PHOENIX — Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami tied a Major League Baseball rookie record by homering in his fifth straight game, crushing a 451-foot shot to right-center field against the Arizona Diamondbacks for his 10th homer of the season.
“I’ve run out of things to say,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Obviously, he continues to put himself in a really good spot to take good swings on good pitches. He’s making great swing decisions, making a ton of contact and when he hits it, he hits it really hard.”
Venable added: “Even the singles he’s hitting are hard. The damage is incredible, and it’s impressive to watch.”
Murakami is the 13th MLB rookie since at least 1900 to go deep in five straight, according to ESPN Research. The Japanese first baseman also tied the team’s franchise record, a mark shared by A.J. Pierzynski (2012), Paul Konerko (2011), Carlos Lee (2003), Frank Thomas (twice in 1994), Ron Kittle (1983) and Greg Luzinski (1983).
Murakami’s two-run homer came off Diamondbacks reliever Ryan Thompson in the seventh, cutting Arizona’s lead to 10-7. The Diamondbacks went on to win 11-7.
Murakami’s 10 homers, eight coming on the road, are second in the big leagues behind Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, who has 11. They also are the most in MLB history by a Japanese-born player in his first 24 career games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
