Miguel Vargas blasted a grand slam and drove in six runs, Austin Hays slugged a three-run homer, and the Chicago White Sox earned their first win of the season, beating the host Miami Marlins 9-4 on Monday.
Munetaka Murakami, the first player ever to homer in his first three games with the White Sox, went 1-for-4, but his home run streak ended.
Chicago, which is coming off three straight 100-loss years, bounced back after losing three straight to the Milwaukee Brewers last week.
The Marlins took their first loss after a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies. Miami was led by Liam Hicks, who hit a two-run homer and added an RBI single.
Chicago starter Davis Martin (1-0) allowed five hits, two walks and three runs in five innings. He struck out six.
White Sox reliever Sean Newcomb was impressive, allowing just one run and striking out five in 2 2/3 innings. Jordan Hicks got four outs to earn his first save with his new team.
Chris Paddack (0-1) made his Marlins debut, allowing eight hits and eight runs in four innings. He struck out six without issuing a walk. Paddack, 30, was drafted by Miami in the eighth round in 2015, but he was soon traded and finally returned to the team in February on a one-year contract.
Chicago opened the scoring with a four-run third inning. Everson Pereira doubled and scored on Vargas’ two-out single. After a Murakami single, Hays hit an opposite-field dinger down the line in right.
The White Sox scored four more in the fourth as Tristan Peters and Pereira singled and Luisangel Acuna was hit by a pitch to set up Vargas for his 402-foot slam on a hanging changeup.
Miami got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on Liam Hicks’ homer that followed a Xavier Edwards walk.
The Marlins cut their deficit to 8-3 in the fifth as Griffin Conine doubled and scored on Jakob Marsee’s two-out single.
In the sixth, the White Sox stretched their lead to 9-3. Acuna walked on four pitches, stole second and third and scored on Vargas’ sacrifice fly. Miami challenged the play at the plate, but Acuna was safe with a head-first dive.
The Marlins pulled within 9-4 in the eighth as Marsee hit a leadoff triple and scored on Liam Hicks’ bloop, two-out single. Later in the inning, Miami loaded the bases, but Jordan Hicks entered and got Connor Norby on a broken-bat liner to second base.
–Field Level Media
