Blue Jays outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. stunned Myles Straw and the Astros with a high-powered laser of a throw to home plate.
Some day, runners will realize it’s best not to test the arm of Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Myles Straw of the Astros made that mistake on Saturday when he tried to score from second base on a deep single to left field.
Gurriel Jr. put the kibosh on that plan with a stunningly powerful and accurate throw from the outfield.
When the broadcaster said Gurriel Jr. has a strong arm, he wasn’t kidding in the slightest. His arm is better described as an absolute rocket launcher.
The left fielder had to backhand that catch in the first place. Being able to generate that kind of power is just ridiculous.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is an outfield weapon for the Blue Jays
There’s even better context to that play. According to MLB.com, Straw ranks 22nd in baseball this year when it comes to speed. He’s tied with Jose Altuve for the fastest average spring speed on his team.
Basically, Straw was either the worst or second-worst matchup for the Blue Jays to have in that situation.
It didn’t matter for Gurriel Jr., whose arm is no match for even the fastest baserunner, apparently.
Nor was it just a high-powered throw. That thing couldn’t have been placed more perfectly.
The deadlock had yet to be broken in the third inning when it happened. The throw was the difference between 0-0 and 0-1.
Gurriel Jr.’s impact wasn’t limited to fielding and throwing. After the Astros scored in the fourth, he was the first to respond with an RBI single. Two home runs from Joe Panik and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed and Toronto was able to run away with the 6-2 victory.