White Sox Bounce Back to Beat Guardians Behind Murakami, Kay in Bullpen Game
CHICAGO — The White Sox needed a response, and they got one Saturday, holding off the Cleveland Guardians 6-3 to snap a rough stretch that included ugly losses to Boston.
Chicago had dropped four straight games coming in, including lopsided losses to the Red Sox and a loss to Cleveland the day before. Saturday's victory won't erase that stretch, but it stops the bleeding and gives the South Siders something to build on in the early going.
Munetaka Murakami set the tone at the plate, turning in the top offensive performance for Chicago with a 28.5-fantasy-point day at first base. The White Sox needed his production given how inconsistent the lineup had looked over the previous week, and Murakami delivered when it mattered.
On the mound, Anthony Kay was arguably the story of the game. The right-hander posted 28.0 fantasy points in a bullpen-game role, essentially matching Murakami's offensive output with a stabilizing outing that kept Cleveland's bats in check. In a stretch where Chicago's pitching staff has been shredded — allowing 14 runs to Boston just days earlier — Kay's performance was exactly what the Sox needed.
Center fielder Tristan Peters chipped in 24.5 fantasy points, giving Chicago three players north of 24 points and providing the kind of top-heavy production that can carry a lineup even when the middle of the order goes quiet. Chase Meidroth added 12.0 points at second base, and Andrew Benintendi contributed 11.0 as the designated hitter, rounding out a balanced attack that spread the damage around instead of leaning on one or two hitters.
Cleveland managed just three runs in the loss, unable to keep pace with a Chicago lineup that got contributions up and down the order.
For Chicago, the encouraging sign was the balance. Six different players cracked positive fantasy production, an indication that the offense — which had gone ice-cold against Boston — found some rhythm again. Whether that holds up remains the question. This White Sox team has shown it can beat Cleveland one day and lose to Boston in lopsided fashion the next, so consistency is still the missing ingredient.
It's early in the 2026 season, and both of these clubs have shown flashes of quality and stretches of real trouble. Saturday's result won't define either team's year, but for a White Sox club that desperately needed a win, Murakami's bat and Kay's arm provided exactly that.
