he encounters people. … He's shown in his career that he's benefited more than almost anyone.

“There's something he does when he gets to know people, on top of being very physically gifted.”

It's that physical gift that allows Stanton to hit the ball harder than perhaps any other player in the history of the game. His Game 5 homer left the bat at 117.5 mph. Since Statcast began tracking batted ball speeds in 2015, no player has produced more home runs with an exit velocity of at least 117 mph than Stanton with 22. His teammate Judge is second with 10.

“He can hit it harder than anybody, so there's a physicality to what he does that's different than anybody in the world,” Boone said.

While Stanton's swing only tied the game, it instilled a level of confidence and energy in the Yankees' dugout that would last until Soto led them. It was also the swing that confirmed what was probably already there: Stanton was the ALCS MVP. His four home runs in the series in October brought his career total to 16 in just 36 games — including an astounding eight against Cleveland. Only Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Randy Orozarena boast a higher career season slugging percentage than Stanton.

Six years before the Yankees made a blockbuster deal to land Soto, it was Stanton who was acquired via trade with hopes that his big bat could help bring New York back to the promised land. All that changed in the years that followed, with other trades made in search of a roster that could eventually break even. It's those repeated near misses that inspire the Yankees to go big on superstars when they become available, with Soto — whose pending free agency is a $500 million question this winter — the most recent example.

While Soto was able to deliver the goods in his first year as a Yankee, Stanton had to wait. But now they're teammates, and in one game, they provided two swings that sent the Yankees, as general manager Brian Cashman put it, while accepting the AL championship trophy, where they belong.

“I didn't plan on taking this long,” Stanton said amid postgame celebrations in the Yankees clubhouse. “But we're here now, and that's exactly why I'm here.”