Tanner Rainey, Erasmo Ramírez agree to deals with Nationals - MLB

WASHINGTON — Right-handers Tanner Rainey and Erasmo Ramirez have agreed to one-year contracts with the Washington Nationals.

Rainey gets a $1.5 million salary under the deal announced Tuesday. Ramirez receives a $1 million salary with the chance to earn $1 million more in performance bonuses for games pitched: $250,000 each for 25, 35, 45 and 55. He also would earn a $50,000 bonus if he becomes an All-Star.

Rainey, 29, had been eligible for salary arbitration. He was 1-3 with a 3.30 ERA last season, striking out 36 and walking 13 in 30 innings. He made his big league debut with Cincinnati in 2018 and has spent the past four seasons with the Nationals.

Ramirez, 32, was a free agent after going 4-2 with a 2.92 ERA in two starts and 58 relief appearances for Washington this year. An 11-year big league veteran, he is 37-42 with a 4.21 ERA for Seattle (2012-14, 2017-18), Tampa Bay (2015-17), Boston (2019), the New York Mets (2020), Detroit (2021) and Washington.

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.