Vazquez, Red Sox down Astros

Houston, TX - A.J. who? – Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - A.J. who?

Christian Vazquez collected his first three major-league hits and his first three RBI on Friday night as the Boston Red Sox raced past the Houston Astros 8-3 in the opener of a three-game series.

Vazquez, the catching prospect who was called up on Wednesday when the Red Sox cut veteran A.J. Pierzynski, had a single, two doubles and scored two runs in his second big-league game.

"Once you get the first one, they come like bananas," Vazquez said with a laugh.

David Ortiz added a three-run double for the Sox, who have won three in a row on the heels of a 1-7 stretch.

Boston starter John Lackey (10-6) reached double-digit wins for the 11th season in a row. He allowed two runs on four hits in six innings, walking five and striking out three.

Chris Carter hit two solo homers for the Astros, who were coming off a sweep of the Rangers on the road on the heels of a seven-game losing streak.

Carter hit his 18th and 19th home runs of the season, tying rookie outfielder George Springer for the team lead. Springer was scratched from the lineup due to discomfort in his right knee.

Astros manager Bo Porter said the team didn't want to risk exacerbating the injury, which occurred during the series against Texas.

"He is sore from crashing into the wall in Arlington," Porter said.

Houston starter Scott Feldman (4-6) gave up seven runs on 11 hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.

"I felt like I had good stuff and felt like I made some good pitches," said Feldman. "It was just one of those nights where a lot of stuff fell in."

Vazquez got his first hit on a one-out single to right-center in the third inning.

He scored on Brock Holt's triple off the right-field wall and Holt came home on Dustin Pedroia's double into the left-field corner to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead.

Stephen Drew hit a two-out triple in the fourth and scored when Vazquez went the other way for a ground-rule double to right, making it 3-0.

In the fourth, Lackey walked Jon Singleton, who went to second on a balk and later scored on Houston's first hit, Enrique Hernandez's two-out single to center.

Daniel Nava and Jackie Bradley Jr. hit consecutive singles to spark a five- run Boston rally in the sixth inning. Both scored on Vazquez's double, which chased Feldman from the game, and Ortiz made it 8-1 with a one-hop double off the right-field wall off Darin Downs.

Game Notes

Carter homered to left in the bottom of the sixth off Lackey and in the eighth against Craig Breslow. He has six homers in his last six games ... The Astros were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 men on base.