HOUSTON — Kyle Tucker stepped into Daikin Park for the first time on Friday afternoon and knew exactly where to go.

OK, it wasn’t really his first time at the ballpark that was known as Minute Maid Park when he played for the Houston Astros.

But it was his – and right-handed reliever Ryan Pressly’s – initial trip as a visitor since the pair were acquired in separate offseason deals. Tucker landed in Chicago in a blockbuster deal with Houston that sent former All-Star Isaac Paredes, 2024 first-round pick Cam Smith and right-hander Hayden Wesneski to the Space City.

There was a sense of ease for Tucker, despite being in the visitor’s clubhouse.

“I’ve been over here [to the visitor’s side] once or twice before, but obviously I don’t really know the ins and outs of it,” Tucker said before the Cubs’ 7-4 loss to the Astros in the opener of a three-game set. “It’s the same stadium; there’s a familiarity with that. It’s a nice park.”

[Cubs Takeaways: What we learned during loss in Kyle Tucker’s return to Houston]

The Astros played a roughly four-minute video tribute to Tucker and Pressly about 20 minutes before first pitch. It started honoring Pressly, playing some of his best moments as an Astro and transitioned to Tucker by playing the final out of the 2022 World Series – a flyout pitched by the right-hander that nestled in Tucker’s glove.

The tribute then played some of Tucker’s high points as an Astro, from the moment he was drafted through his time in Houston, finishing the video with him corralling the last out of the World Series – a ball he still possesses – and the duo stepped onto the field where they received a standing ovation.

“[The ball is] back at home,” Tucker said. “It’s safe. I got it. It’s a cool memento.”

The homecoming festivities didn’t stop there.

When Tucker stepped up to the plate for his first at-bat, the Astros played his walkup song “Walk Thru” by Rich Homie Quan and he received another hearty ovation from the Daikin Park crowd before tipping his cap. Tucker popped out to shortstop Jeremy Peña in shallow left field.

There were a few clips in the tribute video that highlighted Tucker’s defensive prowess, including showing him receiving his 2022 Gold Glove Award.

Astros fans were given a reminder of that defensive prowess a half inning later. With two outs and Paredes at second, Jake Meyers singled to Tucker in right field and the 28-year-old rifled a strike to Carson Kelly at home to nab Paredes.

Ultimately, though, it was Smith – and Paredes, to a lesser degree – that stole the show. Smith crushed a three-run home run in the fourth to ice the Astros’ win. It highlighted the impact of the trade for both teams. Tucker has been a slugger in the heart of the National League Central-leading Cubs. Smith and Paredes have been key contributors for the first-place team in the American League West.

And, while Smith might’ve stolen the show during the game, there was no mistake that Friday was about Tucker. Fans of both teams wore jerseys with his name and No. 30 emblazoned on the back while plenty of Houston fans wore gold crowns for “King Tuck”. Both sets of fans have an appreciation for the superstar player and were able to enjoy his talents.

“My family and I try and do as much as we can outside of the field and trying to make an impact with the city and the fans,” Tucker said. “We wouldn’t have a job or be able to come out here and play every single day if it weren’t for the fans. They come out and support us every single day.”