Former Duke baseball star Joey Loperfido wins MLB game with solo home run

Former Duke Blue Devil Joey Loperfido hit his first home run in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform on Sunday, a solo shot that turned out to be the winner.

Former Duke baseball star Joey Loperfido got to play the hero for the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

Loperfido, who played for the Blue Devils from 2018-21, hit a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs at the iconic Wrigley Field during the top of the second inning.

While the blast came pretty early in the game, it turned out to be the game-winning shot. Chicago never scored a run, and the Blue Jays left town with a 1-0 victory.

Loperfido’s 409-foot bomb was his first for the new franchise and his third of the season. He made his MLB debut earlier this summer for the Houston Astros, and he played 38 games for that franchise before getting traded on July 30.

So far in his rookie year, Loperfido is hitting .216 with three home runs, five doubles, two triples, and 18 RBIs across 51 games. The 25-year-old sports an on-base percentage of .271 and a slugging percentage of .333.