CHICAGO -- Tyler White was named the American League Player of the Week to start the season, in part because of back-to-back three-hit games during the first series of 2016, against the Yankees. He hadn't done much at the plate since, but he broke out of his slump on Tuesday by going 3-for-4 with two homers and a double in a 6-5 win over the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
White homered twice off White Sox starter Carlos Rodon to left-center, both solo shots. He hit a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the fourth for his sixth homer and then hit a 3-1 pitch with one out in the sixth to tie the score at 3. He doubled in the eighth, and pinch-runner Tony Kemp scored to give the Astros a one-run lead.
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"White had a great night," manager A.J. Hinch said. "It's nice to see him get some hits. The two-strike home runs were important. The leadoff double was very key for us, and it's nice to see him not try to do too much. He got rewarded with some extra-base hits, but he wasn't overswinging the entire time and not coming out of his swing, and hopefully, that's a sign of things to come when the at-bats come his way."
White said that Rodon attacked him with fastballs in his first at-bat and he took a couple he should have hit, so he tried to be aggressive in his next two at-bats.
"I got myself in good hitting counts and was aggressive on the fastball and made good swings," White said.
White was hitting just .170 in 94 at-bats between his back-to-back three-hit performances in April and his three-hit game on Tuesday, and he's glad his adjustments are paying off.
"I came out hot and they made adjustments, and I'm trying to do the same thing and come out every day and work hard and put my work in," he said. "[I have] confidence going into every game, and it feels good for it to finally pay off. Just have to continue work hard, and I'm sure they'll made adjustments tomorrow, and so will I."
The home runs were nice, but Hinch just wants White to make consistent, solid contact.
"I know he hit for power tonight with the two home runs and the double, but he's a good hitter first and power hitter second," Hinch said. "It comes down to pitch selection for him. Having those types of at-bats that he had tonight are hopefully a sign of things to come and adjustments made back to the league that had pitched him pretty tough."