Overview
- Murakami snapped a 13-game home-run drought with a two-run, 385-foot shot off Ronel Blanco that scored Sam Antonacci on a 3-2 slider in the first inning.
- He finished the game with two homers and a season-high six RBIs as the White Sox beat the Astros 12-3, adding a go-ahead groundout and a solo shot later in the game.
- The homer ended a 42 at-bat stretch without a long ball and followed 11 hitless games after he returned from the injured list earlier this season.
- The team staged a player-focused promotion that featured a bobblehead modeled on Murakami’s first career homer and his parents throwing out first pitches, while the ballpark sold nearly 1,500 Muneshot Sushi push pops.
- Murakami’s two-year, $34 million contract included a request for Toto bidets that the White Sox installed in the clubhouse, a detail that illustrates how personal amenities can become part of signings and fan storytelling.