HOUSTON — With much of the attention on Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker in his return to Daikin Park for the first time since he was dealt, his replacement — 22-year-old rookie Cam Smith — offered a reminder of why the Astros were so thrilled to get him as part of that trade last December.
Smith crushed a three-run homer in the fourth inning, reaching base all four times against the organization that took him in the first round of the MLB Draft less than a year ago, to lead the streaking Astros to their fifth win in a row, 7-4, over the Cubs on Friday night.
“To be at the Major [League] level playing [against] the Cubs is all I can ask for,” Smith said. “It starts with getting here first. Obviously, that’s a great organization, there’s great people in that organization. I’m here, and we’re just playing ball.”
Astros manager Joe Espada said he sensed Friday’s game meant a little bit more to Smith from the moment he arrived at Daikin Park.
“He played like it,” he said. “He’s turning the corner where he’s getting big hits in big games, but I think he was playing with a little bit of an edge today. Even when he walked in, he had a little different feel to him today.”
The Astros (49-33) improved to 31-13 at home, including four consecutive wins this week against now first-place clubs. They finished a sweep of the now-National League East-leading Phillies on Thursday, holding them to one run in three games. The Cubs came into Houston leading the NL Central.
On Friday, the Astros celebrated the return of Tucker and reliever Ryan Pressly — who combined to pitch and catch the final out of the 2022 World Series win over the Phillies — in a pregame video. Houston traded Tucker to the Cubs in December for Smith, third baseman Isaac Paredes and pitcher Hayden Wesneski, and then traded Pressly a month later.
Smith became the Astros’ top prospect and wound up winning the Opening Day starting job in right field, after moving from his original position of third base in the spring. When asked Friday if he could have envisioned during the spring he would be hitting fourth in the middle of the season, Smith said: “No shot.”
Espada thought otherwise.
“Maybe not this early, but at some point, you kind of see this kid as a middle-of-the-lineup bat,” he said. “Hopefully he’s able to maintain the success.”
Yainer Diaz clubbed a three-run homer in the third to make it 4-0 Astros, and Smith cranked a three-run shot in the fourth to support starter Brandon Walter, who picked up his first career win by allowing one run in six innings. Smith singled and scored, walked twice and made a nice leaping catch in the fifth inning on a fly ball off the bat of Matt Shaw, the third baseman who was blocking Smith at the position in Chicago.
Tucker was cheered loudly throughout the night in his return, and for good reason, but went 0-for-4 against his former team. Tucker and Smith share the same agent, so they know each other a bit, but both are flourishing in their new surroundings and ready to move on.
“He’s doing his thing in Chicago,” Smith said, “and I’m over here.”
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