The Houston Astros hosted members of the grief-stricken Uvalde community at its matinee home matchup against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.
Designated as Uvalde Strong Day, the Astros, for the second time this summer, provided respite and support for the people who are still reeling from May’s fatal shooting at Robb Elementary School.
“We are committed to the continued healing of the Uvalde community through the game of baseball,” the team said in a tweet.
Ten buses with 50 residents made the 280-mile trek east from Uvalde to Minute Maid Park.
Amid the usual sea of dark blue and orange were attendees in maroon t-shirts emblazoned with the words “Uvalde Strong” in some variation.
The Astros sold Uvalde Strong shirts of their own to aid the South Texas city’s recovery efforts.
On the field, the team delivered for its special guests from 80 miles west of San Antonio as it defeated the Athletics 6-3 to complete a sweep of its penultimate home series against Oakland and tighten its grip for the best record in the American League (AL) at 75-41.
According to a report on the Astros’ website, the biggest moment of the game occurred in the first inning when third baseman Alex Bregman launched a home run (HR) to give Houston an early 2-0 lead.
“It was really cool,” Bregman, who ended the afternoon with two hits for three runs batted in (RBI), said in the report. “Anything we can do for them.”
Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported that the Houston Fire Department (HFD) welcomed the Uvalde convoy on Sunday.
The Astros fetched the families from Uvalde High School about a couple of hours before sunrise, the station reported.
A sibling of one of the students who perished in the tragedy threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Last month, Houston Daily reported, the Astros visited Uvalde to lend support to the victims’ families and the community as a whole.
Riding a four-game winning streak, the team is now in Chicago to begin a four-game tilt against the White Sox.
Click here to donate to the Astros’ Uvalde Strong initiatives.