Tucker homers on four-hit night for Fresno

Although things might not have gone so well for Kyle Tucker in his first taste of big league action, his first week back with Triple-A Fresno provided a quick reminder of why he earned the call in the first place.
The second-ranked Astros prospect matched a career high with four hits Tuesday, including his second homer in as many games, as the Grizzlies outslugged the Redbirds, 15-14, at AutoZone Park. Tucker, who collected a personal-best four runs and three RBIs, is 11-for-29 (.393) in six games since being reassigned.
"Everyone has their streaks during the season," he told MiLB.com on June 22. "I'm doing well right now, and even balls I don't hit well are falling. I'm just trying to keep this going."

The four-hit performance marked the third of his career and his first since last April 15 for Class A Advanced Buies Creek against Winston-Salem. Tucker drove in at least three runs in the same contest seven times this season. MLB.com's No. 8 overall prospect has started August in similar fashion to his historic June. Tucker batted .380 with six homers and 21 RBIs in the final full month before the Triple-A All-Star break. 
The 21-year-old exited the Minors with a .304/.369/.517 slash line with 14 homers, 24 doubles and 66 RBIs in 81 Pacific Coast League games. He was promoted after the midsummer classic but hit .156/.240/.222 with a triple, a double and three RBIs in 16 appearances with the defending World Series champions.
"Tucker was starting to find his way out of the lineup more than not," Astros manager A.J. Hinch told MLB.com, adding he expects Tucker to return when rosters expand in September. "From a development purpose, we really need Tucker to play every day. Tough call when you have a young player with the potential that Tucker has.
"We feel like it was better for him to go down and play and continue to develop and take the lessons he learned while he was here and come back soon."
Gameday box score
Facing Memphis starter Jake Woodford in the first inning Tuesday, the left-handed hitter pulled a double to right field and later scored on AJ Reed's two-bagger. He was stranded in the box after Myles Straw was picked off for the final out in the second, but lined a single back through the middle off of Woodford to start the third.
Memphis scored seven times in the second to take a 7-3 lead, but Fresno chipped away at it. Jack Mayfield chased home Tucker with a triple to center before Reed notched his second RBI on a sacrifice fly to center. Tucker went down swinging on five pitches to start the fifth, then delivered a two-run shot to dead center off reliever Dominic Leone in the seventh, plugging the ball just beyond a leaping Lane Thomas to tie the game, 8-8.

The already stout Fresno offense came alive again in a seven-run eighth with Tucker contributing an RBI infield chopper that deflected off the glove of left hander Tommy Layne. Mayfield added a two-run double to push Tucker to third before Reed blasted his 24th homer of the season to right. Tucker struck out swinging for the final out in the ninth.
Mayfield also clubbed a solo shot in the fifth to finish a single shy of the cycle while driving in four and scoring three times. Reed was credited with his first five-RBI game since July 20. Nick Tanielu also chipped in three hits, including a two-run homer in the second, his fourth this season.

With the tying run 90 feet from home and two down in the ninth, Fresno brought in Riley Ferrell for the final out. The Astros No. 17 prospect earned his second save by getting Carson Kelly to fly to Tucker in right. 
Kelly and Ramón Urías contributed solo shots for Memphis. Rangel Ravelo plated four runs with a pair of singles, the second of which drew the Redbirds within a score in the ninth. Justin Williams' only hit in five at-bats was a two-RBI double in the eighth.