Yankees' Josh Donaldson thought he had a home run vs. Guardians, ended up tagged out instead

David Suggs

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Yankees' Josh Donaldson thought he had a home run vs. Guardians, ended up tagged out instead image

There couldn't be a much weirder start to an inning than what transpired when Josh Donaldson took the plate in the fifth inning of Game 1 of the ALDS.

The Yankees slugger boomed a fastball off of Guardians slugger Chad Quantrill, sending it toward the short porch in right field. As the ball barreled through the night sky, it appeared destined for the cheap seats.

There was just one problem: it didn't reach the bleachers. Donaldson's laser hit the top of the fence before bouncing into the path of right fielder Oscar Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was perfectly placed to play the ball off the one-hop. He fielded the ricochet beautifully before zipping the ball toward second base.

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Donaldson didn't appear to get the memo, dapping up first base coach Travis Chapman as he rounded first base. Believing the ball left the yard, Donaldson got caught in an embarrassing rundown between first and second base. Josh Naylor eventually tagged him out, ending the threat.

Here's the moment for those who haven't seen it:

Tuesday wasn't the first time Donaldson got caught out for hot-dogging a barreled shot. In fact, the former AL MVP got thrown out in an eerily similar situation just last month:

To be fair to Donaldson, he was far from the only one who thought the ball had cleared the fence. In fact, per NJ.com's Brendan Kuty, the stadium's sound technicians started playing the home run siren after Donaldson's blast reached the wall.

MORE: 5 reasons Yankees fans should fear a Guardians upset in 2022 ALDS

Fortunately for Donaldson and his Yankees teammates, the mistake was quickly rectified. Isiah Kiner-Falefa reached third base after Gonzalez misplayed his single in the very next at-bat. He was subsequently driven in by Jose Trevino after a sacrifice fly, giving the Bronx Bombers their first lead of the game.

But it was yet another forgettable moment in a season increasingly filled with them for Donaldson, a player who has largely struggled since donning the pinstripes.

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.