New York Yankees fans left fuming as Josh Donaldson gets thrown out trotting around first base in first playoff game: "Certified bum! He should ride the pine", "Donaldson is the biggest loser on the planet"

New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson learnt an important lesson the hard way during Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians.

With the score tied, Donaldson hit what initially appeared to be a go-ahead homer but that wasn’t the case. He sliced a pitch from Guardians right-hander Cal Quantrill into the right-field corner.

Donaldson then took on the leisurely pace of a player fully convinced that his shot was headed for a homer, even high-fiving first-base coach Travis Chapman as he did so. Many believe that the blame lies with Chapman for Donaldson's gaffe.

Turns out, Donaldson’s ball didn’t clear the fence. Instead, it bounced off the top of the wall and ricocheted back to Guardians outfielder Oscar Gonzalez.

Gonzalez got the ball back to second base as a completely perplexed Donaldson threw his arms up between first and second. Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor hit him with a tag as he tried to slide head first into the base, but it wasn’t close.

It was a bizarre chain of events, considering how unlikely it was for the ball to hit the exact spot and the exact spin that would cause it to return to the pitch instead of landing on the other side.

Fans were not impressed with Donaldson and took to Twitter to let their frustration be known:

"Josh Donaldson thought he homered and got thrown out after trotting around first base" - Jomboy Media

New York Yankees make home-field advantage count vs. Cleveland Guardians in ALDS Game 1

In what was the first postseason game in the Bronx since Game 5 of the 2019 ALCS, the New York Yankees won 4-1 against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of this year’s ALDS.

Gerrit Cole impressed in his first home postseason start in the pinstripes to give the Yankees 6 ⅓ innings of one-run ball while striking out eight.

"'That was a big boy performance by Gerrit Cole... That's why you get a guy like him.' Yankees secure their first win of the ALDS thanks to a stellar outing from their ace." - YES Network

Jose Trevino’s sacrifice fly made it 2-1 following Donaldson’s chaotic hit. Anthony Rizzo put the game to bed with a two-run homer in the sixth as the Yankees won 4-1.

The New York Yankees are now two wins away from advancing to the ALCS. Game 2 against the Guardians is slated for Thursday, October 13 at 7:37 p.m. (ET) at Yankee Stadium.

For more news and updates, go to the Sportskeeda Baseball page.