[jg2977]

Colin Cowherd — World Series Game 5 Recap
“Alright, I’m going to say something coaches hate but fans understand immediately:
This game does not count emotionally.
Game 5 was a baseball avalanche. A meteor. A bar fight that got way out of hand by the second inning. Cleveland didn’t win — they unloaded every ounce of frustration they’ve been carrying since Game 1.
Twenty-six runs. Thirty hits. I mean… at some point this stopped being October baseball and turned into batting practice with an audience.
Let’s get this out of the way first: Reynaldo Mendez was unconscious. Two home runs, five hits, five RBIs. Everything he touched found grass or seats. Add in Ortega’s grand slam, Campbell spraying hits everywhere, Santiago launching balls into the Ohio night — this was a lineup swinging like it knew it wasn’t losing this one.
But here’s where I pump the brakes.
Arizona did exactly what smart teams do in a blowout loss:
They didn’t panic.
They didn’t empty the bullpen.
They didn’t chase.
They let it burn.
This was a scheduled loss the second Colin gave up seven runs in the first inning. After that? Arizona was playing long chess while Cleveland was celebrating checkers.
Let me explain something important.
If you’re Arizona, you’d rather lose 26–9 than 5–4. Why? Because nothing from this game carries forward. Momentum isn’t real when half the runs came off pitchers who won’t sniff high-leverage innings again.
Meanwhile, Cleveland had to play everyone. Every big bat. Every late reliever. Emotionally exhausting. Physically loud. Psychologically desperate.
And that desperation tells me everything.
Cleveland needed this game like oxygen. Arizona didn’t.
The series is still 3–2 Arizona, and now it flips back to the desert. Different park. Different air. Different pressure.
Here’s the takeaway you won’t see in the box score:
Cleveland hit because they were free
Arizona lost because they didn’t overreact
And blowouts rarely change the identity of a series
Game 6 is the real test. Can Cleveland recreate focus without rage?
Can Arizona reassert control without fear?
Because I’ll tell you this:
Teams that are up 3–2 after getting embarrassed usually respond violently well.
Game 5 was noise.
Game 6 is truth.
And this thing?
It’s still leaning Arizona.