\n<\/p>\n
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. \u2014 White Sox<\/u><\/a> starter Davis Martin<\/b> looked unhittable as he mowed through the Athletics lineup for the first 3 \u2153 innings of Friday\u2019s series opener on the West Coast, and he might\u2019ve been until center fielder Luisangel Acuna<\/b> lost a fly ball in the lights at Sutter Health Park.<\/p>\n It fell for a ground-rule double off the bat of Shea Langeliers<\/b>, breaking up Martin\u2019s flawless start. But Acuna redeemed himself in the bottom half of the fourth inning with an RBI double, just as a previously lifeless<\/u><\/a> Sox offense redeemed itself with a season-high 15 hits in their 9-2 win.<\/p>\n On a cathartic night for a batting order languishing toward the bottom of most key hitting categories, Munetaka Murakami<\/b> swatted a mammoth grand slam on a 3-for-5 night, Colson Montgomery<\/b> went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI and Andrew Benintendi<\/b> went 3-for-6 with two doubles and an RBI.<\/p>\n \u201cThose guys have been putting together really good at-bats, with not a lot to show for it, so to be able to come out, continue that and get rewarded, was really nice,\u201d manager Will Venable<\/b> said. <\/p>\n Murakami\u2019s towering 431-foot blast soared at 114 mph over the batter\u2019s eye for his sixth home run of the year.<\/p>\n \u201cI just tried to swing as much as possible. And the results came in in the best way,\u201d he said via interpreter Kenzo Yagi<\/b>.<\/p>\n Scattering three hits over seven innings with two walks and four strikeouts, it was the strongest start yet<\/u><\/a> from Martin, who enjoyed the view of Murakami\u2019s homer.<\/p>\n \u201cGuy\u2019s got stupid juice,\u201d Martin said. \u201cCame at the right time when we needed it. Just a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n G<\/u>eneral manager Chris Getz<\/b> signed closer Seranthony Dominguez<\/b> to a two-year, $20 million deal<\/u><\/a> to lock down exactly the kind of situation he walked into Thursday against Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n Staked to a 3-2 ninth-inning lead and facing the heart of the order, Dominguez promptly served up a game-tying home run to Junior Caminero, then gave up a single, walk and a wild pitch before hitting a batter and getting the hook en route to a deflating 5-3 loss<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n Dominguez served up a crunch-time homer to Christian Yelich <\/b>on opening weekend in Milwaukee, too, and his ERA ballooned to 7.50 following his second blown save.<\/p>\n But don\u2019t call it buyer\u2019s remorse just yet.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was an outing in which he wasn\u2019t at his best, certainly. But our confidence in him is not going to change just because of one outing,\u201d <\/b>Venable said of Dominguez, who has been sharp in most of his other five outings. \u201cWe still have confidence that he can go out there and help us win games at the back end of our bullpen.\u201d<\/p>\n Sox left-hander Anthony Kay<\/b> wasn\u2019t thrilled to find out \u201clike 10 minutes before\u201d Thursday\u2019s game that he\u2019d be throwing in bulk, facing the sixth Rays hitter behind opener Jordan Leasure<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not really ideal,\u201d said Kay, who signed a two-year, $12 million deal in the offseason after two years playing in Japan<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n Anthony Kay kicks the mound after Tampa Bay Rays\u2019 Taylor Walls hit a one-run single during the fourth inning Thursday.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Following a strong start<\/u><\/a> in Kansas City (5 \u2154 scoreless innings with six K\u2019s, two walks and no opener), Kay went 2 \u2154 innings, giving up a run on four hits with a walk and a strikeout. But he wasn\u2019t making excuses: \u201cMy job is to get outs, regardless of what situation it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Venable said Friday that \u201cif that was something that he wasn\u2019t pleased about, that\u2019s something certainly that we\u2019ll iron out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes in asking guys to do this, it\u2019s not going to be perfect\u2026 and you\u2019ve got to go out there and do your job regardless. I\u2019m definitely sensitive, especially as we\u2019re asking guys to do things that might take them out of their routine, to make sure that they have the information that they need when they need it,\u201d Venable said. \u201cSo if there was something we can do better on our end, we\u2019ll certainly fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n Sox hurlers have seemed less than enthusiastic about Venable\u2019s use of openers<\/u><\/a> five times so far this season, four by Grant Taylor<\/b>. The second-year manager he\u2019s deploying the strategy to create more favorable matchups, and \u201cI\u2019m always going to do what I think is best for the team.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all doing this in the spirit of trying to find ways to win, and I think every single one of these guys is behind that idea and supports that. I\u2019ve been transparent about that from Day 1,\u201d Venable said.<\/p>\n Before opening their series against the Athletics, the Sox called up left-hander Doug Nikhazy<\/b> from Triple-A Charlotte and sent down reliever Tyler Gilbert<\/b>.<\/p>\n The Sox claimed Nikhazy, 26, off waivers earlier this month from Cleveland, where he struggled in one of his first two big-league games last year. In a five-inning start and a four-inning relief appearance for the Knights, Nikhazy struck out 10, walked three and gave up three runs.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s here to give us some length\u201d against a lefty-heavy Athletics lineup, Venable said.<\/p>\n Gilbert, who tossed a no-hitter for Arizona in 2021 and drew umpires\u2019 scrutiny last year for a sticky mitt<\/u><\/a> later deemed legal, was touched up for six earned runs in two Sox appearances spanning 2 \u2154 innings while shuttling back and forth twice from Charlotte.<\/p>\nSticking with Seranthony<\/h3>\n
Not o-Kay?<\/b><\/h3>\n
Coming and going<\/b><\/h3>\n