White tees off for first time with Mariners

Evan White found his power stroke in the Texas League last season, and the 24-year-old flexed it in the Major Leagues on Monday.

The Mariners No. 4 prospect clubbed his first big league dinger -- a two-run blast that traveled an estimated 418 feet off righty Josh James in the third inning -- and added a single while recording his first multi-hit performance in The Show. Seattle was outslugged, 8-5, by Houston at Minute Maid Park.

First Major League dinger ✅

Fourth-ranked #Mariners prospect Evan White will certainly remember this one! pic.twitter.com/wMcOk5NYbP

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 28, 2020

“Evan hits the ball really hard,” Mariners skipper Scott Servais told reporters via video call after the game. “He’s made a couple adjustments here over probably the last year or so, understanding how to get the ball in the air a little more consistently."

After striking out on a seven-pitch changeup by James in the opening inning, White faced the Astros' starter again in the third. With two outs and J.P. Crawford on third, MLB.com's No. 55 overall prospect did not miss the 87.8-mph offering again, launching it into the familiar Texas sky and depositing it beyond the wall in left-center field. The moonshot put Seattle ahead, 3-0.

“It felt good,” White said after the game. “I’ve seen myself in a lot of two-strike counts in this opening series, and to be able to put a good swing on that with two strikes was definitely a confidence booster.”

In the seventh, the 24-year-old punched a 3-2 heater from righty Enoli Paredes, Houston's 13th-ranked prospect, the other way. A miscue by right fielder Josh Reddick allowed Kyle Lewis to score from second on the play.

“He’s got a lot of upside and is really a fun player to watch," Servais said. "He’ll continue to learn as he goes along. First series in the big leagues, I thought he handled himself really well. He’ll only continue to get better.”

White spent last year with Double-A Arkansas, where he hit .293/.350/.488 with a career-best 18 taters, two triples, 13 doubles, 61 runs scored and 55 RBIs. The No. 17 overall selection in the 2017 Draft also made his first Futures Game appearance, was named a Texas League postseason All-Star and earned his second straight nod as an MiLB Organization All-Star.

Lewis, Seattle's No. 10 prospect, posted his second consecutive multi-hit effort in the bigs. The 25-year-old notched a pair of singles and walked. Lewis has hit safely in all four games this season and is batting .400 with a pair of dingers and four RBIs.

Southpaw Taylor Guilbeau was recalled from the club's alternate site Monday and allowed a run on two hits and a walk in the fifth.

Paredes worked around a hit and fanned two in 2/3 shutout innings. Houston's 12th-ranked prospect Brandon Bielak made his Major League debut in the fourth and notched the victory after yielding a pair of runs -- one earned -- on four hits while fanning four in 3 1/3 frames.

In other action:

Royals 14, Tigers 6

Detroit's 13th-ranked prospect Beau Burrows made his debut in The Show and allowed three runs on three hits and a walk over 2 1/3 frames of relief. The 23-year-old climbed three levels of the Minors last season -- finishing the year with 15 starts for Triple-A Toledo, where he whiffed 61 over 65 1/3 frames. The righty was a Futures Game selection in 2017. No. 16 prospect Anthony Castro tossed an inning of relief and the right-hander allowed a pair of runs on a hit and a walk. Box score

Cubs 8, Reds 7

A pair of Cincinnati youngsters took center stage even though Chicago ultimately won the game. Tyler Stephenson became the first Reds player in nearly 70 years to homer in his first Major League at-bat and Tejay Antone was strong in his first career appearance. Stephenson, Cincinnati’s third-ranked prospect, entered the game in the bottom of the seventh as a defensive replacement and went deep in the bottom half off Chicago reliever Duane Underwood Jr. . He added a single in his next at-bat and scored in the eighth before driving in another run with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth. Antone made his debut in relief of Wade Miley and allowed one hit -- a solo homer by Anthony Rizzo -- over 4 1/3 innings. The No. 20 Reds prospect struck out five and walked one. Top Cubs prospect Nico Hoerner notched a single in four at-bats. Box score

Tyler Stephenson has never not hit a home run when batting in the big leagues.

That's right. The #Reds' No. 3 prospect just went yard in his first Major League at-bat! pic.twitter.com/sXq3vIw23Y

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 28, 2020

Padres 6, D-backs 2

Edward Olivares picked an opportune time to drive in the first run of his career. San Diego’s No. 19 prospect delivered a go-ahead RBI single and scored during a five-run fourth inning. The 24-year-old was making his second Major League start after debuting with a 1-for-3 effort Saturday. Olivares hit .283/.349/.453 with 18 homers, 77 RBIs and 35 stolen bases with Double-A Amarillo last season. Box score

Athletics 3, Angels 0

No. 33 overall prospect Sean Murphy went hitless in three at-bats for Oakland, but, the A’s second-ranked prospect helped keep the Angels off the board twice in the fourth. Murphy tagged Justin Upton out at home for the first out of the frame and then turned a 1-2-3 double play with a runner in scoring position to get out of the inning unscathed. Box score

Blue Jays 4, Nationals 1

Toronto’s 21st-ranked prospect Santiago Espinal entered the game as a defensive replacement at short for starter Joe Panik in the eighth and grounded out to short in his only plate appearance. Righty Jordan Romano (No. 30) notched his second hold of the year after being perfect over two-thirds of an inning in relief. Box score

Rays 14, Braves 5

William Contreras went 0-for-4 at the plate, but the ninth-ranked Braves prospect is batting .400 through the first four games of the season. The 22-year-old hit .255/.315/.354 in 110 games across the Florida State League and the Southern League last season. Box score