Lourdes Gurriel Jr. brought a .143 batting average into Sunday's series finale with the Chicago Cubs. He was 2 for 14 in the first three games.
The average dipped even lower as Gurriel flied out in his first three times at bat Sunday. But he was making good contact. It all came together in his fifth at-bat.
Gurriel launched a 416-foot line drive into the left-field seats to tie the score at 6, his first home run of the season that was the biggest blow of an eight-run Diamondbacks eighth inning. He hit it on the first pitch he saw from Cubs reliever Eli Morgan and turned to point at his teammates and shout as the ball sailed over the wall.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - Arizona Diamondbacks (1) 2-run Shot
— MLB Homerun Tracker (@Homerun_Tracker) March 30, 2025
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"I was sure of it," Gurriel said in Spanish when asked if he felt big hit was coming. "I was making good contact and I already felt like we were coming back."
The Diamondbacks started the inning trailing 6-2. Gurriel's home run came with one out, two runs in and Geraldo Perdomo on second base.
Gurriel said he was looking for a pitch in the strike zone that he could hit hard and make the ball go far. He got a 92 mph fastball right down the middle and didn't miss.
"Each one of us is focused on helping each other," Gurriel said. "That's the most important thing we have. Each of us is focused on doing his part and we have to keep doing that.
"You have to always be ready," he added. "You never know when the moment in the game or the situation can come up."
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s first HR of season leads Diamondbacks to win
