Murakami home run propels White Sox to Postseason win over Guardians

[p]Japanese rookie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/murakami-munetaka/Um3qc5aF/"]Murakami[/a] belted his first MLB postseason homer to take the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chicago-white-sox/SW9D1eZo/"]White Sox[/a] to a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, launching a pitch from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messick-parker/tE46gfHE/"]Parker Messick[/a] 440 feet to the right-field seats at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cleveland-guardians/4K05MrFG/"]Cleveland[/a]'s Progressive Field.[/p][p]The towering shot also scored [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vargas-miguel/KWk2Y3Hq/"]Miguel Vargas[/a], who had singled to left field to open the frame.[/p][p][b]"It was a perfect home run," Murakami said. "I just hit it really nicely."[/b][/p][p]The surprising White Sox added a third run in the top of the seventh, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/teel-kyle/va7rtFj6/"]Kyle Teel[/a] scored from first base on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/montgomery-colson/rPq2s8dk/"]Colson Montgomery[/a]'s double down the left field line.[/p][p]Cleveland had their chances, leaving the bases loaded in both the third and fourth innings. They stranded seven runners in all as the White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five American League division series, which continues in Cleveland on Monday.[/p][embed guid="2e760148-4308-4743-bbca-6d97c7b60d67" url="https://x.com/MLB/status/2106448733810593837" social-type="twitter" /][p]The White Sox - carrying the hopes of lifetime fan Pope Leo XIV - are aiming to continue one of the most remarkable turnaround seasons in baseball.[/p][p]After three straight seasons with 100 or more defeats, the White Sox finished the regular season with an 84-74 record, snagging the sixth seed in the American League.[/p][p]In their first playoff series since 2021, they ousted the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-astros/lfZXonNq/"]Houston Astros[/a] in two games in the Wild Card round.[/p][p]Murakami has been a key contributor for the young team, belting 35 home runs in the regular season.[/p][p]The 26-year-old arrived in Chicago from Japan on a two-year, $34 million deal three years after he became the youngest Triple Crown winner in Japanese professional baseball history in 2022.[/p][infobox id="3e982646-21d3-4baf-ac34-10f731dff476" /]