D-backs' Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Makes MLB History with Impressive Homer

The Arizona Diamondbacks' outfielder's name will stand alone in the record books - for the time being.

Aug 5, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (12) reacts after hitting a home run in the eighth inning to tie the game against the San Diego Padres at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

Tuesday night's tough game against the San Diego Padres may have ultimately gone south for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but that didn't stop a certain outfielder from etching his name into the history books.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had not gone deep in over a full month. He broke that streak with a first-inning homer off starter Yu Darvish.

But that wouldn't be his ultimate highlight.

Staring down a 5-3 deficit in the eighth inning, and facing one of the toughest flamethrowers in baseball in Mason Miller, Gurriel crushed his second homer — a game-tying blast off a 103.9 MPH fastball.

The pitch was the fastest hit for a homer in the Statcast era (and likely ever), although pitch tracking data only began in 2008.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. just turned around a 104 MPH fastball off Mason Miller for his second home run of the game.

Unreal. Tie game. pic.twitter.com/iAXE9CWWOk

— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) August 6, 2025

Arizona Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Hits Historic Homer

Miller, the renowned hard-throwing closer, had come over to San Diego in a blockbuster trade less than a week prior.

Serving in a setup role Tuesday, Miller filled up the strike zone with triple-digit fastballs. On the seventh pitch, he left one over the plate. Gurriel somehow pounced, returning the pitch 107 MPH to left field, traveling 439 feet deep.

Not only was the homer impressive by itself, it also gave Arizona a chance to take a late victory. Unfortunately, the D-backs' offense and pitching unraveled into an eventual 10-5 loss in 11 innings.

“The real meaning was the time of the game and what it meant to the team to tie the ballgame,” Gurriel said to Arizona Sports 98.7's Alex Weiner through an interpreter postgame. “That was the most important thing. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn into a win, but that was the most exciting thing.”

"It was loud contact," manager Torey Lovullo said. "We know Mason Miller's got a big arm. It's a massive arm and he's going to challenge you with it. Our hitter was ready. ... It looks very intimidating, but if you start to see it and you see it enough, you’re going to start to time it up and catch it.”

Ironically, Gurriel's homer marks the second time in two seasons a Diamondbacks hitter has set the Statcast-era record for fastest pitch taken deep.

Nearly an exact one year prior on August 2, 2024, first baseman Josh Bell (in his first game with Arizona) crushed a 102.9 MPH fastball from Aroldis Chapman in Pittsburgh. Even stranger, Bell's homer was also his second of the game.

Though Gurriel's didn't end in the result the D-backs were looking for, it was certainly a thrilling moment at Chase Field off a former All-Star closer.