Sonny Gray and the Minnesota Twins were drenched in champagne and beer as they celebrated their way to the American League Division Series.
There was one pivotal moment in Game 2 of the AL Wild-Card Game against the Toronto Blue Jays where starting pitcher Gray picked off Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in a stellar move.
Just watch:
What a massive pickoff by the @Twins! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/i4g9ULQmjx
— MLB (@MLB) October 4, 2023
Absolutely insane.
Shortstop Carlos Correa came up from behind second base after giving the signal to catcher Ryan Jeffers to try and pick off Guerrero.
The Blue Jays challenged the tag, but the call was upheld in the eventual, 2-0, win for the Twins.
Here’s how the world reacted:
With #BlueJays down two in a must-win game, Bo Bichette at the plate and runners on second and third, Vlad Guerrero Jr. gets picked off second base by Sonny Gray.
Just an incredibly costly baserunning mistake.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) October 4, 2023
I cannot believe Vlad Jr. got picked off right there. Cannot happen. Wow. What a tag by Correa too.
Playoff baseball.
— Frank-Paul Santangelo Jr. (@fp_jr) October 4, 2023
Vlad Guerrero Jr getting picked off with 2 outs pic.twitter.com/RYejoI31Yp
— HCF☔️ (@McDuffie2Heaven) October 4, 2023
Yikes.
Where will you be watching the Wold Series?
Vlad Jr: pic.twitter.com/JzJrWSd2OC
— {CJN} Ethan (@eb1302_) October 4, 2023
“One of the dumbest plays in franchise history.”
The guys react to Vlad Jr. being picked off at second base to end the 5th inning #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/37Hwi50NVy
— OverDrive (@OverDrive1050) October 4, 2023
Wasn't even all that crazy of a lead off second by Vlad Jr. He just never saw Correa making the run to the bag behind him, and Gray timed it perfectly.
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) October 4, 2023
Play goes to review, but initial ruling is Sonny Gray picks Vlad Guerrero Jr. off second base to end the inning.
Replay confirms the call. Target Field erupts again.
Carlos Correa showing all the emotion after executing the play with Gray. #MNTwins
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) October 4, 2023
Want to see the play in 3D? Sure you do.
3D tracking: Stick Figure Sonny Gray picks off Vlad Jr. at second base
Vlad had a 16-foot primary lead and Gray's pickoff throw was 79.8 mph, if you're curious about such things pic.twitter.com/8taEkBFwDY
— David Adler (@_dadler) October 4, 2023
Talk about mistakes, Blue Jays can’t do anything right today. Absolutely inexcusable for Vlad Jr to be picked off there
— Marc Luino (@GiraffeNeckMarc) October 4, 2023
After the game, Gray said it was something the team had been working on since Spring Training.
“I know it can be cliché to say you do this in Spring Training, blah, blah, blah, but it is something that we started in Spring Training,” Gray told the media after the game.
“We’ve done it throughout the course of the season. We actually picked someone off like that in the middle of the season at some point. We worked on it last week before coming into the postseason.”
“And Carlos comes up after the first inning — there was traffic on the bases throughout the game. He comes up after the first inning and he says, hey, listen, listen, listen to me, they can’t hear the third base coach yell ‘back.’ There’s going to be an option to pick. He’s like the timing pick is going to be there. It’s going to be there.”
The timing was perfection.
“For him to have that awareness is what makes him special,” Gray said.
Correa said the crowd played a factor, too. All 38,518 in attendance.
“Big impact. Talked to Sonny earlier in the game,” Correa said. “I told him there were some free outs on the bases. He was, like, what do you mean? I’m, like, they’re taking big leads; if you look at me I’ll give you a sign; in key spots, we can get some outs there.”
Correa said he gave the sign to catcher Ryan Jeffers since he had PitchCom. Jeffers then gave Gray the nod.
“I try to be quiet going to second base so they wouldn’t hear me, and then the timing play worked out perfect,” Correa said.
Perfect indeed.
