When pitchers throw heat, it’s usually hard to hit.
But Tuesday night, that notion was flipped on its head.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. of the Diamondbacks sent one into the seats for a two-run homer off a 103.9 mph pitch from the newest Padres reliever, Mason Miller, in the eighth inning of Arizona’s 10-5 loss.
His home run was a record-breaker as it was the fastest pitch ever hit for a home run in the Statcast era (since 2015).
Gurriel’s manager, Torey Lovullo, was shocked by the sound off the bat.
“It was loud contact,” Lovullo told reporters. “We know Mason Miller’s got a big arm. It’s a massive arm, and he’s going to challenge you with it. Our hitter was ready.”
Both of these teams are flying in different directions after the trade deadline.
The Padres continue to inch closer to the Dodgers at the top of the NL West. They were heavy buyers at the deadline.
In addition to picking up Miller and J.P. Sears from the Athletics, the Padres also traded for Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn from the Orioles. After Tuesday’s win, San Diego sits three games behind the Dodgers.
The Diamondbacks, who were seen as playoff contenders at the beginning of the season, sold key pieces at the deadline. Eugenio Suarez, Merrill Kelly and Josh Naylor were all shipped away.
The Diamondbacks sit 12 games behind the Dodgers, but they can add Gurriel’s big swing to their season highlights.
