Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made one of the heads-up plays of the season on Friday when he deliberately missed a pop fly in Friday’s game against the Reds.
In the bottom of the seventh and a runner on first, Reds outfielder Will Benson lifted a fly ball into the infield. Instead of securing the catch, Guerrero allowed the ball to hit the ground, and Toronto completed the 3-4-6 double-play.
Although Toronto ended up losing the contest 1–0, the 24-year-old Guerrero displayed his continued maturation as a first baseman in the league.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. INTENTIONALLY missed this pop up. 👀
— MLB (@MLB) August 19, 2023
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Toronto (67–56) sits in third place and six games behind the Rays (73–50) and eight games behind the first-place Orioles (74–47) in the American League East.