Astros prospects make twice as much history in Double-A game
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The Corpus Christi Hooks, the Astros' Double-A affiliate, notched seven hits -- including three home runs, a triple and two doubles -- 11 RBIs and seven runs scored ... and that was just from two players in the team's 20-14 shellacking of Frisco at Riders Field on Tuesday.
Houston's outfield prospect Colin Barber accounted for four of those knocks en route to recording the second cycle in franchise history, while Zach Cole (HOU No. 21) mashed his first multihomer game since June 29 of last season -- swatting a grand slam and two-run blast -- adding a double and driving in a career-best eight RBIs. The eight runs he batted in also tied the club's record for most in a single game as well as the high in the Minors this season.
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Batting out of the leadoff spot, Barber immediately provided the sparkplug for the Hooks' lineup with a deep fly to the lazy river beyond the wall in right on the second pitch of the game. It was the 2019 fourth-rounder's third homer of the season and second in as many games.
Batting right behind Barber was Cole, who battled back from a 2-1 hole to work a six-pitch walk. He came around to score two batters later as Corpus Christi batted around during a six-run opening frame.
Barber singled in the third before being hit by a pitch in the fourth to load the bases for Cole, who did not miss a 1-1 fastball and cleared the decks with a towering shot to right-center.
The duo recorded back-to-back doubles to begin the seventh before putting the stamp on history in the eighth. With two outs in the frame, Barber laced a ball into the right-field corner and motored around the bags for a triple. He became only the second player in Hooks history to record the cycle -- the other was Jamie Ritchie, who did it on Aug. 6, 1017, also in Frisco.
Three pitches later, Cole plated Barber with a roundtripper to left-center for his fifth career two-tater game. His previous career-high for RBIs in a single game was six.
The Hooks finished with 20 runs on 18 hits and received multihit efforts from seven starters. The 20 runs marked the team's most since they plated 22 in a victory against Midland on July 4, 2019.