Christian Vázquez, an eighth-year Major League Baseball veteran, experienced a career first Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.
One day after he was traded to Houston, Vázquez stepped into a big league batter’s box without a Red Sox jersey on his back for the very first time. The Astros kind of threw Vázquez into the fire, too, as he was called on to pinch hit with one out in the ninth inning of a one-run ballgame.
The high-pressure situation didn’t prevent the veteran backstop from acknowledging the elephant in the room upon digging in.
“It was weird,” Vázquez told reporters, per The Boston Globe. “I got to the plate and said to Kevin Plawecki, ‘This is just weird.’ “
Vázquez wasn’t able to stick it to his former team in his first appearance with the Astros, as he grounded out to second base. One more out sealed a series win for the visiting Red Sox, who arrived in Houston having not won a series in over a month.
Wednesday very well could be the last time Vázquez shares a field with his now-former Red Sox teammates this season. Boston and Houston aren’t scheduled to meet again through early October, and the Red Sox, unlike the Astros, aren’t a virtual lock to reach the playoffs.
