A night to remember for Astros' rookie Zach Cole

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On a night of firsts, one offered Zach Cole a choice. It came only after the call-up out of his control, the teary phone calls with family, the crash introduction to a club the 25-year-old outfielder joined Friday in the heat of a division race. After the thousands of pitches faced in the minor leagues, and the countless more before that, Cole walked to the plate for his first major-league at-bat.

“I had a lot of different guys tell me about my first pitch – I’ve only got one in my entire career – and whether I was going to swing or not,” Cole said.

He swung ... and hit a first-pitch homer that sparked the Astros over the Braves. Matt Kawahara has the story.

Please scroll down for the rest of this morning’s headlines.

Reid Laymance, Sports Editor

reid.laymance@houstonchronicle.com

Astros / MLB

Houston Astros' Zach Cole (16) salutes the crowd after a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

Photo by: Colin Hubbard, Associated Press

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