Cam Smith heating up as Astros chase series win vs. Cubs

Houston Astros rookie right fielder Cam Smith capitalized on his second opportunity to bat cleanup on Friday, and the timing of his latest exceptional night at the plate couldn’t have been better.

Playing in his first game against the organization that selected him in the first round of the 2024 draft out of Florida State, Smith finished 2-for-2 with a three-run homer and a pair of walks in the Astros’ 7-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Smith will look to say hot on Saturday when Houston hosts Chicago in the second contest of the three-game series.

He previously hit fourth against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday and finished 1-for-4 to ignite his current five-game hitting streak.

Smith is batting .308 with 22 runs, 12 doubles, three homers and 21 RBIs since May 1. He joined the Astros along with third baseman Isaac Paredes and right-hander Hayden Wesneski during the offseason in exchange for three-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Smith has quickly settled in.

“He’s turning the corner where (he’s) getting big hits (in) big games,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “But I think he was playing with a little bit of an edge.”

Injuries and inconsistent production have forced Espada to tweak his lineup. That Smith, 22, received an opportunity to hit cleanup might surprise some. Espada isn’t among that group.

“I did imagine that at some point. I did,” Espada said. “Maybe not this early, but at some point, you see this kid as a middle-of-the-lineup bat. Hopefully, he’s able to maintain the success.”

Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (1-2, 4.91 ERA) will be reinstated from the injured list and start for the Astros on Saturday.

McCullers landed on the injured list with a right foot sprain on June 13. He will make his first start since June 10, when he allowed four runs on four hits and four walks with six strikeouts over five innings in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

Prior to that setback, McCullers recorded consecutive quality starts with 19 strikeouts in 12 innings. He made his season debut on May 4 against the White Sox after missing the past two seasons with injuries.

McCullers will make his first career appearance against the Cubs. He is 5-6 with a 3.84 ERA in 16 interleague starts.

Right-hander Colin Rea (4-3, 4.42 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Cubs.

Rea allowed season highs in runs (seven), hits (11) and home runs (four) while logging 5 1/3 innings in a 14-6 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.

He is 0-3 with a 7.39 ERA over his last six starts, with a victory in relief against the Washington Nationals on June 5 mixed in. Rea is 3-3 with a 5.17 ERA across 12 starts this season.

Rea is 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA in two career starts against the Astros. In his last appearance against Houston, Rea allowed five runs on eight hits and four walks with five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings in a 9-4 loss with the Milwaukee Brewers on May 19, 2024.

The Cubs were ambushed early in the opener of this ballyhooed interleague matchup between two teams that entered the weekend tied for the third-best record in the majors. The Cubs still have an opportunity to claim the series, but the Astros served notice.

“This was a really good regular-season environment,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “The fans do a great job, this place is loud always … and this is a good example of what the playoffs are going to look like.”

–Field Level Media