HOUSTON -- All Christian Vazquez needed was one.The pressure of waiting on that first Major League hit puts a heavy burden on any Major League rookie. Not to mention coming up to play for a struggling Red Sox team by way of the designation of A.J. Pierzynski. Then there was the presence of Astros left fielder Enrique Hernandez -- Vazquez's old Little League teammate in Puerto Rico.Sure, Vazquez has been waiting for this one. 
Luckily, he didn't have to wait long, notching his first big league hit with a single to left-center field in the third inning on Friday. And then he followed it with No. 2. And then came No. 3, as the young catcher went from hitless to hitting machine in the Red Sox's third straight win, an 8-3 victory over the Astros at Minute Maid Park.Vazquez went 0-for-3 in his Major League debut on Wednesday, and waited one day and three innings to get his next chance, which he quickly capitalized on. His next came one inning later on the heels of a Stephen Drew triple. Vazquez sent the ball to deep right field for an RBI ground-rule double that gave John Lackey a 3-0 lead to work with.In the sixth, the Astros intentionally walked Drew, who was hitting .136 at the time, to load the bases with one out and get to Vazquez. He wasted little time making Houston pay, launching a two-run double to right field for a 5-1 Red Sox lead.Really, it was a day for all of the Boston rookies, not just Vazquez. There was Brock Holt smacking a double and a triple. And there was Jackie Bradley Jr. hitting two singles and scoring a run. The four Red Sox rookies who started combined for seven hits, five runs and four RBIs.Lackey, meanwhile, overcame some control issues to go six innings, allowing four hits and two runs while walking five and striking out three to improve to 10-6.While this season hasn't been what most expected for the Red Sox, who are uncharacteristically last in the American League in scoring, for at least one night the youth movement led the charge.Mike Vernon / MLB.com
Luckily, he didn't have to wait long, notching his first big league hit with a single to left-center field in the third inning on Friday. And then he followed it with No. 2. And then came No. 3, as the young catcher went from hitless to hitting machine in the Red Sox's third straight win, an 8-3 victory over the Astros at Minute Maid Park.Vazquez went 0-for-3 in his Major League debut on Wednesday, and waited one day and three innings to get his next chance, which he quickly capitalized on. His next came one inning later on the heels of a Stephen Drew triple. Vazquez sent the ball to deep right field for an RBI ground-rule double that gave John Lackey a 3-0 lead to work with.In the sixth, the Astros intentionally walked Drew, who was hitting .136 at the time, to load the bases with one out and get to Vazquez. He wasted little time making Houston pay, launching a two-run double to right field for a 5-1 Red Sox lead.Really, it was a day for all of the Boston rookies, not just Vazquez. There was Brock Holt smacking a double and a triple. And there was Jackie Bradley Jr. hitting two singles and scoring a run. The four Red Sox rookies who started combined for seven hits, five runs and four RBIs.Lackey, meanwhile, overcame some control issues to go six innings, allowing four hits and two runs while walking five and striking out three to improve to 10-6.While this season hasn't been what most expected for the Red Sox, who are uncharacteristically last in the American League in scoring, for at least one night the youth movement led the charge.Mike Vernon / MLB.com
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