Textbook definition of heads-up baserunning by Gleyber Torres.
The era of defensive overshifts in baseball will likely never go away, and that's fine, because it's strategy and about preventing runs and all that stuff. That second half of the equation can sometimes be put to the test.
One of the byproducts of shifting, though, is that it can put the defense in precarious positions — especially if not everyone is paying attention to where they should be. Exhibit A: Gleyber Torres vs. the Astros' defense on Thursday afternoon.
On a hard-hit ball up the middle which was knocked down by Carlos Correa, Torres advanced to second … then he advanced to third … then he advanced home, scoring a run and bringing the Yankees closer on the scoreboard.
Heads-up Gleyb. pic.twitter.com/Xf9O15t77K
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 6, 2021
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No one was covering third base (that would be Alex Bregman, who was covering second), and no one was covering home, because pitcher Ryan Pressly got caught up being a spectator during the play.
Catcher Martin Maldonado scurried over to third, but was too late, and Torres beat him in a foot race down the line. No play at home.
While good for a highlight reel (or blooper reel if you're Houston), no harm, no foul, though: Thanks to Jose Altuve's late-game heroics in the top half of the inning, and another late home run by Maldonado, the Astros would salvage Game 3 of a three-game series in New York 7-4.
Consider this redemption for Torres' early season woes.
