Toronto Blue Jays infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. burned Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale with one of the rarest plays in baseball on Tuesday.
With Gurriel on third, Sale went into a very deliberate windup. Gurriel took advantage, sprinting towards home. When Sale’s pitch was errant, Gurriel had a straight steal of home.
We don’t see this very often. Every now and again, we might a runner steal home on on a double-steal, or when the pitcher throws the ball elsewhere and fails to pay attention to the runner on third. But a straight steal needs a number of things to go right.
A fast runner on third is a must. Gurriel checks that box. A lefty on the mound is also a huge plus, especially if he’s moving slow to the plate. That certainly applied here. In fact, Sale going out of the windup only made the opportunity greater.
Let that be a lesson. If someone like Gurriel is on third, don’t assume it’s safe to abandon the stretch and go out of the windup. If you do, these are the consequences.