Murakami Sōtaka hits two homers for White Sox in Chicago, matching Ohtani’s rookie record

Japanese infielder Murakami Sōtaka, playing for the Chicago White Sox, recorded a 21st two‑run home run in his first at‑bat of the game against the Oakland Athletics and followed it with a second homer later in the contest. The blasts marked his first home run in two months and coincided with a ceremonial first pitch thrown by his parents, an event dubbed “Bubblehead Day”. The performance matched the home‑run total Shohei Ohtani achieved in his first MLB season.

Murakami’s display came as he returned from an injury stint earlier in the month and has drawn significant attention from fans in Chicago and Japanese baseball followers alike.