Baseball: Murakami hits 1st postseason homer in White Sox win

Munetaka Murakami achieved his inaugural MLB postseason home run on Saturday as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. In the fourth inning, with a base runner and no outs, the rookie connected on a first-pitch sinker from Parker Messick (0-1) for a right-field home run that traveled approximately 134 meters.

Murakami described the home run as "perfect," noting that it had an exit velocity of about 180 kilometers per hour, which was near his fastest this season. Colson Montgomery added a double in the seventh inning, while five pitchers combined to record a shutout as the White Sox claimed the first victory in the best-of-five series against the Guardians, who secured the AL Central title by finishing one game ahead of the White Sox.

Murakami emphasized the importance of taking the initiative in these short-term battles, expressing his happiness with the performance. The team's batting order was noted for its seamless functioning, with Murakami himself contributing two hits. As the day's batting, Murakami went 2-for-4, including his home run in the first. He expressed gratitude for being welcomed by his White Sox teammates during a defensive timeout, saying, "My teammates are cheerful.

They welcomed me from Spring Training. I'm grateful and happy." He attempted to rally his teammates during the timeout, encouraging them with a simple "Let's go!" (in English, as he does not speak it).