Houston Astros fans very quickly turned against Alex Bregman after initially giving him a warm reception on Monday night, and the star third baseman says he enjoyed every second of it.
Bregman returned to Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, on Monday night for the first time since he signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox in free agency. The Astros gave Bregman a video tribute before the game, and the three-time All-Star received a standing ovation from fans in his first at-bat in the first inning.
Bregman acknowledged the crowd by tipping his helmet. He then blasted a home run on the third pitch he saw from Astros starter Cristian Javier. You can see the video here.
After showing their appreciation in the first inning, Astros fans quickly turned on Bregman. They showered him in boos when he came to the plate for his second at-bat in the third inning. Bregman was not bothered one bit, instead telling reporters “I loved it.”
“It was great. I loved it. I loved it,” Bregman said, via Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. “I was hoping they would.”
Bregman called the video tribute and ovation at the start of the game a “special moment,” but he said he embraced the boos as well.
“Just because it’s two good teams getting after it,” Bregman added. “They want to win. You know what I mean? Like both teams want to win really badly. It’s fun. It’s good. It’s good for the game.”
The Astros won the game 7-6 despite a late comeback attempt from the Red Sox. Houston led 7-2 in the seventh inning before Boston cut the lead to 7-6. Bregman was on deck when the game ended, so he nearly had an opportunity to make the night even more special.
Bregman played for the Astros for the first nine seasons of his MLB career from 2016-2024. He was known for his postseason heroics and won two World Series in Houston, so it was not surprising that he got a favorable reception at first. Astros fans probably were not surprised to see Bregman blast a home run, either.
