MILWAUKEE — Munetaka Murakami’s second homer in as many games couldn’t help the White Sox overcome another sloppy showing to start the year as an ugly defensive effort buried them Saturday in a 6-1 loss to the Brewers.
Murakami became the first player in Sox history to homer in each of his first two career games with a majestic, 409-foot blast to right-center on a 92 mph meatball from Milwaukee starter Chad Patrick in the fourth inning. The 26-year-old first baseman went 1-for-3 on the night with a walk and a strikeout.
Murakami also answered early questions about his defense by diving to stop a screaming grounder down the line to steal extra bases from Jake Bauers.
But the Sox’ defense didn’t do starter Sean Burke many favors. Left fielder Andrew Benintendi couldn’t track down a deep fly in the first inning resulting in a double for Brice Turang, who scored on a Christian Yelich single. Two more Milwaukee singles and an ill-advised throw from right fielder Everson Pereira made it a three-spot.
The Brewers struck again the next inning when Benintendi couldn’t catch up to another double for Turang, who came around on a Burke throwing error. The 6-6 righty lasted four innings, striking out five, walking one and surrendering seven hits, and the bullpen didn’t fare much better.
Help on the way?
As bad as the season’s start has been for the Sox, Opening Day for the Charlotte Knights bloomed with tantalizing possibilities for the franchise’s next wave of talent — including for the two biggest arms that could point which way this rebuild goes.
In his first Triple-A start, left-handed 2024 first-round pick Hagen Smith gave up a run but struck out four over three innings of work Friday. Oswego East product Noah Schultz, the towering 2022 first-rounder, fanned five over four hitless frames in relief.
Shortstop prospect William Bergolla Jr. went 4-for-5 with two doubles, and following up his World Baseball Classic run with Team Italy, Springfield native Sam Antonacci smacked a three-run homer en route to the Knights’ 19-2 blowout over the Durham Bulls.
Bergolla tabbed three more hits and Antonacci homered again Saturday in a 2-1 win.
Antonacci, an infielder by trade, started both games in left field, which could hasten his big-league debut.
“There’s a chance that he gets asked to do that at the Major League level,” Sox player development director Paul Janish said. “If that’s the case, we want to have him prepared to do it if and when the time comes.”
Coming and going
Before their second game of the season, the Sox optioned veteran lefty reliever Tyler Gilbert to Charlotte and claimed southpaw Bryan Hudson off waivers from the Mets.
Additionally, catcher Korey Lee cleared waivers and reported to Triple-A for the Sox after winding up the odd man out to Reese McGuire in spring training.
Gilbert, notably absolved of sticky-glove mischief last season after umpires confiscated his mitt during a game, was roughed up for two runs in an inning of work on Opening Day.
It’s the second Sox stint for Hudson, the 6-8 native of Alton in southern Illinois, who gave up three runs in four relief outings late in 2025. The journeyman’s best year came in 2024 with the Brewers, when he posted a 1.73 ERA over 43 outings.
The Sox also dealt infielder Curtis Mead, who was DFA’d after spring training, to the Nationals for catching prospect Boston Smith.
Mune-ball
While Murakami builds his fan base in Chicago, he’s making new ones in Milwaukee, too.
The rookie gave a signed bat to Brewers fan Steve Pollack in return for the ball Murakami launched into the right-field seats at American Family Field seats for his first career home run.
“This is awesome,” Pollack said outside the visitors’ clubhouse Thursday. “Just too cool.”
Murakami was sending the ball home overseas, where he swatted 246 dingers for the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball.
“It was a special occasion,“ Murakami said via translator Kenzo Yagi. “In Japan… the fans tend to return the ball back, so I’m relieved it came back to me.”
