Grichuk rises to occasion with stellar catch

HOUSTON -- Blue Jays right fielder Randal Grichuk hit the longest home run in Minute Maid Park since Statcast™ was introduced in 2015 -- and it wasn't even his most impressive play of Monday night's 6-3 win over the Astros.
Grichuk, a native of Rosenberg, which is less than an hour outside of Houston, pulverized a 471-foot home run in the eighth inning -- the Blue Jays' longest homer of the season and the longest since 2015 -- and made a game-saving catch in the ninth inning to rob George Springer of a potential game-tying, three-run home run in right field.
• Fan actually thought he had caught it instead of Grichuk

"The homer gave us a cushion," Grichuk said. "Then, obviously robbing the home run kept some runs off the board for them."
"That sucks," Springer said. "There's really not anything else to say about it. It's tough. It is what it is. They win."
Grichuk, who said he would rank the ninth-inning snag as his best career catch, visited Minute Maid Park for two games with the Cardinals in 2016, and he brought along roughly 400-500 hometown folks here for this series.
"It's awesome," Grichuk. "I enjoy it. It's one of those feelings where you can't feel your body all game. You feel like you don't need to stretch of get loose. It was just as special for me as I know it is for my family."
Grichuk is 4-for-12 with three RBIs in three career games at Minute Maid Park, including two doubles, one triple and the longest home run hit here.
"What a return home for that kid," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.