No Munetaka Murakami? Shane Smith Scaries, and More White Sox Lineup Thoughts
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On the cusp of a .500 record, the Chicago White Sox came up just short against the Baltimore Orioles in the series opener. The good news is that they still kept things close and got another strong performance from their pitching staff. Grant Taylor threw a third scoreless first as an opener before Erick Fedde came in and held Baltimore to only two earned runs. Even more encouraging, he was able to go a full 6.0 innings to take some pressure off the Sox' tired bullpen.
The bad news is that the team only walked away with four hits and didn't come around the bases until the bottom of the ninth. Likewise, they ended up losing veteran outfielder Austin Hays in the process. He is now on the IL with a hamstring strain, leading to Dustin Harris getting the call-up from Triple-A.
Bouncing back this afternoon is going to be difficult, especially against one of the Orioles' top arms. The Sox will also go with another unique lineup that includes sitting their most consistent bat of the season. Expect another low-scoring affair in this one, particularly with the game already moved up due to cold conditions.
Game Info
Who: Baltimore Orioles (4-6) at Chicago White Sox (4-6)
Where: Guaranteed Rate Field
When: 2:10 PM CT
Watch: Chicago Sports Network, MLB.TV
Listen: ESPN 1000
White Sox Lineup
1. Chase Meidroth, 2B
2. Lenyn Sosa, 1B
3. Miguel Vargas, DH
4. Colson Montgomery, SS
5. Edgar Quero, C
6. Tanner Murray, 3B
7. Andrew Benintendi, LF
8. Luisangel Acuña, CF
9. Derek Hill, RF
Munetaka Murakami will have his first day off of the season. He is one of only a handful of Sox players to appear in all ten games thus far, and he's undoubtedly welcomed himself to the Majors in style. The overseas star has looked as good as advertised with four home runs, seven walks, and 19 total bases. To be sure, his last two outings have been rather quiet, as he's failed to come up with a hit. But Murakami has still drawn a walk in each game, continuing to show that he's more than just a big swing player.
I'm sure some fans wanted to see what Murakami could do against one of the best pitchers the Sox have faced so far this season. But with the last two games being somewhat underwhelming and Rogers being a lethal lefty, this is likely the right day to give Murakami his first chance to sit.
Edgar Quero has moved up the board and will bat fifth behind Colson Montgomery. The second-year catcher has come back down to earth after a fantastic outing in Arizona. In fact, he is only sitting with four hits on a .174 batting average so far. Hitting lefties, however, was Quero's specialty last season (.357/.394/.457). The switch-hitter has only gotten two at-bats against a southpaw up until this point, which led to one walk.
Lastly, fans should expect to see more of Derek Hill. The veteran has mainly seen his action off the bench, but he will draw his second start of the year with both Everson Pereira and now Austin Hays on the IL. Tanner Murray is also making his first appearance at third base with the Sox and only his second start. He has yet to record a hit with the team, but he had a miraculous defensive play to help them pull off their sweep against the Blue Jays.
Baltimore Orioles
1. Taylor Ward, LF
2. Gunnar Henderson, SS
3. Pete Alonso, 1B
4. Samuel Basallo, C
5. Dylan Beavers, RF
6. Jeremiah Jackson, 2B
7. Colton Cowser, CF
8. Coby Mayo, 3B
9. Blaze Alexander, SS
Pitching Matchup
White Sox – Shane Smith, RHP
*gulp*
The Shane Smith scaries are real. What was an extremely feel-good story in 2025 has turned into anything but during the beginning of his second big league campaign. To be sure, there is still time for him to settle into a rhythm, as this will be only his third appearance on the mound. However, the 19.29 ERA says it all, right? The truth is, he has been a liability with 10 earned runs in just 4.2 innings of action. Smith has also thrown a whopping 126 pitches in those innings!
The good news for Smith is that the Baltimore offense hasn't been all that explosive to start the year. But that might not matter when we consider how shaky Smith has looked. If he can't find a better rhythm this afternoon, there are going to be some serious questions about his role moving forward.
Baltimore Orioles – Trevor Rogers, LHP
Unlike Smith, Trevor Rogers has picked up where he left off. After throwing a 1.81 ERA in 18 starts last season, the lefty has given up just two earned runs in his first 13.0 innings pitched this year. His groundball rate is through the roof as he continues to limit hard contact and have fantastic command. Rogers combines a strong four-seamer with a deadly change-up. He'll also sprinkle in a tough sinker against fellow lefties.
Elias Schuster is a sports journalist and content creator from the northern suburbs of Chicago. A graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has covered the Bulls since 2019-20 and previously served as the editor of BN Bulls at Bleacher Nation. He has been the Publisher for Bulls On SI since December of the 2025-26 season. When he isn't obsessing over hoops, Elias spends his time obsessing over practically every other sport – much to his wife's dismay. He also loves strolling the streets of Chicago for the best cozy bar or restaurant to set up shop and write his next article.
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