Baseball: Murakami hits 33rd homer as White Sox beat Royals

Chicago White Sox outfielder Munetaka Murakami connected for his 33rd home run of the rookie season, as the team edged past the Kansas City Royals with a 14-11 victory at Kauffman Stadium. The 26-year-old broke a four-game hitting slump with a two-run homer in the seventh inning, earning two RBIs on the day. Murakami attributed his power hit to an aggressive swing, stating, "I was able to hit the ball hard with an aggressive swing."

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Yusei Kikuchi labored for five innings over five innings, allowing seven hits and a walk while striking out two in a loss to the Athletics. However, Kikuchi did not play a role in the game's outcome, as he was removed after his performance. On the other hand, Chicago Cubs' Yusei Suzuki had a solid outing, pitching a one-run ball over five innings in a 8-2 defeat to the Miami Marlins, which concluded in extra innings.

Suzuki's teammate Shota Imanaga contributed a one-run outing over five innings. In separate MLB action, Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki, who had been on the 15-day injured list due to a blister, returned to the mound for a scoreless fourth inning in a 7-0 win over the San Diego Padres.