by JAMES S. KIM | @james_s_kim
editor@charactermedia.com
Houston Astro catcher Hank Conger hasn’t had too many opportunities to play early in the 2015 season, so it didn’t take long for him to capitalize on his first appearance last night in an extra-innings thriller against the Texas Rangers.
In fact, it just took one pitch. In his first at-bat in the top of the 14th inning, Conger swung at the first pitch he saw from Logan Verrett and sent it out into the right field bleachers over the head of Shin-soo Choo. That was Conger’s first hit and first home run of the season. The Astros took a 6-4 lead in what would become the final score.
Playing time has been hard to come by for Conger, with fellow catcher Juan Castro starting in front of him. Last night, Conger didn’t enter the game until the bottom of the 12th inning as a defensive sub after the Astros pinch-ran for Castro the inning before.
“I was just watching along with the game and trying to get the feel of the flow,” Conger told the Houston Chronicle. “I had a heads-up, ‘Hey, if he gets on, we might pinch-run for [Castro] here, so just get loose.”
Conger wouldn’t have played if it were not for Astro right fielder George Springer’s amazing game-saving catch in the bottom of the 10th inning. With the bases loaded, Springer leapt at the right field wall to rob the Rangers’ Leonys Martin of a walk-off grand slam.
You can watch Conger Hank hitting a two-run homer in the 14th inning here.
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Featured image via USA Today
