The Astros made easy work out of the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, and Christian Vázquez played a part in Houston’s dominant win.
The Astros beat the White Sox, 21-5, at Guaranteed Rate Field as Chicago starter Lucas Giolito gave up seven runs on eight hits in three inning of work. Five Houston batters had three hits or more and three had four hits, including Vázquez, and that matched a career high.
The former Red Sox catcher last had four hits in a regular-season game in Boston’s 6-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sep. 8, 2020.
Astros third baseman Alex Bregman’s and right fielder Kyle Tucker’s also tied their career highs, according to Fox 26’s Mark Berman.
The trio also hit a Houston franchise milestone, as it was only the second time three batters have had four hits or more in a game since 1976, according to Major League Baseball analyst Ryan Spaeder.
Thursday’s outing marked a turnaround for Vázquez, who had been sharing catching duties with Martin Maldonado. Vázquez had been inconsistent offensively — likely due to the off-and-on play — but against the White Sox, the backstop batted 4-for-6 with two RBIs and three runs scored.
The Astros’ win was a gain for the Red Sox, as Boston continues its push for an American League Wild Card spot, and the White Sox were a team also in the running in the wild card race. The Red Sox stood four games back in the AL Wild Card standings before their series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which can be watched using NESN 360.
