NEW YORK — For the most part, it was a difficult series for the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium.
Perhaps their biggest highlights came during the nine at-bats Tyler White had. White capped a series of firsts with his first career four-RBI game during Thursday’s 8-5 loss at New York and the former 33rd-round pick has made an early impression on manager A.J. Hinch.
“He had … good at-bats,” Hinch said. “That’s the key for him. He looks he’s a guy who’s in every at-bat so far in his young career. That’s very encouraging to watch him keep his heart rate down, keep the at-bats going, having really good at-bats. He doesn’t try to do too much but yet does damage and has contributed.”
Those were Hinch’s words after White hit a two-run home run in the second inning off Nathan Eovaldi and a two-run single in the fifth.
On Tuesday, White was the sixth Astro and first since James Mouton to get his first career hit on Opening Day and Wednesday he recorded his first career multi-hit game. On Thursday, he provided Houston’s offense when Carlos Correa cooled down by going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
White’s production was a continuation of what the Astros saw through spring training. During 19 exhibition games, he batted .353 (18 for 51) with three home runs and 12 RBI and made the team over Jon Singleton.
White’s performance in the spring followed up 2015 when fans named him MILB.com’s best offensive player of the year for hitting .325 with 14 home runs and 99 RBI between Triple-A Fresno and Double-A Corpus Christi.
White is the first Astro to get at least four RBIs during his first three games since George Bjorkman in 1983. Bjorkman’s career lasted only 29 games, but it seems White’s will last longer.