What Went Right in White Sox' Second Straight Series Win
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For the first time in 2026, the Chicago White Sox picked up back-to-back series victories.
Of course, the dugout has Munetaka Murakami to thank for a lot of their recent success. The Japanese power hitter has been a revelation, looking like a true superstar with an MLB-leading 10 home runs in his first 24 career games. Nevertheless, we all know baseball is a team sport, and the Sox don't pull off the upset over the Diamondbacks without a well-rounded effort.
Let's talk about three things that went very right for Chicago as they took down the Diamondbacks on Thursday night.
Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery
While Munetaka Murakami stole the show on the West Coast with his first-straight games with a home run, the efforts of Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery shouldn't be overlooked. Both infielders proved to be equally essential parts of pushing this offense in the right direction with their own power hitting.
Montgomery now has six straight games with a hit, and three of these performances have been multi-hit showings. His own home run streak of four-straight games did come to an end in the series-clinching win on Thursday, but he still finished the evening with three knocks.
As for Vargas, he has recorded at least one hit in six of his last seven outings. This included recording three straight games with a bomb before picking up a fifth RBI in four games with a single that tied the game in the top of the third. The third baseman also deserves a lot of credit for his eye at the plate during the last week-plus. Vargas has seven walks since April 18, bumping his season total to 17. Not only does this put him second on the team behind Murakami, but it ties him for the seventh-most walks in the league.
For what it's worth, many anticipated that Montgomery would be able to make this kind of impact at the plate. He showed elite bat speed during his rookie campaign, posting 21 homers in just 71 career games. Vargas, however, continues to be a very pleasant surprise.
Fans weren't sure what to expect from the former Dodger when he arrived in 2024, especially with how much he struggled at the plate in LA. Vargas arrived with only a .201 batting average over his career, as well as only 23 home runs in three years. The adjustments he's made since have worked wonders. Vargas had a career high of 60 RBIs in 2025 and already has 13 this season, which is third on the team. His five homers also sit behind only Murakami and Montgomery, who have been two of the top power hitters in baseball.
The Sox have no lack of infield talent across their organization, which will continue to put Vargas' long-term future in question. But the 26-year-old is giving the front office reason to believe that he could be an important part of turning things around. This latest series was just another reminder of that.
Andrew Benintendi!?
What started as another frustrating year for Andrew Benintendi has slowly started to move in the right direction. The veteran has looked far more comfortable at the plate, proving to be a significant part of winning both the opener and closer against Arizona.
Benintendi would get on base twice in their first meeting, starting the game with a lead-off single that helped lead to an early 2-0 advantage. The Sox would go on to cruise to an 11-5 victory. Jump ahead to Thursday night, and Benintendi would record two more knocks, which included a clutch late homer in the top of the ninth.
Chicago was tied with the Diamondbacks as they went into the final frame 1-1. Closing out games has been arguably their biggest problem over the last year-plus, and it's this exact kind of problem you want to see a more experienced player like Benintendi help solve. He did that in this one, smashing a 410-foot game-winning home run that put the Sox up 4-1.
Benintendi likely isn't destined to become one of the Sox' most consistent offensive threats this season. But what he's provided them lately is finally something they can work with.
Davis Martin Looks Like An Ace
The moment the 2026 starting rotation was announced, White Sox fans were already thinking about the possible changes. Now, did they expect Shane Smith to be the first casualty? Heck no, but almost everyone knew it was only a matter of time before some of the team's young arms began to steal some starts.
The only arm that felt safe was arguably Anthony Kay, who was signed to starting-caliber money after his strong bounce-back campaign in Japan. Even Davis Martin, who has been a mainstay in the Sox rotation over the last handful of seasons, felt like he could see his workload decrease with so many high-upside prospects waiting in the wings.
7 Ks for Davis Martin today 👏 pic.twitter.com/jxlIMrsGrD
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 24, 2026
Well, I think it's safe to say that is no longer the case. Martin has been the Sox' best starter over the first month of the season, recording a 2.01 ERA over his five games. He added seven more strikeouts to the board against the Diamondbacks on Thursday to bring him to a team-high 26 on the year. The right has also been fantastic at limiting his walks thus far, holding a walk rate that ranks inside the 84th percentile.
Martin's deep arsenal has really worked in his favor. Not someone who is necessarily known for his velocity, he has kept opponents on their toes with a six-pitch tool bag. Overall, it's been a really balanced and impressive display up until this point, and the Sox should be able to go into his upcoming starts pretty darn comfortable.
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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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