Murakami hits 3-run homer, White Sox top Tigers 3-1 to move into 1st
place tie in AL Central
[September 18, 2026]
By MATT CARLSON
CHICAGO (AP) — Munetaka Murakami hit his team-leading
32nd home run and the Chicago White Sox moved into a tie with idle
Cleveland for first place in the AL Central with a 3-1 win over the
Detroit Tigers on Thursday night.
Bryan Hudson (5-4), the second of four White Sox pitchers, got four outs
for the win. Grant Taylor went the final 2 1/3 innings for his ninth
save. |
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami hits a three-run home run during
the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers,
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez) |
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Chicago rebounded from a 6-3 loss at Cleveland on Wednesday that
knocked them out of a share of first for the first time since
July 4. Both the Guardians and White Sox are 78-75.
The White Sox are trying to become the first team in MLB history
to make the postseason after losing 100-plus games in each of
the previous two seasons.
Gleyber Torres drove in the Tigers' run in the third inning on a
fielder's choice.
Murakami’s three-run homer, a 423-foot three-run drive to center
in the first, was just the Japanese rookie’s third in his last
28 games. He launched the first pitch he saw, a high sinker from
Framber Valdez.
Murakami also had a triple and struck out twice and is batting
.111 in his last 28 games.
White Sox starter Erick Fedde allowed one run on four hits in 4
2/3 innings. He struck out six, walked two and hit a batter
before Hudson relieved.
Valdez (10-11) yielded three runs on three hits in five innings.
He struck out eight and walked four.
With two outs in the fifth, Torres was held to a single on a
drive to the base of the left-field wall on a quick retrieval by
left fielder Randal Grichuk.
Dillon Dingler followed with a double and Hudson entered and
struck out Riley Greene. Spencer Torkelson led off the sixth
with a liner to the left field corner, but Grichuk threw him out
at second.
Up next
Tigers LHP Andrew Sears (0-1, 5.40 ERA) faced White Sox RHP
David Sandlin (2-2, 5.64) on Friday.
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