Diamondbacks outslug White Sox behind Vargas
Ildemaro Vargas delivered a career performance at the plate, powering the Arizona Diamondbacks to an 11-7 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in Phoenix.
Vargas hit two home runs and drove in a career-high five runs, helping Arizona withstand a strong showing from Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami, who extended his home run streak to five consecutive games.
Murakami, who leads the American League with 10 home runs — eight of them on the road — became the fastest player in White Sox history to reach that mark, doing so in just 24 games. He also broke a tie with Shohei Ohtani to become the only Japanese-born player to homer in five straight games.
The White Sox slugger finished with three hits, including a 451-foot, two-run home run in the seventh inning that cut Arizona’s lead to 10-7. However, the Diamondbacks responded in the bottom half of the inning when Geraldo Perdomo recorded his second triple of the game and came around to score, restoring a four-run cushion. Paul Sewald then closed the door in the ninth, stranding two runners.
Arizona’s offense was relentless, finishing with a season-high 16 hits. Nolan Arenado led the way with four hits, including a home run, while scoring three runs and driving in three. Corbin Carroll added three hits and scored twice, while Perdomo also collected three hits and an RBI.
Eduardo Rodriguez (2-0) earned the win, allowing four runs on six hits over five innings. He struck out four and walked three, exiting with an 8-4 lead.
The White Sox continued their recent power surge despite the loss. Colson Montgomery homered for the fourth straight game, while Miguel Vargas extended his own streak to three consecutive games with a home run. Chicago has now hit 14 home runs over its last four games.
Montgomery’s streak marked the second time in his career he has homered in four straight games, having previously accomplished the feat from Aug. 22–26 last season.
The Diamondbacks built their lead early, with Vargas launching a three-run homer during a four-run second inning before adding a two-run shot in the third to give Arizona a 6-3 advantage. Arenado’s two-run homer in the sixth pushed the lead to 10-5.
Vargas also extended his season-opening hitting streak to a franchise record 17 games. Including the end of last season, his 20-game hitting streak is now the longest active run in the majors.
Anthony Kay (1-1) took the loss for Chicago, allowing eight runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out one, walked four, and also committed a balk that allowed Carroll to score during Arizona’s two-run fourth inning.
With the win, the Diamondbacks snapped a two-game losing streak and evened the series, while the White Sox fell despite another strong offensive showing.
