The New York Yankees ended their 2024 season with a gut-wrenching Game 5 World Series loss, collapsing in a fifth inning that turned a comfortable 5-0 lead into pure devastation.
Despite costly errors from Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe, the Yankees still had a chance to escape the inning unscathed when Gerrit Cole struck out Shohei Ohtani for the second out. But then came the turning point of the Fall Classic—Cole signaled to Anthony Rizzo on a grounder, but with no one covering first, the Yankees’ lead vanished in an instant.
Now, imagine if that infamous play had also resulted in a pitcher injury. On Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers, it nearly did.
Carlos Rodón took off toward first base on a routine play, but instead of completing the out, disaster almost struck. Sal Frelick hit a soft grounder toward Paul Goldschmidt, who was positioned slightly farther from the bag than Rizzo had been months prior. Rodón, late to react, sprinted over but missed the base with his toe. Instead, he flipped awkwardly, crashing to the ground in a moment that sent a chill through Yankees fans.
Somehow, Rodón finished the inning and walked off seemingly unharmed, but the eerie déjà vu was undeniable. How could something so reminiscent of last fall’s nightmare unfold again at Yankee Stadium—just five months later?
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Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón had a rough Opening Day moment at first base, stirring up painful memories of last year’s World Series collapse.
Thankfully, what followed was a clear reminder of how much the Yankees have changed since that fateful Fall Classic. Their renewed focus on defense showed as they recorded the final two outs in style—first with an athletic play by Jazz Chisholm (one that Gleyber Torres might have struggled to make), then with a smooth defensive effort from Rodón himself, who reacted with catlike agility off the mound.
In fact, Rodón displayed that quickness twice in the inning. And as the saying goes, cats always land on their feet—even after an awkward fall. While he may have tumbled to the ground in a moment that sent fans into a brief panic, Rodón bounced back just as fast, retiring the next two Brewers hitters with authority.
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