Astros honor Mother's Day by donning pink

ANAHEIM -- Few people in baseball can handle a bat as well as Astros All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve, who took delicate care of the two pink bats he planned to swing in Sunday's game against the Angels on Mother's Day.

In the end, the pink bats didn't do the Astros many favors considering they were held to one hit in a loss to the Angels.

But the chance to swing pinks bats and wear pink undershirts, ribbons and sweat bands was significant for the players, many of whom had their mothers in the stands at Angel Stadium.

On Sunday, players and on-field personnel wore the symbolic pink ribbon on their uniforms along with pink wrist bands. Commemorative base jewels and dugout lineup cards were also pink. The bats were stamped with the MLB breast cancer awareness logo.

Many authenticated, game-used Louisville Slugger pink bats from Mother's Day games will be auctioned exclusively on MLB.com to benefit the fight against breast cancer.