HOUSTON Alex Bregman, a former Astros star, wasted no time.
The Astros supporters welcomed the third baseman back to Houston for the first time since he inked a three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox in February, and he nodded his helmet to the crowd before his first at-bat.
In the opening inning, he gave Boston a 2-0 lead with a home run over the wall in left field three pitches later. Roman Anthony, a rookie, started the game by singles and scored on the blast.
Bregman hit his 15th home run of the season, which traveled 350 feet with an exit velocity of 95.5 mph. The Astros righty Cristian Javier, who is making his first start following a protracted recovery from Tommy John surgery, launched the towering shot with a 35-degree angle of attack on a sweeper that clocked in at 80.8 mph.
Watch the home run on video here.
Before the game, the 31-year-old, who Houston drafted second overall in the 2015 draft, also got a standing ovation and a video tribute.
With a.272 batting average,.366 on-base percentage,.483 slugging percentage,.848 OPS, 191 home runs, 265 doubles, 18 triples, and 663 RBIs, he played in 1,111 games for Houston between 2016 and 24. He was a part of the Astros’ 2017 and 22 World Series victories.
He has opt-out clauses in his Red Sox contract after 2025 and 2026. He has a.925 OPS and is batting.301.
