Astros’ Zach Cole smashed a home run in his MLB debut on the first pitch of his career. Watch his family’s ecstatic reaction.

The Houston Astros' offense entered Friday night's game at the Atlanta Braves in a serious rut. Rookie Zach Cole quickly proved to be the perfect spark plug for Joe Espada's club. Cole, a 25-year-old outfielder,

There are some tighter races in the American League. The Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros are neck-and-neck as they fight for the NL West title, and there's a logjam in the AL wild card race behind the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. The Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays lead the AL Central and East, respectively.

The Seattle Mariners had been gradually shrinking the gap in the American League West, and in a Thursday night thriller, they finally caught the Astros (79-68). Fans can certainly point to injuries, as Houston has been without impactful contributors for large stretches of the season, but the lineup is also underachieving.

After a brutal 6-0 loss against the Toronto Blue Jays (84-62) on Thursday night, the Houston Astros (79-68) lost their lead in the American League West standing

Cole's first MLB stint officially begins Friday, as the outfielder had his contract selected. The 25-year-old slashed .353/.459/.745 with five home runs and three stolen bases in 15 games with Sugar Land. With Yordan Alvarez, Jake Meyers and Jesus Sanchez healthy, Cole doesn't have a direct path to playing time.

The Astros are reportedly promoting a prospect ahead of their game on Friday night against the Braves in Atlanta.

The MLB playoffs are coming fast, and there are battles for the final wild card spots in both the American and National League that could get some more clarity