HOUSTON (AP) — Thrust into an everyday role because of injuries, Jake Marisnick is making the most of his opportunity with the Houston Astros. Marisnick…
HOUSTON (AP) — Thrust into an everyday role because of injuries, Jake Marisnick is making the most of his opportunity with the Houston Astros.
Marisnick homered early off Chris Sale, then made two dazzling defensive plays in center field to help the Astros beat the mistake-prone Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Friday night.
“There’s not much not to like (about him) in a game like that,” manager AJ Hinch said. “When you’re a bench player… you just want an opportunity. You just want a chance to show it. And he’s doing great things on the field. It’s pretty impressive.”
It looks like Marisnick could get more chances for consistent playing time after George Springer injured his left hamstring sliding to try and catch a foul ball in the eighth inning in his first game back after missing four games with a stiff back. Hinch said they’d know more on Saturday, but it looks as if he’ll be headed to the injured list.
“I’m not looking forward to the diagnosis, it doesn’t look good,” Hinch said. “He never pulls himself out of the game like that. He was limping from the very beginning.”
In a matchup of the last two World Series winners, the Red Sox committed three errors, not looking nearly as sharp as they did in their last visit to Minute Maid Park when they captured the pennant with a 4-1 win in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series in October. The Astros took two of three last weekend at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox did end Ryan Pressly’s MLB-record streak of 40 straight scoreless appearances when Jackie Bradley Jr. launched the first pitch from the Houston reliever for a home run in the eighth inning.
Wade Miley (5-2) yielded four hits and two runs in six innings, striking out a season-high eight to win his fourth straight decision.
