The Houston Astros did not draft former Duke Blue Devil [autotag]Joey Loperfido[/autotag] for his defensive prowess. Still, during a crazy 13-12 win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night, Loperfido made a phenomenal catch that will be on highlight reels for the foreseeable future.
Minnesota’s Willi Castro barrelled up a 0-1 pitch and drove it deep to right field at Target Field. Loperfido ranged to his left, inching closer to the right field fence before he leaped and snagged the baseball into his glove.
The ball fell out on the way down, but Lopefido used his non-glove hand to catch it before it hit the ground, preventing what would have been a sure extra-base hit.
Initially, it was ruled no-catch, but after an Astros review, it was determined that the ball never hit the wall once it left Loperfido’s glove, thus making it fair play for the Duke grad to secure it for the final time.
We still can't believe that Joey Loperfido made this catch … pic.twitter.com/cLjBhgeYT0
— MLB (@MLB) July 6, 2024
Loperfido has had a lot of runway to play with the Astros’ missing two-time All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker with a shin injury. Tucker is believed to be out through the All-Star break, meaning Loperfido will have even more opportunities to showcase himself.
Along with his terrific catch last night, he also had a two-run double that helped Houston’s cause as they continue to play much better baseball and look to fight their way into the AL West race.