World Series 2024: Gleyber Torres’ defensive gaffe paves the way for Yankees’ Game 1 collapse vs. Dodgers

Gleyber Torres looked into his glove. There was nothing in it but a gigantic missed opportunity.

World Series Game 1 on Friday night was an instant classic, a heavyweight brawl capped off by a knockout blow for the ages. Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam is, appropriately, what will live on in the minds and highlight reels of baseball fans everywhere.

But that historic swing, which gave the Dodgers a 6-3 win, was only made possible by a crucial Yankees misplay two innings earlier.

With the Yankees hanging onto a one-run lead with one out in the eighth, presumptive National League MVP Shohei Ohtani clobbered a soggy changeup off the wall. As Ohtani hauled around first for a double, Yankees right fielder Juan Soto gathered the pill and hurled it toward the infield grass, toward safety.

Or so he thought.

The throw skipped on the Dodger Stadium dirt about two feet in front of Torres. But instead of corralling the ball with his body like a hockey goalie, the second baseman attempted a flailing, backhanded pick. That scoop is a play Torres has completed countless times, but it was, given the situation, an incredibly lackadaisical choice. The precious white blur careened off the upper pinky of Torres’ black and tan Rawlings mitt and rolled toward the mound. Ohtani, seeing an opening, scooted to third.

Those 90 feet, as they so often do in the October cauldron, made all the difference. Ohtani scored on a sac fly from the next batter, Mookie Betts, to even the score, 2-2. If Torres collects Soto’s throw cleanly, preventing Ohtani from advancing, the Dodgers almost certainly depart the eighth inning without a run.

Instead, the game took on an entirely new dimension, hurdling itself to a chaotic, unforgettable finish. Torres’ massive blunder opened the window.

“If I got another opportunity, [I would] try to block the ball,” a downcast Torres told reporters after the game. “Just keep it in front and keep it a little more simple.”

Unfortunately for the 27-year-old second baseman, the gaffe was not out of character. Torres has, throughout his seven years in pinstripes, been notably prone to on-field lapses in focus. In early August, he was benched, mid-game, by Yankees manager Aaron Boone for not running out a ball off the wall that Torres believed was a home run. Torres also graded out as the single worst second-base defender in all of baseball in 2024. His glove has never inspired confidence.

Yet Boone has defended Torres time and time again, an approach that paid off handsomely down the stretch and into October. Since his benching on Aug. 2, the second baseman has the team’s highest batting average and its third-highest on-base percentage, behind only Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Torres’ turnaround in the leadoff spot has made New York’s lineup more formidable by giving Judge and Soto more opportunities with runners on base.

The secondary aspects of Torres’ game, however, have remained suboptimal. That was blatantly obvious on Friday in Game 1.

“Once there’s no play, you can really retreat and give ground and get a long hop, but he still got to a short hop. You’ve just got to secure it there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after his club’s shell-shocking loss.

One can chalk-talk other parts of that oh-so-pivotal play until the sun comes up. Should Soto have thrown it to the cut-off man, Anthony Volpe? Why was the pitcher, Tommy Kahnle, backing up third base? Where was first baseman Anthony Rizzo? But Boone’s final point captures the essence of the play: The how doesn’t matter. “You’ve just got to secure it there.”

“[The play in question] was big,” Torres said afterward. “You know, every little thing, especially in these games, is important.”

Those razor-thin margins showed up almost immediately after Torres’ bobble let the Dodgers back into the contest. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Torres roped one to deep left field into the outstretched glove of an overeager fan. Interference was correctly applied, and Torres, even though he technically cleared the wall, was awarded a double.

On another night, Torres tastes redemption. A few more inches of carry, and he’s a scapegoat-turned-hero. Instead, all people will remember is the ball clanging off his glove and into the air. His role in the gripping story is regrettable, unavoidable.

The entire sequence was indicative of how the Yankees have overcome their own flaws so far this postseason. For a team still only four wins away from glory, the Bombers do not do the little things well. They are, far and away, MLB’s worst baserunning team. Defensive miscues and inadequacies from Torres and Soto have dotted their otherwise successful seasons. Fundamentals matter less when enormous men are disappearing baseballs into the night.

But while that style worked well enough against the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians, these Dodgers are another beast entirely. The Yankees can still claw their way back into this series without playing crisp baseball, but a mistake-free Game 2 would surely help.