‘Hit one for Uvalde’: Astros’ Alex Bregman fulfills young fan’s request with home run
With members of the Uvalde community in the stands, Astros third baseman Alex Bregman stepped to the plate in the first inning of Houston’s game against Oakland on Sunday.
Bregman launched a rocket into the Crawford Boxes, giving the Astros a two-run lead early on. It was an advantage they didn’t want to give up and eventually drove to a 6-3 win. And for those at the stadium Sunday, Bregman’s Dinger embodied so much of what baseball can be: not just a game, but the embodiment of community and togetherness, even in the worst of situations.
The Astros were hosting 500 residents of Uvalde – many family members and friends of victims of the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Primary School – at Sunday’s game. The organization pulled out all the stops and got those who made the four-hour trek to Minute Maid Park onto the field ahead of the game.
Bregman was part of the community that greeted the fans on the field. Astros manager Dusty Baker joined him, as did Jose Altuve, Lance McCullers and owner Jim Crane. The group answered questions and offered condolences at the pre-game celebrations.
MORE: Gregg Popovich gives an emotional speech about the Uvalde school shooting and asks politicians to take action
A girl dressed in a “Team Altuve” shirt made a request to Altuve. The girl, who was at Robb Elementary on the day of the shooting, asked the Houston star to take a moonshot for her.
Altuve wasn’t quite able to pull that off. But Bregman, who has been at a blistering pace over the last month, filled in admirably. Bregman converted a 2-0 pitch and sent it toward the train tracks for an absolute doubt.
Alex Bregman hits a two-run homer to put Houston on the board! pic.twitter.com/VkmfHmzn2q
— Talking Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 14, 2022
Before the game, a young girl from Uvalde asked Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1) to hit a home run and he did it by helping the Astros win for Uvalde on Uvalde Strong Day at MMP 1 and winning: “It was really cool, anything we can do for them. As soon as I got to the dugout Dusty said hey you hit 1 for Uvalde.” pic.twitter.com/5oiduK7Pxn
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) August 14, 2022
“As soon as I got into the dugout, [manager] Dusty [Baker] says, ‘Hey, you hit one for Uvalde!'” Bregman said.
It was an emotional day that ended with fireworks for Houston. Inspired by the courage of a community faced with unimaginable amounts of grief, Bregman’s Dinger was just icing on the cake.
“It was really cool, just everything we can do for them,” said Bregman. “I’m glad they were here today…I really appreciate what the Astros have done to help the healing process.”