Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami belts a seventh-inning solo homer, the 20th of his MLB rookie season, against the Minnesot Twins on May 27, 2026, in Chicago. (©KYODO)
Chicago White Sox rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami bashed his 20th home run of the MLB season on Wednesday, May 27.
It only took him 55 games to reach that milestone.
Murakami became the second Japanese MLB rookie to hit 20 homers. Shohei Ohtani whacked 22 for the Los Angeles Angels in 2018.
Earlier this season, Murakami homered in five consecutive games. And his solo blast in the seventh inning on Wednesday in a 15-2 rout of the Minnesota Twins extended his homer streak to three games.
Murakami and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez are tied for second in homers, one behind MLB leader Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Murakami is pleased with his overall productivity this season.
"I'm going into every single day in the same routine and having good preparation each day," the former Tokyo Yakult Swallows star said, according to MLB.com. "So, I'm really glad that the continuation of that preparation is coming alive and really happy the results are coming as well."
On Thursday, Murakami's homer streak ended. He went 1-for-2 with a double and two walks against the Twins.
As the 162-game season moves closer to the midway point, there's growing recognition of the accomplishments of rookies on the 30 MLB teams.
In a poll conducted by MLB.com, Murakami is listed by baseball experts as the top candidate for the American League Rookie of the Year award.
Murakami's .566 slugging percentage and 44 walks underscore his power-hitting prowess and his patience at the plate. He's also first in the American League with 43 runs.
Nishida Makes MLB Debut
Rikuu Nishida, an 11th-round draft pick in 2023, appeared in his first MLB game on Monday, May 25. He started in right field for the White Sox and batted ninth.
Nishida collected his first big-league hit, a fourth-inning single, in a 3-1 win against the Twins.
"I don't think of myself as a major leaguer yet. It's still only one game, so I'll keep doing my best," Nishida said, according to Kyodo News. "I'm super happy, and I feel a lot more relieved [after getting my first hit]."
The former University of Oregon standout also showcased his fielding skills, making seven putouts. And his laser-beam throw to catcher Drew Romo produced the final out in the top of the second. Alex Jackson singled and Orlando Arcia was thrown out at the plate.
"He did what we expect him to do," White Sox manager Will Venable said. "Really good defender. A really good quality of at-bats. [And] he's a fun player. He's a good player, too, and can do a lot of things on a baseball field. Yeah, he got tested pretty early there."
Chicago promoted Nishida from the Charlotte Knights after his strong start this season for the Triple-A club, including a .347 average in 33 games.
Ohtani Helps His Cause in Latest Mound Outing
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way dynamo Shohei Ohtani slugged a leadoff homer off Tomoyuki Sugano in the first inning and threw six innings of no-hit ball against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, May 27.
Ohtani (5-2, 0.82 ERA) won his third consecutive start. He fanned seven batters, walked four and allowed one run in the second inning of LA's 4-1 triumph.
The two-time reigning National League MVP wasn't thrilled with his pitching performance.
"Just command was off, and I just felt like I was battling the lack of it, and frustration," Ohtani was quoted as saying by The Associated Press through an interpreter.
He added, "Just way too many walks, and of course you want to avoid the hits, but the result of that was a lot of walks, and that's something that I just don't really want to do."
Imai, 2 Astros Relievers Toss a Combined No-Hitter
Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai tossed six no-hit innings against the Texas Rangers on Monday, May 25.
Reliever Steven Okert and Alimber Santa completed the no-hitter, pitching one and two innings, respectively, to wrap up the 9-0 victory in Arlington, Texas. It was Santa's MLB debut.
Imai (2-2) issued four walks and struck out two in the sixth start of his MLB career.
The former Saitama Seibu Lions pitcher, who made his third start since returning from the injured list, had a shaky start, giving up back-to-back walks in the first inning. He got out of the jam, though, helped by a double play. With two outs in the first, Imai walked one more batter, then pitched with more control in the next five frames.
"During pregame, our focus was attacking the zone," Imai said through an interpreter, according to The Associated Press. "But in the first inning, I felt unbalanced, the timing was off."
Imai then said, "But after that inning, I was able to adjust the timing, all the rhythm and stuff."
"Proud of our pitching," Astros manager Joe Espada said, according to MLB.com. "We've been grinding, man, and our guys went out there and competed. That first inning, you would never have thought that was going to be the outcome of the game, but I tip my hat to Imai."
The manager added, "He continued to pitch, he continued to compete, he got two big double plays, eight ground-ball outs. He continued to pound the zone and fought through it. Strong six innings and the rest is history."
Former MLB, Swallows Slugger Horner Dies at 68
Bob Horner, who belted 218 home runs in 10 MLB seasons and also played for the Yakult Swallows in 1987, has died at age 68.
The Atlanta Braves announced his death on Tuesday, May 26. Horner played for Atlanta from 1978-86.
A collegiate star at Arizona State, he was the No 1 pick in the 1978 MLB draft. And Horner began his big-league career without playing in the minor leagues.
The power-hitting infielder won the National League Rookie of the Year accolade that same year, hitting .266 in 89 games with 23 round-trippers.
He clubbed a career-high 35 homers in 1980 and finished with 33 the previous year.
On July 6, 1986, Horner became the 10th player in MLB history to hit four homers in a game. The visiting Montreal Expos beat the Braves 11-8.
In 1987, Horner moved to Japan, accepting a lucrative contract from the Swallows at age 29. He made his mark on offense for the Central League club with a .327 batting average, 31 homers and 73 RBIs.
Horner wrapped up his career with the St Louis Cardinals in 1988.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
