White homers, has 3 hits, 4 RBIs for Astros in loss to Yanks

NEW YORK (AP) — He's a 33rd-round draft pick with a compact body, not exactly the kind of player who profiles as a fast riser in the big leagues.

That shiny souvenir on the top shelf of his locker at Yankee Stadium and a .667 batting average told a much different story.

Tyler White capped off his impressive season-opening series for the Houston Astros with his first homer in the majors, three more hits overall and four RBIs on Thursday in an 8-5 loss to New York.

"I wouldn't say surprising," White said, matter of factly. "Just enjoying the game."

When the 25-year-old rookie arrived in spring training, it was expected he would start out in the minors, where he produced big numbers at Double-A and Triple-A last year. But White swung his way onto the team, leading the Astros in hits during exhibition play and earning his spot.

White's first hit came in his major league debut Tuesday, with about 30 family members, friends and his college coach from his 2013 Western Carolina team in attendance. The first baseman/DH got two hits Wednesday and then boosted that total, leaving him at 6 for 9.

The home run ball was in his locker stall postgame, and there was only one downside: His entourage left early and missed the performance.

"He looks like a guy who's in every at-bat," manager A.J. Hinch said.

Hinch observed White is able to "keep his heart rate down" at the plate, "but does do damage."

Mark Teixeira sliced a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the seventh inning and Starlin Castro connected again for New York.

The Yankees took two of three from the team that beat them in the AL wild-card game last October. The game began 12 minutes late because of rain, and the ballpark was far less than half-filled.

Castro kept up his torrid start with a solo home run and a single off the wall, making him 7 for 12. The former Cubs infielder has eight RBIs, the most by any player in his first three games for the Yankees since the stat became official in 1920, STATS said.

Brian McCann also homered for the Yankees, and Jacoby Ellsbury doubled twice.

White hit a two-run homer and Preston Tucker followed with a second-deck shot off Nathan Eovaldi in the second. Eovaldi had the lowest home run rate among AL pitchers last year, but was tagged for back-to-back shots for the first time in his career. The right-hander hadn't pitched in the regular season since last Sept. 5 because of elbow inflammation.

White's two-run single put the Astros ahead 5-2 in the fourth. Alex Rodriguez made it 5-all with his first hit of the season, an RBI single in the Yankees fifth off Mike Fiers.

Brett Gardner singled with one out in the seventh off Will Harris (0-1). Ken Giles relieved and gave up a single to Rodriguez, then Teixeira hit an opposite-field drive to left that reached the first row of the seats.

Giles features a fastball that reaches 100 mph, but has already given up two home runs for his new team. He permitted just three homers in 113 games over the previous two seasons with Philadelphia.

"Point blank, I didn't do my job," Giles said.

Chasen Shreve (1-0) pitched the seventh and Dellin Betances took care of the eighth. Andrew Miller worked around a pair of singles in the ninth for his first save.

FIRED UP

Fiers went five innings, giving up nine hits in his first game against the Yankees.

While warming up in the first inning, he spun two straight high breaking pitches that catcher Erik Kratz had trouble handling. Fiers walked none and struck out three, but the breaking ball caused him more trouble than the Yankees.

"They beat me," he said, later adding, "I wasn't fooling them much."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: DH/OF Evan Gattis was scheduled to play Thursday night for Double-A Corpus Christi. He is recovering from surgery for a sports hernia.

UP NEXT

Astros: RHP Scott Feldman pitches for the first time, facing Chase Anderson at Milwaukee. Feldman's last outing was March 27 in spring training when he threw 53 pitches against the Tigers.

Yankees: RHP Luis Severino makes his season debut, starting at Detroit vs. RHP Jordan Zimmermann. It will be the Tigers' home opener and Severino traveled a day early to rest up. The 22-year-old Severino struck out 25 in exhibition play, tops among Grapefruit League pitchers.