Alex Bregman made his return to Houston as a visitor Monday night, and it went exactly how you’d script it.
The Red Sox third baseman got a standing ovation from the crowd that watched him help deliver two World Series titles. Then he promptly launched a home run over the left field wall on his first at-bat.
Only Duke Snider had previously homered in his first game back against a team he’d won multiple championships with. That’s the kind of company Bregman keeps these days.
“Just seeing the guys, seeing the people who work at the stadium, seeing the fans and playing baseball,” Bregman told MLB.com’s Ian Browne about what he was looking forward to. “And I look forward to going out there, competing with the guys and trying to get some wins.”
The Astros have watched several franchise cornerstones walk away over recent seasons. George Springer and Carlos Correa left first, though Correa’s back now. Then Kyle Tucker and Bregman both departed this winter.
What made Monday different was seeing one of those guys in a different uniform for the first time.
Bregman wasn’t just focused on his former teammates. He mentioned the stadium personnel specifically – those relationships run deep after nearly a decade in the organization. The whole thing felt emotional for everyone involved.
The **Astros** won the opener despite Bregman’s theatrics, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-game series. Cristian Javier made his first start back with Houston, so a lot of that championship core was back together on the same field.
It’s fitting that Bregman made it memorable right away. He’s hit plenty of big home runs in that ballpark over the years, just never against the home team.
Now the Red Sox need to regroup for game two. Dustin May takes the mound for Boston while Spencer Arrighetti goes for Houston as they try to build on that opening win.
From where I’m sitting, you couldn’t have written a better script for Bregman’s return. The ovation, the home run, the emotion – it had everything except the win for his new team.
