CHICAGO (AP) — Munetaka Murakami hit a three-run homer in a big seventh-inning rally, and the Chicago White Sox held off the slumping Los Angeles Angels for an 8-7 win Monday night.
Andrew Benintendi had three RBIs as Chicago improved to 6-4 in its last 10 games. Miguel Vargas hit a solo drive, and Tristan Peters had two hits and scored two runs.
Jorge Soler hit a solo homer for Los Angeles in the rain-delayed opener of a three-game series. Mike Trout had two hits and scored twice.
The Angels blew a 5-1 lead in their fourth consecutive loss and eighth in nine games overall. They had a 6-0 lead Sunday at Kansas City and lost when Lane Thomas hit a three-run homer for the Royals in the 10th inning.
The White Sox sent 10 batters to the plate while scoring seven times in the seventh. It was their biggest inning of the season.
Benintendi’s two-run double off Nick Sandlin (0-1) trimmed the Angels’ lead to one. Murakami then greeted Drew Pomeranz with a drive to right-center for his major league-best 12th homer. Vargas followed Murakami with another homer for an 8-5 lead.
The 26-year-old Murakami, a rookie slugger from Japan, is batting .349 (15 for 43) with seven homers and 14 RBIs in his last 10 games.
Osvaldo Bido (2-0) pitched three innings of one-run ball for the win.
Soler and Nolan Schanuel each drove in a run in the ninth against Grant Taylor before Bryan Hudson retired Adam Frazier on a bouncer to second, stranding runners at second and third. It was Hudson’s first career save.
The start was delayed three hours as rain and thunderstorms rolled over Rate Field.
Up next
José Soriano (5-0, 0.24 ERA) starts for the Angels on Tuesday night, and fellow right-hander Davis Martin (3-1, 2.01 ERA) pitches for the White Sox.
___
AP MLB:
