Rookie left-hander Noah Schultz earned his first major league win Sunday, allowing just one hit over five innings as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Athletics 7-4 in West Sacramento, California.
Schultz (1-1) surrendered only a solo home run to Darell Hernaiz in the second inning, striking out six and walking one in the rubber game of the series.
Chicago’s offense erupted for four home runs off Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs, who entered with a 1.46 ERA but saw it balloon to 3.34 after allowing seven runs on nine hits over five innings. Springs had not allowed a homer in his first 24 2/3 innings this season.
Miguel Vargas led off the fifth inning with a single, and rookie Munetaka Murakami followed with his third homer of the series — a 425-foot blast to right field, his eighth of the season. Colson Montgomery added a two-out homer later in the inning, his fifth, extending the lead to 7-1.
Murakami has more home runs than any Japanese-born player through his first 22 games. He hit his first career grand slam in a 9-2 victory Friday.
Earlier, Derek Hill hit a one-out solo homer and Vargas hit his third of the year in the second inning for a 4-0 lead.
The Athletics chipped away with Zach Gelof’s two-out, two-run double off Grant Taylor in the seventh. Jordan Leasure entered and threw a wild pitch that scored Gelof, making it 7-4, before retiring Jacob Wilson on a foul popup. Bryan Hudson pitched a clean eighth, and Seranthony Domínguez earned his fourth save by stranding two runners in the ninth.
Chase Meidroth singled to lead off the game and scored on Edgar Quero’s sacrifice fly.
Up next
Athletics RHP J.T. Ginn (0-0, 3.31) starts Monday at Seattle against Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (2-1, 2.28).
White Sox RHP Sean Burke (0-2, 4.43) starts Tuesday at Arizona against RHP Merrill Kelly (1-0, 3.38).
