Kyle Tucker hit two home runs to match the top spot with 15 homers in the majors, and he brought in four runs, leading the Houston Astros to a 9-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, securing their ninth win in the last 11 games.
Despite striking out in his initial three at-bats, Tucker decided to switch his cleats from a lime green pair themed after the Astros mascot, Orbit, to his regular orange ones.
“I just didn’t have great at-bats with them in the beginning,” Tucker said. “So, I decided to change back to my other cleats, and things turned out pretty well.”
Jose Altuve kicked off the game with his 37th leadoff homer in a four-run first inning, and Jake Meyers managed three hits for Houston. With this win, Houston has now won three consecutive series and stands at 21-26.
“You need to collect wins, especially series wins, throughout the season,” Tucker remarked. “In the end, that’s what will matter.”
Tucker hit a solo home run to right field in the sixth inning against Thyago Vieira and a three-run homer to left field in the seventh inning against Mitch White.
“He’s performing at an exceptional level right now,” Astros manager Joe Espada commented. “He’s an incredibly talented player.”
Tucker is now tied with Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson at 15 home runs after achieving his third multi-homer game this season and the sixth of his career.
“I just aim to hit pitches over the plate and try to make solid contact with them, and sometimes they result in homers,” Tucker explained. “It’s not like I’m intentionally trying to hit home runs. It’s more about selecting the right pitches and making good contact with them.”
Rookie Spencer Arrighetti (2-4) clinched his second consecutive win after starting 0-4 in his first five games. He allowed four runs and six hits, striking out six and walking two over 6 1/3 innings, marking his longest outing in the majors.
