A.J. Hinch finally stripped Chad Qualls of closer duties yesterday, saying that Aaron Heilman will now get most of the save chances. However, the manager added that he may still use Heilman some in the seventh and eighth innings, so the closer-by-committee could come into play.
Hinch showed amazing patience with Qualls, letting him blow four saves and allow 26 runs in 22.1 innings before finally pulling the plug with the Diamondbacks double-digit games back in the NL West. Heilman has just 10 career saves, but he’s a longtime setup man with a 3.58 ERA in 418 innings as a reliever, including a 2.83 ERA and 23/9 K/BB ratio in 28.2 innings this season.
Heilman is capable of doing a decent job with ninth-inning duties, but if he fares particularly well the Diamondbacks may look at trade him along with just about everyone else on the roster and that would almost surely push him back into a setup role with his new team.
Alvarez’s bases-clearing double sends Astros past White Sox
Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
HOUSTON – Yordan Alvarez hit a go-ahead three-run double in the seventh inning, and the Houston Astros rallied past the Chicago White Sox 6-3 on Friday night for their first win of the season.
Kyle Tucker hit a two-run homer in the sixth and made a spectacular catch at the wall in the seventh to rob Andrew Benintendi of extra bases and keep the World Series champion Astros within one run.
Eloy Jimenez hit two RBI doubles for the White Sox, both off Astros starter Cristian Javier.
Jimenez’s first double scored Tim Anderson in the first inning. In the sixth, Javier gave up three straight doubles to Benintendi, Jimenez and Joan Moncada to make it 3-0 and end his night.
White Sox reliever Kendall Graveman (0-1) loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh on two walks and a single. Jake Diekman came on and gave up Alvarez’s double to deep left-center, a drive that just eluded Luis Robert Jr. and bounced off the wall, clearing the bases.
Four Astros relievers each worked one scoreless inning. Seth Martinez (1-0) got the win and Rafael Montero handled the ninth for his first save.
Chicago starter Lance Lynn allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings.
ALL IN A DAY’S REST
White Sox INF Andrew Vaughn, who hit a go-ahead two-run double in Thursday’s season-opening win, did not play. Vaughn experienced lower back issues during spring training. Gavin Sheets started at first base.
HOMETOWN HIT
Astros outfielder Corey Yulks, a Houston-area native, singled in his first at-bat and finished 1-for-4 in his major league debut.
PUT A RING ON IT
Astros owner Jim Crane and his wife, Whitney, presented the team and staff with their 2022 World Series rings in a pregame ceremony.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: LHP Blake Taylor, who is on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow strain, began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land.
UP NEXT
The four-game season-opening series continues Saturday when Houston’s Jose Urquidy faces Chicago’s Lucas Giolito.