ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Chicago White Sox trio of Miguel Vargas, Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery joined rare company Friday.
The three homered in the same game for the fifth time this season, which according to Elias ties the major-league (10th time) and franchise (second time) records.
“In the lineup, having three guys who can hit the ball really well is always a threat to the opposing team,” Murakami said through an interpreter. “So we just want to continue that and contribute to the team win and keep going.”
Andrew Benintendi also homered Friday for the Sox in a 6-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays in front of 20,661 at Tropicana Field.
Vargas, Murakami and Montgomery joined the 2004 grouping of Joe Crede, Paul Konerko and José Valentín as Sox trios to accomplish the feat. The last time a major-league trio did so was in 2019, by Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager and Joc Pederson of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“To have those guys right in the middle of your lineup do that five times is really special,” Sox manager Will Venable said. “And obviously tonight that was huge. To be able to get a really good pitcher like that who was really good.
“Take Colson for example, first couple of at-bats (Rays starter Nick) Martinez didn’t give him anything to hit at all. And then finally he got something to hit, and it’s nice to see him do that. A great job and nice to have some slug there in the middle of the lineup.”
The pop helped the first-place Sox extend their lead in the American League Central. They now have three-game edge over the Cleveland Guardians, who lost 4-1 to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas high-fives teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Rays in the first inning Friday, July 31, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Mike Carlson/Getty)
Vargas began the power display, hitting a home run — his 23rd of the season — with two outs in the first inning. It went 433 feet and had an exit velocity of 107.8 mph.
“He continues to take good swings on good pitches, and make good swing decisions, and you kind of feel like he’s really settled in all year, just having those consistent at-bats where he always has a chance,” Venable said.
White Sox designated hitter Andrew Benintendi high-fives teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Rays in the second inning Friday, July 31, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Mike Carlson/Getty)
Benintendi’s home run in the second inning, his 11th, went 405 feet.
“He’s been really consistent,” Venable said. “Maybe didn’t get off to his biggest, best start but got into a nice stretch where he’s been really consistent and really hitting the ball hard. Feel like he’s always hitting the ball hard. And he’s come through in a lot of big spots for us.”
White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Rays in the third inning Friday, July 31, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Mike Carlson/Getty)
Murakami extended the lead to 4-0 with his two-run blast — his 24th — to left-center in the third inning.
“We feel like he’s covering everything,” Venable said.
The Rays’ lone run came in the fourth on a solo home run by Junior Caminero, his 30th.
Sox starter Erick Fedde allowed one run on four hits with six strikeouts and no walks in five innings.
“One of my better ones of the year, I think,” Fedde said. “Felt like I really had a good three-pitch mix going and just able to keep the guys off-balanced, throwing the cutter up and being able to backdoor the sweeper just makes it, I feel like, really tough to cover the whole plate. The game plan worked out well.”
He appreciated the offensive support.
“They make my job easy when they give me big leads and I know if I can put up quality innings and keep it close, they are probably going to add on,” Fedde said. “The power on this team is unbelievable. It’s fun to be on our side of it.”
Fedde later added: “When the guys are hot and swinging like that, I think we are arguably one of the best lineups in the league.”
The Sox added on in the sixth when Montgomery hit his two-run home run, which went 425 feet, to extend the lead to 6-1. The shortstop has a team-high 25 home runs.
“When (Vargas) hits a homer or Mune hits a homer, it’s just one of those things where it kind of just eases the pressure off of you of not really having to do too much,” Montgomery said. “So when both of them, (Vargas) starting the game off hitting a homer and getting us going, it’s ‘All right, we’re ahead now,’ now everybody plays to our strengths.
“But it’s definitely a weapon, having those three. Can’t count out (Benintendi) too. (Benintendi) hits homers. I think our offense is starting to click.”