Dominican Soto propels Yankees to first World Series since 2009

With a dramatic home run by Dominican Juan Soto in the ninth inning, the New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday 5-2 and sealed their first ticket to baseball's World Series since 2009.

With their win Saturday, the 'Bronx Bombers' wrapped up this American League Championship Series 4-1 overall.

Their World Series opponent will emerge from the series between the Mets, their New York neighbors, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are 3-2 in the National League Championship Series.

The Yankees will have more time to rest for the 'Fall Classic' thanks to the thrilling extra-innings win in Cleveland, thanks to the stellar talent of Juan Soto.

With the game tied 2-2, the Dominican hit an explosive three-run home run bringing in Jasson Domínguez and Mexican-American Álex Verdugo.

Reaching the World Series "is the best feeling you can have," said Soto, who already won a title with the San Diego Padres in 2009.

"We did a great job here. We worked very hard from day one and now we are the best team in the American League," he said.

The Dominican, who landed in the Bronx this season in a mega-transfer with the Padres, was the fourth-highest homer hitter of the year (41) and had already hit two more in this series.

A year after being left out of the playoffs, the Yankees will be playing in their 41st World Series and first since they beat the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009 to win their 27th title.

To do so, they had to come back from two early runs by the Guardians, who will extend their 75-year trophyless drought.

The hero, Juan Soto

The home team took the lead in the second inning after a double to right field by Canadian Bo Naylor, which allowed his older brother, Josh Naylor, to score a run.  

In the fifth 'inning, the 34,000 fans at Progressive Field celebrated as their team extended the lead through Venezuelan Andres Gimenez, who scored off of Steven Kwan’s single.

The New York team slowed the home offense when reliever Mark Leiter Jr. escaped a bases-loaded threat.

The Yankees' fearsome offense really took off in the sixth inning when Soto and Venezuelan Gleyber Torres connected singles off starter Tanner Bibee.

Torres made it to third base on a double play by Aaron Judge and took advantage of a stellar 135-yard home run by Giancarlo Stanton to even the score.

For Stanton, who had never made it to the World Series in his 15 seasons in the majors, it was his third straight homer and fourth of the series.

The Yankees' relievers, Jake Cousins, and Cleveland's Emmanuel Clase, then came in and pitched through the 10th inning.

A leadoff single by Hunter Gaddis set up Soto's 123-yard bomb to end the Yankees' 15 year losing streak and advancing the team into the World Series.

"I was just saying to myself, 'You're over this guy.' That's all I was telling myself at the time," the Dominican said of his home run. "I just needed good contact, and I made it."