NEW YORK – The New York Yankees’ first trip to the World Series in 15 years ended in bitter disappointment Wednesday after the Los Angeles Dodgers gave them a five-run lead in Game 5 before rallying to win 7 -6.

The Yankees opened the series with three straight losses, but gave their fans a glimmer of hope with an inspired 11-4 win in Game 4 that had Dodgers manager Dave Rogers chewing up his bullpen.

Fans at Yankee Stadium radiated joy from the start of Game 5, as the hosts took a five-run lead into the fifth, when a once-improbable Game 6 suddenly seemed within reach.

Then things started to go wrong, as Yankees ace Gerrit Cole’s defense crumbled around him and a series of errors allowed the Dodgers to level.

The Yankees took the lead again on Giancarlo Stanton’s sacrifice fly in the sixth, but that was negated by a pair of runs by their West Coast rivals in the eighth as the Bronx was forced to host the Yankees’ celebrations. the Dodgers.

“This is obviously a very difficult time for us,” coach Aaron Boone said. “This is going to hurt forever.”

No team had ever recovered from an 0-3 deficit to win the World Series, but the faithful fans who filled their stadium never seemed to doubt their chances of adding titles to their 27.

Boone himself is no stranger to postseason miracles, as he hit the decisive home run in Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series that sent the Yankees to the World Series.

The Yankees lost that series 4-2 to the Florida Marlins, and Boone told reporters that this time he could easily feel his players’ pain as a coach.

“It doesn’t take away my pride in what that room means to me and what that group forged this year and what we’ve gone through to get here. But my heart is broken,” he said.

“The ending is cruel.” REUTERS