Astros crush Braves 11-3 as Zach Cole homers in first MLB at-bat

ATLANTA (AP) — Zach Cole hit a home run in his first major league at-bat, Jose Altuve hit his 25th homer of the season and the Houston Astros routed the Atlanta Braves 11-3 on Friday night.

Cole was 3 for 4 with four RBIs after being called up from Triple-A Sugar Land. Christian Walker was 3 for 5 with two RBIs and Jake Meyers was 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs.

Houston used a bullpen game, starting rookie Jayden Murray, who threw three scoreless innings and gave up one hit in his first MLB start and third appearance. AJ Blubaugh (3-1) and Nick threw one scoreless inning apiece before Colton Gordon gave up three runs in the final four innings for his first save.

The Seattle Mariners also won on Friday night, keeping the teams tied atop the AL West both at 80-68.

Braves rookie Hurston Waldrep (4-1) gave up eight runs on eight hits and his ERA climbed from 1.33 to 2.78. He had only given up six runs in seven appearances prior.

Ronald Acuña Jr. hit his 16th home run in the sixth inning and Eli White hit a pinch-hit two-run homer for the Braves in the eighth.

A six-run fifth inning put the game out of reach for Houston. The Astros scored all six with two outs, with Walker and Mauricio Dubón delivering two-run singles, and Meyers and Cole hitting RBI singles.

Cole's home run in the third inning came on the first pitch he saw, a 93 mph fastball that he hit 423 feet to center field and scored Meyers. It gave the Astros a 2-0 lead.

The Astros had scored just eight runs in their previous four games. They had 10 after five innings Friday night.

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (11-7, 2.25 ERA) will face Braves RHP Bryce Elder (7-9, 5.35) in the second game of the three-game series.

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