Lourdes Gurriel Jr. took the entire Red Sox team by surprise and stole home
There's probably not a riskier play in baseball than stealing home. You're already on third, so you're going to score on any hit. Moreover, a steal of home is overwhelmingly unlikely to succeed: The runner needs to get a ridiculous jump, which requires escaping the notice of the pitcher. It takes a perfect mix of daring and luck to pull off.
During the fourth inning of Tuesday's game against the Red Sox, Blue Jays designated hitter Lourdes Gurriel Jr. found that formula. Standing on third with two outs, he threw caution to the wind and took off for home.
Home's on sale and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. just stole it. pic.twitter.com/NRWJSCpHGC
— MLB (@MLB) April 9, 2019
Rafael Devers never moves. Chris Sale went into a normal windup, assuming no one would be brash enough to try to steal home. Next thing you know, Gurriel is in his periphery and sliding into home plate.
Gurriel's cause was certainly aided by the ball sailing past Christian Vazquez to the backstop, but he was given an official stolen base on the play. Now, the word of the official scorer is not gospel. It's just one interpretation of the events that transpired. What do you think? Would he have been save even if Vazquez caught the ball? Let us know below.
Eric Chesterton is a writer for MLB.com. He is an appreciator of the stolen base, the bunt against the shift and nearly every unconventional uniform design. He eagerly awaits Jamie Moyer's inevitable comeback.
