Yankees’ Juan Soto on his epic pennant-clinching HR: I told myself, ‘You’re all over this guy’

Juan Soto hit a three-run home run in the top of the 10th inning, and the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians, 5-2, on Saturday night to clinch the American League pennant in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.

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Soto, who was acquired in a seven-player trade with the San Diego Padres in December, moved the Bronx Bombers into position to win their 28th title with one big swing.

The Yankees now await the winner of the National League Championship Series — the Los Angeles Dodgers or the New York Mets — in the World Series. Those teams play Game 6 on Sunday night in Los Angeles, with the Dodgers one win away from advancing.

Soto fouled off four consecutive pitches before drilling the home run to right field off right-hander Hunter Gaddis’s fastball. After the first six pitches of the at-bat, Soto nodded. The seventh pitch, a 95-mph fastball, cleared the wall and broke a tense 2-2 tie in a slugfest series.

“You’re all over. You’re all over him. That’s what I was saying to myself: You’re all over that guy,” Soto said after catching the final out in right field. “He ain’t got nothing. I tried to make good contact and I did.”

In the 10th, Austin Wells walked with one out and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to second baseman Andrés Giménez, whose soft toss to the bag was dropped by rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio for an error.

Gaddis struck out Gleyber Torres and had Soto in a 1-2 count before the slugger sent a shot over the wall. Soto danced down the first-base line and paused to celebrate with his teammates before circling the bases. Three outs later, the Yankees were headed to the World Series.

“It sounds amazing. It sounds amazing,” Soto said. “From Day One, we’ve been working hard and now we’re the best team in the American League. It’s the best feeling in the world [to reach the World Series]. We grind every day and now we have accomplished it.

“We have all the talent we need to go all the way. Right now, we’re really feeling good. We’re really sticking together. We’re pushing each other. We’ve got a World Series to win.”

Soto, who will become a free agent at the end of the season, will become the richest baseball player of all time.

Giancarlo Stanton’s fourth homer in this series — his third in three days — and his 16th in the postseason, tied the game, 2-2, in the sixth inning and moved him into fourth place on the club’s career list behind Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20) and Mickey Mantle (18).

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