Onward Christian Catcher
Rookie catcher Christian Vazquez clouted two doubles, just eight fewer than A.J. Pierzynski did this season. He drove in three runs and scored twice. He did so well that he found himself receiving Edward Mujica in the ninth inning, something that only happens when Boston has a big league or John Farrell has exhausted any other options.
The freckle-faced youth listed his home country Puerto Rico as his favorite place to have a vacation. (Everyone say, “Awww…!”) He hails from Bayamon, which is where Yadier and Jose Molina were born (eldest brother Bengie was born in Rio Piedras). Catching excellence isn’t transmitted by proximity, but if Vazquez continues on the trajectory he set for himself in this game he will be a solid contributor. Perhaps the Red Sox have produced a long-term backstop, one of the more elusive positions to cultivate.
Brock Holt’s family was louder than the Astros crowd. It is clever how they don’t mention how they had found the infant Holt in an alien rocket. The Holts had a lot to cheer for as the leadoff hitter went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a run batted in, and a base on balls. He deigned to display his fallibility in the first inning when he allowed himself to get caught stealing third base. That was to make us mere mortals feel better about our paltry existences.
John Lackey benefitted from massive (for this season) run support but also flashed some leather in the third frame. Marwin Gonzalez tried to bunt to get on base but Lackey dove like Arjen Robben for the ball and flipped it to Mike Carp for the out.
In the seventh Carp found himself on the throwing end of a similar play. Carp stopped Matt Dominguez’s grounder from slipping past him. He tried to flip it to Burke Badenhop but only managed to shuffle it towards the reliever. Badenhop pounced towards it and handled with his throwing hand to secure the final out of the inning.
| Game 93: July 11, 2014 | ||
 Boston Red Sox42-51 |
8 | W: John Lackey (10-6) |
| 2B: Brock Holt (18), Dustin Pedroia (26), Christian Vazquez – 2 (2), David Ortiz (18) 3B: Brock Holt (4), Stephen Drew (1) | ||
| Houston Astros 39-55 |
3 | L: Scott Feldman (4-6) |
| 2B: Jason Castro (15) HR: Chris Carter – 2 (19) | ||
