Astros' Gomez more or less in disbelief after game-ending double play heroics
Center fielder Carlos Gomez hasn't exactly had a great time since joining the Houston Astros as a stretch-drive trade acquisition. Injuries have hampered his effectiveness on both offense and defense, so his rather amazing game-ending double play on Wednesday night had to feel pretty good.
The victory over the Seattle Mariners put the Astros back in sole possession of the second AL Wild Card spot ahead of their final three games in Arizona against the Diamondbacks this weekend.
With a runner on first in the bottom of the ninth, Gomez made a running catch on a line drive off the bat of Franklin Gutierrez and fired back to first to double up pinch runner James Jones. It was an impressive play both because of Gomez's precise throw and considering how fast Jones is on the bases:
After the game, Gomez sounded a bit shocked that he was able to make the play. "It's an unbelievable throw," Gomez told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart and Andrew Erickson. "Release the ball quick. The first thing going through my mind is yes, yes. I get up, talk to my outfielders and be excited, come to the clubhouse, do my thing."
As for the win itself, it was a back-and-forth affair that the Astros were able to pull off thanks in part to more offensive heroics from slugger Chris Carter. "That was an exciting win, maybe a little bit of an ugly one, but very productive," manager A.J. Hinch said to McTaggart and Erickson. "We needed a lot of things to go our way."
For Gomez, it might have been his biggest contribution to the Astros since joining the team earlier in the summer...and it couldn't have come at a better time.
