It didn't take Murakami long to hit his 1st HR. Nor for the fan who caught it to return it

MILWAUKEE -- As soon as Steve Pollack corralled Munetaka Murakami’s first career home run in the ninth inning of a 14-2 Opening Day White Sox loss to the Brewers Thursday, fans around his group pushed for Pollack to give away the baseball.

“Well, everybody wanted us to give it to the kids behind us,” said Pollack as he was exiting the White Sox clubhouse. “But it was the first one I’ve ever gotten, so I wanted to keep it.”

Pollack kept it long enough to return the baseball to its rightful owner. Murakami traded a special signed bat for the ball, leaving the Brewers fan and his crew very excited from the return on their kind act.

“Yeah, but this is awesome,” Pollack said. “Just too cool."

“It was a special occasion, and I’m really happy the ball came back,” said Murakami through interpreter Kenzo Yagi. “Also in Japan, the fans tend to return the ball back, so I’m relieved it came back to me.”

Murakami’s 1-1 blast off reliever Jake Woodford would have been a footnote in what was otherwise a difficult White Sox opener if not for the meaning behind the homer. He became the fourth player from Japan to suit up for the White Sox, joining Tadahito Iguchi and Shingo Takatsu -- who contributed to the 2005 World Series title -- and Kosuke Fukudome, who found greater fame across town with the Cubs.

That power stroke was a given coming over from Japan for Murakami, whose moonshot carried 384 feet just above the Nicolet Law sign fixed to the second deck in right at American Family Field. But he also walked twice, working his way back from an 0-2 count against Jacob Misiorowski to earn the fourth-inning free pass.

“A great day overall for him,” said White Sox manager Will Venable of Murakami. “Controlled the zone really well. To get that one out of the way was nice for him, great swing.”

“I’m happy I was able to take the first step as a Major League Baseball player, but at the end of the day we lost the game,” Murakami said. “This is what I’m mostly disappointed about. I’ll try to prepare for the next game and try my best.”

The White Sox found Opening Day joy as Chase Meidroth launched a 417-foot home run off Misiorowski on the sixth pitch of the game, becoming the first player in franchise history to start the season with a long ball, per Elias Sports Bureau. Shane Smith gave up a leadoff double to Brice Turang but pitched out of any further trouble in the bottom of the first.

Then, things literally couldn’t have gone any worse for the South Siders until Murakami’s connection.

Smith became the fifth White Sox starter in the last five Opening Days to take the mound for the White Sox, but he departed in the midst of a 36-pitch second inning. The ‘25 All-Star opened ‘26 by yielding four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks against two strikeouts after recording just five outs.

“Not letting today define us as a team, or define me as a person, or as a player moreso,” said Smith of the opener. “I made good pitches; I think I made bad pitches. The untimely walks have been a problem for me even last year. Obviously not something I want to continue doing.”

Six White Sox hurlers yielded 12 hits and walked 10 against just three strikeouts. Five of the six hurlers were scored upon, with Jordan Hicks walking four and allowing three runs during a 46-pitch sixth for the White Sox in which he threw 34 of those pitches.

Even Jedixson Paez, who replaced Hicks in the sixth, couldn’t escape unscathed from his Major League debut. The Rule 5 selection was touched up for three runs on two hits and two walks without a strikeout.

Meidroth’s leadoff connection had a 107.7 mph exit velocity, per Statcast. Over the next eight innings, the White Sox had infield singles from Austin Hays and Luisangel Acuña but nothing more. Their offense drew five walks against 20 strikeouts, representing the highest total in a nine-inning game since at least 1901.

“Not good at all,” Venable said. “We had 20 strikeouts on offense and 10 walks [from our pitchers], so, yeah, not good.”

“First game. I don't have too much to say,” catcher Edgar Quero said. “Start of the season. It's a lot of games coming up, so get ready for tomorrow. New game, and that's it.”

That would have been it, if not for Murakami’s special ninth-inning moment and his ensuing postgame meeting with Pollack.

“I was fairly collected in the box and in the game as well,” Murakami said. “But it was a great atmosphere, and I was relieved to be here.”