NEW YORK -- In the end, horrendous defense was what destroyed any chance the New York Yankees had of sending the World Series back to Los Angeles.
For four innings of Game 5 on Wednesday night, it looked very much like the Yankees were going to become the first team to force a sixth game of the Fall Classic after losing the first three games.
But then the fifth inning rolled around and elation turned into abject horror as the players wearing pinstripes totally forgot how to do the basics, like catching, throwing and knowing where to go in certain situations.