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Murakami moves ahead of Ohtani with 28th homer

The Korea Herald · Korea Herald · 2026-08-17T08:45:38+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Munetaka Murakami hit his 28th home run of the season, breaking a late tie as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Detroit Tigers 7-5. Murakami's two-run homer in the seventh inning Sunday at Comerica Park helped Chicago complete a three-game sweep and extend its AL Central lead over Detroit to 5 1/2 games. Batting second and playing first base, Murakami was retired in his first three plate appearances, striking out twice and grounding out. Chicago rallied from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game before Sam Antonacci drew a leadoff walk in the seventh. Facing left-hander Tyler Holton with a 1-1 count, Murakami drove a 147 kph fastball over the left-field fence. The homer traveled 120 meters with an exit velocity of 165 kph. It was Murakami's second homer in three games against Detroit. He also hit a go-ahead homer Friday in Chicago's 9-5 win. Murakami moved ahead of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani for the most home runs among Japanese major leaguers this season. Murakami has 28 homers in 383 plate appearances, while Ohtani has 27 in 525. Toronto Blue Jays infielder Kazuma Okamoto has 24 homers, and Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki has 21. Murakami joined the White Sox from the Yakult Swallows on a two-year, $34 million contract last offseason. His move to the majors came with concerns about his high swing-and-miss rate, ability to handle major league velocity and infield defense. Murakami's power has helped him exceed expectations and become a key contributor for Chicago, which is chasing a division title after three consecutive 100-loss seasons. (This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.) khnews@heraldcorp.com