After designating Akinori Iwamura for assignment last week Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said “a small number of teams have expressed mild interest” in trading for him, but Iwamura and the $2.9 million remaining on his contract passed through waivers unclaimed yesterday.
Various reports suggest that the Pirates were willing to eat the rest of Iwamura’s contract, but ultimately couldn’t find a team interested in giving up anything for him. Apparently the “mild interest” was very mild.
Iwamura is now off the 40-man roster, but accepted an assignment to Triple-A because not doing so would have meant forfeiting the rest of his guaranteed salary. While in Indianapolis the 31-year-old infielder will try to recoup some of the value lost by hitting .182 and looking slow defensively, but he’s probably facing an uphill climb to make it back to the majors.
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.