The Houston Astros avoided letting one scary moment define their night in Boston, but it definitely grabbed everyone’s attention.
First baseman Christian Walker exited in the ninth inning after taking a 93 mph fastball off the head, a sequence that instantly quieted the ballpark.
Walker described it as more of a glancing blow than anything direct, crediting his helmet for doing most of the work. From the way he explained it, the pitch clipped the helmet first before catching part of his forehead, even knocking a piece of the protective flap loose. Not ideal, obviously, but about as fortunate as you can get in that situation.
Manager Joe Espada called it “scary,” but it didn’t seem to turn into anything serious. Walker went through the standard checks and said he feels fine and expected to be back in the lineup Sunday.
Walker was back in the lineup for the final game of the series against Boston, about the best-case scenario after a moment like that. It could have easily gone another direction, especially given how dangerous those situations can be.
Lost in all of it was how productive he actually was before the hit-by-pitch. Walker had three hits, including a home run, and drove in two runs as Houston picked up a 6-3 win over the Boston Red Sox.
So while the image of that ninth-inning scare lingers, the Astros walk away with both a win and, it seems, their first baseman still intact and ready to go moving forward.