The New York Yankees are trailing against the Detroit Tigers almost directly because of a brutal Ball 4 call, and now it’s snowing on Carlos Rodón. Great. Glad they moved the start time.

The Yanks may have started the season hotter than expected, but temperatures are icy cold in Detroit this week. That’s the reason why three night games have become day games, and earnestly, that deserves a thank you.

Still, as the temperature dips, it’s even harder to professional athletes to laser focus in the way they’re required to in order to win nine-inning baseball games. Monday’s series opener got messy in large part because the man on the field who’s paid to never lose his concentration – the home plate umpire – loosened Rodón’s grip on the game.

After cruising through the first two frames, Rodón delivered a 3-2 pitch with one on and one out to No. 9 hitter Ryan Kreidler, the type of person you might call an “unwalkable”.

But walk he did, on a pitch-perfect 3-2 breaking ball that tucked itself directly into the bottom of the zone. That’s how you and I saw it. That’s empirically the way that it was. And yet … Kreidler trotted to first, and what do you know? Andy Ibañez followed with a three-run home run that should’ve been two and also should’ve never happened. Nothing more predictable about baseball than that.

Yankees’ Carlos Rodón gets bitten by umpire Bruce Dreckman’s bad call as snowstorm starts in Detroit vs. Tigers

Rodón, who’s wearing short sleeves for this affair, might want to consider changing prior to his removal (though, if he had long sleeves on, he probably would’ve shredded them in anger at aptly named home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman). He’s only allowed a single hit through four frames – the home run following a strikeout that should’ve been the third out, but wasn’t.

And … now the snow is pouring down.

Flurries made Anthony Volpe’s fourth inning strikeout into a beauteous visual, but they also made a clean comeback far more difficult. In the words of Ashley Rodón: WALK.

Agreed. “Walk”.