Merrifield went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 7-4 win over the Astros.
Merrifield knocked the third pitch of the game from Houston starter Cristian Javier over the fence for a 360-foot leadoff homer. Long balls are pretty rare for Merrifield -- he hadn't hit one since May 23. He's up to four homers with 34 RBI, 44 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 18 doubles, a triple and a .239/.292/.337 slash line in 80 contests overall. While the batting line is a step down from his usual level, he's hit .286 with a .758 OPS and seven steals in his last 26 games, which is an extended run of success more in line with preseason expectations.