Miley, Super Jake, Shut Down Red Sox. Astros Squeak by Boston 4-3

Wade Miley put a stop to a two game losing skid Friday night at Minute Maid Park as the Houston Astros defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-3. With a little help from his friend Jake Marisnick, who made two amazing superman catches in center field, and, oh yeah, a crucial home run.

Miley cruised through six innings, only allowing four hits and striking out eight Boston bats. Houston needed Miley’s dominance because, despite getting four runs across, the Astros could only piece together four hits over the course of the game. Nonetheless, those four hits left Chris Sale the loser, who has won only one game this year, against six losses.

Houston’s first run of the night came in the most unorthodox of ways. In the second inning, Aledmys Diaz got on base with a ground ball to right. He would move to second on a wild pitch by Chris Sale. Diaz would be driven in by Josh Reddick but called out at the plate intially. Upon further review, replay showed Diaz was able to slide past Boston catcher Sandy Leon and Reddick made it to first on a throwing error by Steve Pearce.

This may be one of the most amazing feet first slides in the history of baseball.

Run number two came in a louder, much more conventional way for Houston. In the third, Jake Marisnick took a 2-2 slider from Chris sale and blasted it over the left field wall for Marisnick’s sixth home run of the season.

Marisnick’s night wouldn’t only include a key play at the plate, it also featured tremendous catches in the fifth and ninth innings. In the fifth he went full superman on a Benintendi line drive. In the ninth, with Osuna on to close things out, Andrew (what can I do to get a hit) Benintendi drove a pitch to the warning track in center fielder. But Marisnick made a five-star, ice cream cone, over the shoulder catch to take away extra bases.

Willie Mays anybody?

Considering that two batters later the Sox would get a home run, we still might be playing this game as I write.

Here are the Marisnick Marvel comic plays.

In the fourth, Houston would score for the third consecutive inning. The Astros scratched two runs across in the fourth, one aided by a throwing error by Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts, the other courtesy of a George Springer sacrifice fly ball to to left field.

Boston was able to generate offense by way of the long ball. Bogaerts hit his ninth home run of the season in the sixth inning off of Miley and Jackie Bradley Jr. took Ryan Pressly deep in the eighth inning. For Pressly, it was the first regular season run he had allowed in 40 appearances, dating back to August of last season. Christian Vasquez got Boston back to within a run after taking Roberto Osuna deep on a full count to left center field.

Pressly and Osuna had adventurous nights. Pressly and Osuna allowed each allowed a home run late, but the two also combined to strike out five. For Osuna, it was his 25th save in 25 opportunities, setting a new franchise record for most consecutive saves.

The win came at a cost for Houston, however. In the eighth inning, Springer exited the game after an errant sliding attempt for a ball that was popped up into foul territory in right field. A. J. Hinch said he “does not look forward to the diagnosis.”

Don’t look now, but Wade Miley has the second lowest ERA among starters on the Astros at 3.22. As of tonight, that would be 13th in the American League.

And do the Astros have four All Star outfielders? Of course, that’s impossible, but our “fourth outfielder,” when you consider his whole game, is sure making the case. Before tonight, in limited playing time, he was sixth among center fielders in WAR. at 1. I know it doesn’t work this way, but after tonight’s game his WAR should be exactly 2, because the Astros simply flat out don’t win tonight without Jake Marisnick. No one else could have done what he did to save this win.

Tomorrow Boston’s David Price faces Brad Peacock. Game time 6:15 CDT.

Box score and videos HERE