CHICAGO -- The White Sox certainly didn’t get pushed out of playoff contention during the six-week absence of powerful first baseman Munetaka Murakami, as he recovered from a Grade 2 right hamstring strain suffered on May 29 against the Tigers.
In fact, they were three games out of first in the American League Central when Murakami hurt himself trying to beat out a double-play grounder. They now are tied with Cleveland for the division's top spot after a 2-1 loss to the Red Sox Thursday afternoon at Rate Field, finishing 17-18 without Murakami.
But with the Red Sox completing a three-game home sweep of the South Siders, there’s an extra level of excitement for Murakami’s return Friday against the Athletics. White Sox manager Will Venable confirmed the news during his postgame press conference, adding that Murakami, his 20 home runs and his noticeable presence on the field and in the clubhouse should be in the lineup for the final three games before the All-Star break.
“Yeah, it feels good. He’s ready to go,” Venable said of Murakami’s return. “It’s going to be a great jolt. That’s real. We understand the impact he makes on the field and in the clubhouse, so to activate him is going to mean a lot for our group. Really excited about him.”
“It's huge,” said designated hitter Andrew Benintendi, who drove in the White Sox lone run Thursday with an infield hit. “Obviously he's a presence in the lineup. He'll bring the energy. It seems like the vibe in here is kind of down right now, but I'm sure seeing him tomorrow will spark it back up."
That vibe, which has been so high all season for this young crew, took an understandable nose dive in the team losing its fourth straight game at home. They were swept at home for the third time all season, all by AL East squads, and for the first time since April 14-16 at the hands of the Rays.
Boston (43-48) deserves great credit for how the club pitched and played defensively in all three games, with a trio of left-handed starters neutralizing big right-handed hitters such as All-Star Miguel Vargas and Randal Grichuk. The White Sox (47-45) seemed one hit away in the three games, but finished with just two runs scored in total.
“Just stick with it,” Benintendi said. “There's so many stats and things like that that you can go look at and chase different things. Instead of chasing results, you've got to trust what you've done from spring up until now.
“Trust the coaches. There's a lot of confidence in here. I don't think this series is going to change our way of thinking at all. Three-game stretch that we didn't play that well, so move on."
Anthony Kay fell to 6-4 by allowing two runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out four. He walked two, giving a free pass to Romy Gonzalez to lead off the fourth right before the two-run, eventual game-winning home run from Caleb Durbin.
Coming into this set, the White Sox had set a franchise record with 10 straight home series wins. They also fought back from two walk-off defeats this past weekend in Cleveland to capture the final two contests and earn a split of the four-game series.
Panic isn’t necessary, as it’s a reflection of the ebbs and flows of a long season
“If you go through a whole year without going through that, it's one of the best seasons ever,” Benintendi said. “The best teams go through it. Just one of those things you move on from."
“We’ve definitely exceeded everyone’s expectations,” Kay said. “We’ve expected this [success], but I think as far as the media and the fans, we’ve played better than what everyone expected.”
Murakami played Tuesday and Wednesday with Triple-A Charlotte during an injury rehab assignment, getting a hit in each game and playing nine innings on Wednesday. He’s ready to go Friday, with a promised new haircut and needed boost for the White Sox.
A sellout is expected at Rate Field for Murakami’s return, with good seats available on Saturday and Sunday.
“He’s special,” Kay said of Murakami. “Lengthen the lineup a little bit and just add a little bit more power.”
“There will be a lot of communication on where he’s at,” Venable said. “This ramp-up in this rehab was very quick, so we want to be mindful of where he’s at day to day. We’ll be communicating with him on how he feels.”