Munetaka Murakami is making a serious case for Rookie of the Year. The Japanese sensation crushed his 14th home run of the season on Monday night, powering the Chicago White Sox to a dominant 6-0 shutout over the Los Angeles Angels. That blast kept him tied with Yankees superstar Aaron Judge for the MLB home run lead—no small feat for a newcomer.
Murakami didn't stop there. He also ripped his first double of the year in the sixth inning, added a single and a run in the eighth, and finished the night a blistering 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Miguel Vargas joined the party with a solo homer of his own, giving White Sox fans plenty to cheer about.
On the mound, Davis Martin was simply untouchable. The right-hander tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just five hits while striking out 10 and walking none. He improved to 5-1 and lowered his ERA to a microscopic 1.64. The only real scare came in the seventh, when Martin escaped a first-and-third jam by getting Josh Lowe to fly out to deep center field.
Andrew Benintendi chipped in with four singles and an RBI, helping the White Sox win for the sixth time in their last seven games. It's a hot streak that has Chicago looking like a team to watch.
For the Angels, it was another tough night in a season full of them. Nolan Schanuel and Travis d'Arnaud each had two hits, but Los Angeles has now lost 13 of their last 15 games. Starter Jose Soriano (5-2) struggled mightily, surrendering a season-high five runs and eight hits over just four innings. The right-hander, who was named AL Pitcher of the Month after a dominant 5-1 start with a 0.84 ERA, looked out of sync from the first pitch. He needed 88 pitches to get 12 outs, walking three and striking out five.
Soriano's mechanical issues showed early. He threw nine of his first 11 pitches for balls, walking two batters before Chase Meidroth and Benintendi delivered RBI singles to give Chicago a 2-0 lead. After escaping jams in the second and third, Soriano couldn't hold the line in the fourth. Murakami followed a Sam Antonacci single by crushing a 98 mph fastball an estimated 429 feet to center field for a two-run homer. Vargas then went back-to-back with a solo shot to right-center, making it 5-0.
The White Sox will look to keep rolling on Tuesday night, sending right-hander Erick Fedde (0-3, 3.24 ERA) to the mound. The Angels are expected to counter with left-hander Sam Aldegheri (1-0, 5.40 ERA).