The Yankees found yet another creative way to botch a basic play. In the first inning, with two outs and runners on base, the Mets hit a single to left. Joey Gallo fielded it cleanly, and the runner rounding third had no business getting sent home. Still, the Yankees got the throw in time. Gary Sánchez had the ball well before the runner arrived. It should’ve been a routine out at the plate. But Sánchez whiffed on the tag attempt. He reached high while the runner, Jonathan Villar, slid feet-first under him and touched home before any real contact.
The ump initially called him out, likely thinking the tag hit the helmet. A replay showed otherwise. Villar was safe. The Yankees looked clueless. Sánchez seemed to think Villar would just give up and run into the tag. He forgot the collision rules meant the runner couldn’t plow through him, which made the lazy tag attempt inexcusable. It wasn’t even close. Gallo’s great throw and Villar’s hustle got buried under another lowlight from a Yankees team that can’t get out of its own way. After the call was reversed, the Mets celebrated and Jordan Montgomery had to clean things up on the mound. He bounced back with a strikeout, but the damage was done. Another unforced error in a season full of them.