Murakami homers for 4th straight game, helping the White Sox beat the Diamondbacks 11-5

By: The Associated Press Posted: 12:07 AM CDT Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2026

PHOENIX (AP) — Rookie Munetaka Murakami homered for the fourth straight game, Sean Burke won for the first time in 17 appearances, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-5 on Tuesday night.

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Chicago scored four runs in the first inning and hit three consecutive homers — by Murakami, Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery — in the second for a 7-0 lead.

Montgomery and rookie Sam Antonacci led the White Sox with three RBIs apiece.

Chicago White Sox' Munetaka Murakami crosses Homeplate after hitting a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Montgomery began the scoring with a two-run double and he scored on a triple by Antonacci, who recorded his first RBI in the majors. Montgomery added a 440-foot shot in the second for his third straight game with a homer.

Murakami, who went 3 for 5, joined Montgomery, Matt Davidson (2017), Ron Kittle (1983) and Rich McKinney (1970) as the only rookies in White Sox history to hit a homer in four straight games. Murakami’s nine homers, seven coming on the road, are the most in MLB history by a Japanese-born player in his first 23 career games.

Antonacci’s first MLB home run came in the ninth on an inside-the-park effort to make it 10-2. The ball appeared to make contact with the ball boy down the left-field line and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. gave up on the play, allowing Antonacci to score. The play was not reviewable.

Burke (1-2) allowed two earned runs and five hits in six innings for his first win since last season against the Diamondbacks on June 25. He entered winless in 13 road games since 2025.

Merrill Kelly (1-1) surrendered eight runs in 4 1/3 innings — a game after starter Ryne Nelson was rocked for eight runs and got just one out.