Munetaka Murakami launched a high fly ball with an exit velocity of 107.6 mph in the first inning Friday against the Minnesota Twins.
But center fielder Walker Jenkins tracked it down in front of the warning track for an out.
That’s the way it has been going lately for the Chicago White Sox first baseman, who was 5-for-59 — an .085 average — in his last 16 games coming into Saturday.
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“There have been a bunch of those,” manager Will Venable said before Saturday’s game against the Twins at Rate Field. “As we’ve seen him make more contact, it has been some of that type of contact where he’s hitting the ball extremely hard but just extremely high. I think he’s a click away from flattening some of those swings out and hitting them over the fence.
“At the same time, as long as he continues to make good swing decisions, just the presence he is and out there playing hard, he’s helping us win. So, hopefully those high fly balls are signs of good things to come.”
Murakami got back to form in the first inning Saturday, hitting a two-run home run to left field. It was his 30th of the season, making him the third Sox player to reach the milestone in two days after Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery did so Friday. Montgomery belted his 31st on Saturday with a solo shot two batters after Murakami.
It was Murakami’s first home run since Aug. 18. In the last 16 games entering Saturday, he had one double among the five hits and one RBI. He’s still drawing walks (12) but also has 27 strikeouts in the period.
“There have been at-bats where I’ve been thinking about too much of getting the angles too much higher on the swings,” Murakami said through an interpreter Thursday in Houston. “And even on the normal outs, I’ve been a little bit negative on the mental side about, even if I have a good at-bat and it’s an out, I’ve been a bit negative on that.
“It’s important for me to really think in a positive way, even if it’s out. There are good swings, good at-bats. Just differentiating what I’m doing good and what I’m doing bad even if it’s one out, I think it’s the key for the future.”
Murakami is focused on keeping “the same routine, the same preparation each day, each game.”
“Very important to continue that,” Murakami said. “And once that comes along, it’s going to be a different road again. That’s where I’m trying to go.”
The Sox are confident that road will lead to more success.
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“Players go through different experiences throughout their season — they’re riding the highs and at times riding the lows a little bit,” general manager Chris Getz said Friday. “That’s why this clubhouse has been so successful, because they’ve supported one another.
“It’s not just one player. I know Mune wants to be productive on a regular basis, but there are other players that have stepped up along the way. Let’s just go out there and compete. He’s still a threat at the plate, even though he doesn’t feel like he’s perhaps optimal on an at-bat-to-at-bat basis, but that doesn’t mean he’s not taking his walks and just the threat that he brings to the table is impactful to the entirety of the lineup.”
The Sox signed Murakami to a two-year, $34 million deal during the offseason. He made an instant impact and was named an All-Star even after missing 35 games because of a right hamstring strain.
“Mune’s meant a lot to this organization, he has,” Getz said when asked Friday about conversations of a contract extension. “He’s been part of the success that we’ve had this year. It’s helped us win games. It’s helped others gain confidence up here and belief that you can win games. That’s certainly something that we’re grateful for and thankful that we’ve gotten the opportunity to get to know him further. He’s a tremendous teammate, hard worker and he’s been productive.
“I know right now he hasn’t been as productive as he had been earlier in the year, but he’s still a threat at the plate, taking his walks, and we know that he’s a power threat. We’re going to continue to have those conversations and see where it takes us.”
He has been a key component for the team’s turnaround, slashing .213/.353/.486 with 30 home runs and 61 RBIs on the season after the first-inning homer Saturday. He is second on the team with 81 walks and 158 strikeouts.
After batting .147 in 28 games in August, Murakami is aiming to turn it around to aid in September.
“We are just really glad that in September, we are at this position,” Murakami said. “We want to not take that for granted but really appreciate where we stand. Just going into each game not thinking too much about the future, but really focusing on each game, each day at a time.
“I think if you keep continuing that, we end up in a good spot at the end of September.”