Better

For better or worse, the White Sox have tied their fortunes to Munetaka Murakami. Yesterday, they got both, with the good outweighing the bad in a Sox 6-3 win over the visiting Blue Jays. Murakami butchered a groundball that led to a one-out, bases-loaded situation in the fourth inning. But Anthony Kay—who knew?—managed to wiggle out of it. Then came the sixth inning. Murakami absolutely crushed a ball off of reliever Brendon Little to dead center for a two-run homerun to give the Sox the lead for good. Two batters later, Colson Montgomery, in full feast-or-famine mode, launched a ball over the fence in right. Wait, there’s more. The Sox being the Sox, they had to give Toronto a chance to get back in the game, which they did by loading the bases with one out in the seventh. That’s when Murakami did his part in a sacrifice fly/double play. Nathan Lukes flied out to Tristan Peters in right, with a run scoring. Murakami then cut Peters’ throw and nailed the runner trying to advance from second to third. End of threat and pretty much end of ballgame. This was the second straight game Grant Taylor opened, pitching an inning. The logic here escapes me. Taylor is more valuable recording four outs late in the game than three in the first. But a win’s a win.