It is an unfamiliar pleasure of this Chicago White Sox season that, in the two months when big slugger Munetaka Murakami did not hit a home run for them, the team improved from 3.5 games back in the AL Central, to first in their division with a 1.5-game lead. But you know what's even cooler than winning games? Winning games in blowout fashion when big slugger Munetaka Murakami smashes two dingers on his very own bobblehead day.
The Sox had lost their first two in a weekend series against the Astros, though their sliding rivals in Cleveland could not gain any ground on them. When Chicago loses games, as they've done a little less than half the time in their 55-49 campaign, it's easy to slip back into "Well, they're the White Sox" fatalism. But when they're firing on all cylinders, it's worth marveling at just how many contributions they're getting from so many different guys on the roster. Hitters like Miguel Vargas, Tristan Peters, and Sam Antonacci shouldered the load when Murakami injured his hamstring at the end of May (and then had to shake off some apparent rust upon returning two weeks ago). But it's also hard to deny that this team carries a clear-cut superstar when you see him crush dongs as part of his walk-strikeout-or-blast approach to hitting.
The crowd in attendance on Sunday—including Murakami's parents, who threw out first pitches (first and second pitches, maybe?)—didn't have to wait long to witness his mighty power. Batting second and facing Ronel Blanco, Murakami worked a 1-2 count full and then went opposite field on a slider outside to give a fan a second souvenir, after the bobblehead. It was only the beginning of a commanding day where Murakami's other at-bats went as follows: RBI groundout; productive out that moved the runner over; RBI single; and another home run as Part II of eighth-inning back-to-back jacks that delivered the Sox their 12-3 final.
Consider this your update that the Chicago White Sox are still on the path to the postseason, even if there are surely twists and turns ahead. Murakami is now at 22 home runs, with the first 20 all coming in the first two months he played before his injury, and Chicago would certainly enjoy a huge boost if he's now able to return to something resembling that initial pace. He'll have to do it without his parents in the stands, however. Asked about them sticking around in the States, Murakami said that they need to get back to Japan to take care of their dogs.
