It was a day to remember for Munetaka Murakami.
On Sunday, July 26, the Chicago White Sox honored the rookie sensation with a bobblehead giveaway and he put on a show in his team’s 12-3 home win over the Houston Astros. Murakami was responsible for half those runs with a career-high 6 RBI and two home runs in the victory.
The festivities started off in a wholesome way when the first baseman’s parents threw out the first pitch. His dad lobbed the ball to a catcher who was sitting just to the side of home plate and the ball sank and bounced. His mom, on the other hand, threw a perfect arc to a catcher squatting behind the base. The two posed for a photo with their son before Chicago’s starting pitcher Erick Fedde took the mound.
The Astros jumped to an early lead off a solo home run from Jeremy Peña. But then, batting second in the bottom of the first inning, Murakami blasted his own home run. He took a slider over the plate and sent the ball flying into left field, allowing Sam Antonacci to score as well and putting the White Sox up 2-1.
To show his versatility, Murakami swatted the ball to right field for his second home run of the game in the eighth inning. He took a high pitch, boosted the ball away and put two fingers in the air as he rounded the bases.
The Japanese-born player got another RBI in the third inning with a ground out that sent Drew Romo home and had a two-run single in the seventh inning.
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“It feels amazing and really, super excited right now,” Murakami said through an interpreter after the game before his teammates splashed him with a bucket of orange Gatorade.
The game was on the same day as the Baseball Hall of Fame’s induction for the class of 2026 where Carlos Beltrán Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent were enshrined.
Murakami was selected to the All-Star Game in his first season as a replacement for Minnesota Twins‘ outfielder Byron Buxton. He also participated in the Home Run Derby. Despite missing 35 games before the All-Star break due to a hamstring injury, the 26-year-old has impressed with 22 home runs, 48 RBI, .378 OBP and .921 OPS.
The White Sox are leading the AL Central with a 55-49 record and are looking to compete strong next year, too. They used the No. 1 pick in the July 11 draft on UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky and then reportedly gave him a record signing bonus of $10.35 million.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Munetaka Murakami shines with 2 HR, career-high 6 RBI on bobblehead day
