The Chicago White Sox dominated for the first half of Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, but the Houston Astros bounced back in the 5th inning. Nelson Velasquez stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter with the Astros trailing 5-0 with a runner on first base and two outs. Houston was hoping that Velasquez could find a way to reach base and keep the inning alive at the very least, but he did more than that.

The Astros are on the board 🚀

Nelson Velázquez smashes a 2-run homer! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/Z9Vlw2Xixc

— MLB (@MLB) September 29, 2026

Velasquez's long ball made it a 5-2 game and gave Houston necessary momentum. The home run also represented only the fourth pinch-hit home run in the history of the Astros' franchise, as Velasquez joined Chris Burke (2005), Mike Lamb (2004) and Daryle Ward (2001), according to Sarah Langs.

Article Continues Below

The Astros are led by superstar Yordan Alvarez. If the Astros want to defeat the White Sox in the series, though, they will need a complete team effort. Having players such as Velasquez step up and make an impact is unquestionably crucial.

Velasquez appeared in a total of 52 games during the regular season with the St. Louis Cardinals and Astros. He hit just .188 to go along with a .663 OPS and six home runs. Houston was clearly open to the idea of having him on the postseason roster as an extra outfielder and right-handed bat, and the decision worked out on Tuesday to say the least.

The Astros still trail the White Sox in the game, though. Houston will look to rebound in Game 1 of the series. Dropping Game 1 of a best-of-three-series is obviously far from ideal.