If you read the Dugout Dispatch during the regular season, you’re probably familiar with the Stinky Five, a weekly column devoted to the five worst teams in baseball during the previous week. 

For my faithful readers who are missing the stinkiness, here is a special World Series edition dedicated to the New York Yankees and the five men most responsible for their Game 5 loss.

But first, let us all take a moment to be in awe of Chase Utley. First, Utley, a lefthander, homered twice in a game against a lefty, something only Babe Ruth had done in World Series history. Then in Game 5 he hit two more home runs, giving him a series total of five. That tied him with Yankees legend Reggie Jackson for the most home runs in one World Series. Utley is drawing comparisons to two Yankee heroes and has etched his short swing into the nightmares of their current pitchers.

Now on to the stink…

1. A.J. Burnett
Wow. I predicted that Burnett would not pitch well enough to clinch a championship for the Yankees, but never did I imagine that he would pitch so poorly. In two innings, Burnett allowed four hits and six earned runs. This is the second time during the playoffs that Burnett has had a chance to clinch a series and the second time he has choked. Some guys are born for the big stage, Burnett doesn’t seem to be one of them.

2. Phil Coke
When Jorge Posada crossed home plate in the ninth inning, giving the Yankees’ their sixth run of the night, it had to be on Coke’s mind that the game would have been tied if not for the two home runs he allowed in the bottom of the seventh. Had Coke kept Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez from going yard, the Yankees could be preparing for a parade today instead of Game 6.

3. Derek Jeter
Jeter has been dynamite so far in the World Series.I hate to hate on him, but man, the one thing you don’t want to do in the ninth inning against a struggling pitcher with two on and no one out is ground into a double play. Jeter isn’t the reason they lost the game, but his GIDP helped Ryan Madson get back into his groove. Which brings me to my next victim…

4. Mark Teixeira
Teixeira is hitting just .105 in the World Series, but it would not have mattered if he’d come through in his last at-bat last night. With two outs and a man on second, Tex struck out to end the game. A single would have likely scored Johnny Damon and put Teixeira on base, with A-Rod up as the go-ahead run. Tex had the chance to erase all his playoff woes but instead added one more to his lowlight reel.

5. Joe Girardi
Girardi’s decision to start A.J. Burnett on short rest last night blew up in his face, and forces him to start Andy Pettitte on Wednesday, also on short rest. If Girardi had gone with fourth starter Chad Gaudin, and if the Yankees had still lost, they would be in a much better position to win right now, with Burnett and Pettitte on regular rest and Sabathia in the bullpen if one of them struggled. Instead, he has to hope that the short rest bug that bit Burnett doesn’t get to the rest of his rotation as well.

Check back tomorrow for a preview of Game 6! And for more awesome Blogs, CLICK HERE!