PHOENIX — Japanese first baseman Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox has reached a remarkable milestone, matching a Major League Baseball rookie record by hitting home runs in five consecutive games during their matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Murakami launched a towering 451-foot blast to right-center field for his 10th home run of the season, joining an exclusive group of just 13 rookies in baseball history to accomplish this rare feat, according to MLB.com records. The impressive streak also matches the Chicago White Sox franchise record, previously achieved by several players including A.J. Pierzynski in 2012, Paul Konerko in 2011, Carlos Lee in 2003, Frank Thomas twice in 1994, Ron Kittle in 1983, and Greg Luzinski in 1983.
The rookie’s two-run blast occurred in the seventh inning off Arizona reliever Ryan Thompson, helping narrow the Diamondbacks’ advantage to 10-7. With 10 home runs this season, Murakami trails only Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, who leads the majors with 11 homers.
Perhaps most remarkably, Murakami’s 10 home runs through his first 24 major league games represent the most ever hit by a Japanese-born player in that span, with eight of those coming during road games.
