Munetaka Murakami gave the White Sox one swing they could ride Thursday at Rate Field, driving the first pitch he saw from Framber Valdez over the center-field wall for a three-run homer in a 3-1 win over Detroit. The shot traveled a projected 423 feet, snapped the club back into first place in the American League Central and offered a needed answer from a hitter who had been searching for one since August.
| Team | Runs | Record | Division position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tigers | 1 | — | — |
| White Sox | 3 | 78-75 | Tied for first, AL Central |
Chicago and Cleveland are level atop the division with nine games left, but the White Sox own the tiebreaker after taking the season series from the Guardians, 7-6. Cleveland was off Thursday and will host the Athletics this weekend.
The White Sox have now beaten the Tigers seven times in 10 meetings this year and have won four straight at home against Detroit. This one began with Chase Meidroth’s single and Tommy Pham’s walk before a potential inning-ending play came apart. Randal Grichuk hit a one-out grounder to third baseman Kevin McGonigle and slipped slightly leaving the box. Javier Báez did not throw to first, although Grichuk remained several steps from the bag, leaving the inning alive for Murakami.
Murakami finds a timely jolt
The left-on-left homer against Valdez was Murakami’s 32nd of the season and pushed his RBI total to 68. It also came after a difficult stretch: he entered the night batting 5-for-52 in September, with two homers, six RBIs and 77 strikeouts, and was 20-for-154 dating to the beginning of August.
He added another personal milestone in the ninth, legging out the first triple of his career with one out.
Relievers close the door
| White Sox pitcher | Innings | Runs allowed | Strikeouts | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erick Fedde | 4 2/3 | 1 | 6 | — |
| Bryan Hudson | 1 1/3 | 0 | — | Win |
Erick Fedde worked 4 2/3 innings and struck out six, but Hudson inherited the game’s biggest early spot. With two outs in the fifth, Gleyber Torres at third and Dillon Dingler at second, Hudson got Riley Greene on a 2-2 sweeper to preserve the lead.
Detroit created another opening in the seventh when Dingler came up with two outs and runners at first and second. Grant Taylor replaced Jordan Hicks and got Dingler to bounce out, keeping Murakami’s first-inning blast as the difference.
A familiar face gets his moment
Before the first pitch, the White Sox recognized Tim Anderson, the two-time All-Star who retired Aug. 10. Anderson remains linked to one of the franchise’s most memorable recent swings: his “Stalk-off” homer in the first Field of Dreams game in 2021.
