Munetaka Murakami momentarily held the team lead in home runs by hitting his 30th in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins. This two-run shot to left field tied him with Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery. The tie was brief as Montgomery later hit a solo home run, his 31st of the year.
These early home runs gave the White Sox a three-run lead, but they squandered it in a 6-4 loss to the Twins in front of 27,749 spectators at Rate Field. After the game, Murakami expressed disappointment through an interpreter, stating, “Obviously I’m happy about getting 30, but we lost the game. That is very disappointing. We hope to win the next game.”
Ryan Jeffers hit a decisive three-run home run in the fifth inning, and the Twins secured their victory. Sox starter Anthony Kay reflected on the missed opportunity, “The team hands you a 3-0 lead in the first inning. You want to hold on to that. I didn’t do my job tonight and need to figure it out.” He acknowledged his early rhythm and how he struggled in later innings.
Despite the loss, the first-place White Sox (74-68) still have a 2½-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians (72-71) in the American League Central. The Guardians lost 6-0 to the Detroit Tigers, while the Twins (68-74) are six games behind.
Murakami’s and Montgomery’s early home runs set a strong start at 3-0. “Having Colson and Vargas is a strong point for us,” Murakami stated. “But it’s about the whole team contributing and getting stronger together.” Murakami, Vargas, and Montgomery became the first trio of Sox players to hit over 30 home runs in a season since 2008. Manager Will Venable praised the trio, saying, “It’s special. These guys have done a great job, and having three players in the lineup with 30 homers speaks to our strength.”
Murakami joined a select group of Sox rookies, including Eloy Jiménez, José Abreu, and Ron Kittle, who hit 30-plus home runs in their debut seasons. Murakami reflected on his season goals, “The sole goal was to avoid injury, not home runs. Results come after the season.”
In the fourth inning, the Twins began their comeback. Anthony Kay faced the pressure, allowing a run on a fielder’s choice, and Brooks Lee narrowed the gap with an RBI double. Kay then surrendered a three-run home run to Jeffers, changing the Sox’s fortunes as they trailed 5-3, having allowed five runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Vargas managed to draw the Sox closer with an RBI single in the fifth, but the Twins extended their lead to 6-4 with a Kaelen Culpepper RBI double in the seventh. The Sox had opportunities with the tying run at the plate in both the seventh and eighth innings. Kyle Teel and Sam Antonacci failed to capitalize, leaving opportunities unfulfilled. Montgomery struck out in the eighth to end a promising rally.
Manager Will Venable commented on the game, “Nice first inning with the homers, seeing Murakami get his 30th was cool and Colson with another good swing. But we didn’t maintain momentum after that.”