Murakami hits go-ahead 7th-inning homer as White Sox sweep Tigers with 7-5 win

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Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami (5) celebrates with Davis Martin (65) after hitting a two-run home run against the Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas (20) fails to reach Detroit Tigers' Brett Callahan to make the tag, as Callahan slides into third base with a triple during the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson) — Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami (5) celebrates with Davis Martin (65) after hitting a two-run home run against the Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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1:49 PM on Sunday, August 16

By DAVE HOGG

DETROIT (AP) — Munetaka Murakami hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning and the Chicago White Sox rallied for a 7-5 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

Chicago trailed 3-0 and 4-1, but scored twice in the fifth and once in the sixth to tie the game.

Tyler Holton (1-5) walked Sam Antonacci to start the seventh and Murakami followed with his 28th homer of the season to put the White Sox up 6-4.

The White Sox now lead Detroit by 5 1/2 games in the AL Central. Hagen Smith (2-0) went 1 2/3 innings for the win and Sean Newcomb pitched the final two innings for his fourth save.

Detroit left fielder Brett Callahan, making his major league debut, tripled and drove in two runs on the first pitch of his career. He's the first Tigers hitter to triple in his first at-bat since Bill Irwin did it on May 18, 1912 against the Philadelphia Athletics.

Irwin, one of the emergency players when the team went on strike to protest Ty Cobb's suspension, was playing his only MLB game.

The triple helped Detroit take a 3-0 lead in the second. Fellow rookie Max Clark also had an RBI single in the inning.

Antonacci's RBI groundout made it 3-1 in the third, but Colt Keith led off the bottom of the inning with a homer.

Drew Romo's two-run homer pulled the White Sox within 4-3 in the fifth, and Colson Montgomery's RBI single tied it in the sixth.

Detroit's Dillon Dingler snapped a 0-for-28 streak with an RBI double to make it 6-5 in the seventh. Miguel Vargas homered in the ninth.

Up next

White Sox: Retun to Chicago for a three-game series at Wrigley Field. RHP Luis Castillo (4-9, 4.96 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday against Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (8-9, 3.74).

Tigers: Travel to Pittsburgh for a three-game series against the Pirates. Tigers LHP Framber Valdez (7-8, 4.26) will pitch Monday's opener. The Pirates haven't named a starter.

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