Shay Whitcomb of the Houston Astros reached base with a walk during a pinch-hit appearance against the Oakland Athletics.
In the top of the eighth inning with the Astros leading 11-0 and runners on first with two outs, Whitcomb pinch-hit and drew a four-pitch walk off Athletics reliever Luis Medina on a 99.5 mph sinker. He later shifted to third base for two defensive innings, helping secure the lopsided victory.
Tatsuya Imai Delivers Dominant Outing
Tatsuya Imai picked up his first win of the season, tossing 5.2 scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and three walks while fanning nine batters in the spring training contest at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California, on April 5 (local time).
This performance marks a strong rebound for Imai, who struggled in his previous start against the Los Angeles Angels on March 30, yielding four runs over 2.2 innings with three hits, four walks, four strikeouts, and three earned runs.
Whitcomb’s Path to the Majors
The Taeguk Warrior, who represented South Korea in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, earned a big-league call-up after Isaac Paredes landed on the bereavement list due to a family matter. Paredes had homered twice in two games versus the Athletics earlier, including a successful reach on his second appearance after striking out twice on debut day.
Prior to the promotion, Whitcomb impressed at Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, slashing .308/.910 OPS with two homers and seven RBIs over six games.
Over five minor league seasons, the power-hitting infielder has slugged 127 home runs. In the WBC, he delivered back-to-back homers against Czechia in the first-round opener, contributing one RBI and three more in checked swings during the tournament.
Reflecting on the WBC, Whitcomb shared, “It was a special and meaningful experience. I want to convey my gratitude to the Korean fans. Daehan Minguk fighting!”
