Lourdes Gurriel pulled a Michael Phelps on the basepaths during Sunday’s game against the Boston Red Sox.
The Toronto Blue Jays slugger Gurriel went viral for a gravity-defying move to avoid getting picked off at first base during the fourth inning. Gurriel was a sitting duck when Red Sox starter Brayan Bello caught him off-guard with a pickoff throw … until he wasn’t.
Like something out of a Keanu Reeves movie, Gurriel used an acrobatic swim manuever to (1) get around Boston first baseman Bobby Dalbec’s initial tag and (2) touch first base before Dalbec could apply another tag. Thus, Gurriel was ruled safe despite the throw from Bello beating him by a country mile.
Take a look:
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. avoiding the tag at first base 👀 #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/9VNtO8sabK
— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) July 24, 2022
Gurriel’s stuntman impression did not ultimately matter though, as Blue Jays teammate Bo Bichette grounded into an inning-ending double play later on in the same at-bat. But the engagement that he got on Twitter dot com surely made it all worth it for Gurriel.
Toronto also went on to win 8-4. That means Gurriel got to go home with a W and the most elite swim move that we have seen since this player did it.
