Apr 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros first baseman Zach Dezenzo (9) center fielder Jake Meyers (6) celebrates right fielder Cam Smith (11) two run home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning at Daikin Park. Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Astros Finally Bust Slump With Historic Power Display Against Division Rival

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Tyler Maher | Last updated Apr 12, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Houston Astros' bats finally came alive on Friday night, and not a moment too soon.

The slumping Astros broke out in a big way against the Los Angeles Angels, erupting for 14 runs and 16 hits at Daikin Park on Friday.

The most impressive part of Houston's 14-3 rout was its electrifying power display. After managing just seven home runs through their first 12 games, the Astros crushed a season-high three homers, all of which were important milestones for the players who hit them.

Houston's first homer of the evening was also its biggest -- a fifth-inning grand slam from Yainer Diaz that blew the game open, extending the Astros' lead from 3-2 to 7-2 with one swing of the bat off Garrett McDaniels.

Not only was it Diaz's first career grand slam, but it was also the team's first bases-loaded homer since Sept. 6, 2023, ending a two-year drought.

YAINER DIAZ. GRAND SLAM. pic.twitter.com/ZtwN9BxESa
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 12, 2025

Houston's other two long balls both came in the bottom of the eighth against Angels reliever Ian Anderson.

With the game well out of reach, rookie Cam Smith smacked the first home run of his MLB career -- a two-run shot that scored Jake Meyers and made the score 13-3. It was a big moment for the club's top prospect, who's started his first Major League season in a brutal slump as he adjusts to Big League pitching.

Three batters later, Isaac Paredes cracked his first homer as a member of the Astros -- a solo shot that made the game 14-3. Both Paredes and Smith were acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in December.

All three Houston sluggers were struggling coming into the game, as Friday's homers were their first of the season. Hopefully their big hits give them a spark at the plate and help them turn the Astros' 2025 campaign around.

This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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