Owners of MLB’s longest playoff drought (21 years and counting), the Seattle Mariners clawed back to .500 with a win in Thursday night’s series opener, getting some help along the way from Blue Jays outfielder Lourdes Gurriel, who turned what should have been a routine out at the warning track into an unlikely home run.
Dylan Moore was credited with a 350-foot solo homer on the play, increasing Seattle’s lead to 3-1 in the second inning. Known more for his offensive contributions than his work in left field (.294 AVG with 21 doubles), Gurriel has been among the worst defensive outfielders in baseball, ranking 49th out of 58 qualifiers in UZR (ultimate zone rating) this season. Gurriel’s blooper mirrors a similar play by Jose Canseco, who famously let a ball hit off his head before reaching its final destination in the right-field concourse in 1993.
The Mariners probably would have won anyway—they clobbered Toronto, cruising to an 8-3 laugher at T-Mobile Park. But Gurriel, who submitted two singles in the losing effort, certainly didn’t help the cause with his freebie in left field, granting Moore his fifth home run of 2022.
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