Here are the Astros' best plays of the 2010s
HOUSTON -- Welcome to the Jake Marisnick highlight reel. Well, not really, but in his six seasons in an Astros uniform, Marnisnick -- who was traded to the Mets on Dec. 5 -- made enough amazing plays in the outfield that he could have had his own Top 10 list.
Alas, that would shortchange a few other terrific plays made by the Astros on defense in the last decade, including one of the best catches you’ll ever see, by outfielder George Springer. So let’s get right to it and relive the Astros’ 10 best defensive plays of the 2010s.
1. High-flying Springer saves the day
April 12, 2015
You could go back longer than a decade and not find a better defensive play than the one George Springer made to rob the Rangers' Leonys Martin of a walk-off grand slam in Arlington early in the 2015 season. With the score tied at 4 in the 10th inning and the bases loaded, Martin hit a fly ball to right that would have been a grand slam had Springer not made an amazing and well-timed leap to bring back the ball for an out. The Astros wound up winning the game, thanks to Springer.
2. Brantley doubles the fun
Oct. 18, 2019
In a tense ALCS Game 6 against the Yankees in Houston, with the Astros leading, 4-2, in the seventh, left fielder Michael Brantley laid out for a perfectly timed dive of an Aaron Hicks liner, caught the ball, then scrambled to his feet and fired a strike to first baseman Yuli Gurriel to complete a double play with Aaron Judge scrambling back to the base. Judge, who was three-quarters of the way to second, was thrown out by several steps. The play preserved Houston's lead and ended the inning.
3. Spider-Man, indeed! Reddick catch saves game
May 9, 2019
Josh Reddick made one of the most clutch catches of the season during the Astros’ 4-2 win over the Rangers, robbing Hunter Pence of what would have been a go-ahead three-run home run in the ninth inning. Reddick started the game in left field and had just moved to right field -- his typical position in Houston’s outfield alignment -- after Michael Brantley drew a pinch-hit bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning and remained in the game in left.
4. Marisnick’s perfect throw takes care of Yankees
May 11, 2017
After entering the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning, Marisnick threw out Jacoby Ellsbury -- representing the potential tying run -- at the plate to end the game and give the Astros a dramatic 3-2 win over the Yankees. Trailing, 3-1, the Yankees put runners on second and third base with two outs in the ninth against Astros closer Ken Giles for Gary Sanchez, who stroked a single to left field to score Aaron Hicks from third. Marisnick charged and threw a perfect strike on the fly to catcher Brian McCann, who tagged out a sliding Ellsbury to end the game.
5. Get out of his way, Marwin!
Oct. 21, 2017
Ah yes, another memorable play from an ALCS between the Astros and Yankees. George Springer ran down Greg Bird’s deep fly ball to left-center and leaped over teammate Marwin González to make the catch at the wall in Game 7. Gonzalez could just stand at the wall and admire Springer, who fell to the ground and smiled up at his teammate with the ball in his hand.
6. You want Jake on that wall
July 5, 2015
Playing his first game since being activated from the 15-day disabled list, Jake Marisnick made one of the best catches of the 2015 season, following a long run with a leaping grab while crashing into the Green Monster to rob Brock Holt of extra bases. The catch earned Marisnick a round of applause from the Fenway Park crowd.
7. Correa’s heads-up play bails out Altuve
Oct. 13, 2019
What looked like a disaster turned into one of the most memorable defensive plays of the 2019 season. With the score tied at 2 in the sixth inning, Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner hit a hard grounder that glanced off second baseman Jose Altuve. Shortstop Carlos Correa was Johnny on the Spot, though, scrambling to field the ball in time to throw out DJ LeMahieu at the plate and end the scoring threat.
8. Correa and Reddick double up
April 7, 2019
Looking to stretch a double to right into a triple with Oakland leading, 8-6, A’s shortstop Marcus Semien was tagged for the first out by Alex Bregman at third base following perfect throws by Josh Reddick in right field and shortstop Carlos Correa. The play, originally ruled an out, was reviewed after an A's challenge, and the call stood.
9. Marisnick scales Tal’s Hill
May 4, 2015
On a night when nine home runs sailed out of Minute Maid Park, Jake Marisnick made an indelible impression with his glove, climbing the funky Tal's Hill, which used to occupy the final 25 feet or so in front of the center-field wall at Minute Maid Park, robbing Logan Morrison of an extra-base RBI hit.
10. Getting one Bird with two stones
Oct. 13, 2017, Oct. 21, 2017
OK, these are two plays, but they’re both from the 2017 ALCS against the Yankees and were similar enough we lumped them into one. In the fifth inning of Game 1, with the Astros leading, 2-0, Marwin González fielded Aaron Judge's sharp single in left and uncorked a 97.4-mph laser, denying Bird's attempt to score from second base for the third out.
In the fifth inning of Game 7 and with the Astros leading, 1-0, Bregman fielded a grounder off the bat of Todd Frazier and made a risky throw home to get Bird at the plate, with Brian McCann applying a tough tag.