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Astros Getting Late-Season Boost from Unexpected Hero

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It looked like the Astros were in a great position to take the American League West division crown with over a six-game lead over the Mariners in mid-July. 

Astros Getting Late-Season Boost from Unexpected Hero

Since then, injuries piled up on the pitching staff, and the offense slumped in mid-August. That combination stopped Houston from growing its lead. With inconsistent play, the Astros’ lead in the division dwindled down to nothing, and the Mariners grabbed first place just a handful of games remaining. 

The Astros still hold the last AL wild card spot. As they chase their eighth straight full-season division title in the final two weeks, an unexpected hero has stepped up to give Houston a chance to save its season.

Zach Cole takes center stage

The Astros’ 10th-round pick from Ball State back in 2022 has suddenly taken over the storylines in Houston with an absolutely incredible start to his big-league career. The team called up Cole from the triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys before the Braves series last Friday as catcher Cesar Salazar was optioned back down. What was initially a minor move turned into a historic beginning Friday night in Atlanta. 

Cole launched the very first major-league pitch he saw for a two-run home run, a truly dreamlike feat. It wasn’t just any homer; Cole destroyed that baseball at 114.3 mph and sent it 423 feet. 

 

 

The whole clubhouse at Corpus Christi and his family in the stands went wild in support. In his second at-bat, Cole ripped an RBI single in the fourth then added another RBI single in the fifth to make it 8-0 Astros. He ended up going 3/4 with three hits and four RBIs, a marvelous first MLB game. This performance set a franchise record for most RBIs in a major-league debut. 

Where Cole came from

Cole just joined the Astros’ Double-A affiliate, the Corpus Christi Hooks, last season and spent most of 2025 there.

In fact, Cole had just played 15 triple-A games with the Space Cowboys before getting called up to the show. He hit .353 in in that stint, with five homers, 16 RBIs, and 18 hits. 

In 82 games with the Hooks this year, Cole hit for a .267 AVG with an .868 OPS. Those solid numbers set him up to seize his chance, and his game jumped to a new level this month.

While Cole cooled off the next two games with just one hit in six at-bats, the story was not over. When Yordan Alvarez sprained his left ankle on home plate in the first inning Monday and had to exit the game, Cole was the one who not only just stepped in but delivered in a must-win game. 

Cole comes through in the clutch

After the Rangers took a 3-2 lead in the fifth, the Astros desperately needed to answer. Cole was the man of the moment, who with two outs and two strikes in the inning, crushed a 96-mph fastball 390 feet for the go-ahead two-run home run. That blast gave Houston the energy it needed.

 

 

Later in the seventh inning, the Astros were up 5-3 with Jeremy Peña on second base. Cole came through yet again with a two-out RBI single that put Houston up 6-3. The Astros won the series opener thanks to the 25-year-old outfielder who is emerging as a late-season savior for this team. 

This wasn’t even his night to start but made it one to remember in his first-ever game at Daikin Park. Houston now trails the Mariners by half a game as of Monday night. They also gained a game on the Rangers, who they now lead by three. 

Through four games, Cole is hitting .462 with a 1.456 OPS along with six hits and seven RBIs. 

Cole is having the most extraordinary start to a big-league career that we’ve witnessed this year. He is lightning in a bottle that the Astros are hoping gives them that boost to come back and win the division. 

Main Photo Credits: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

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