SAN FRANCISCO — The White Sox’ biggest inning of offense in three years made up for one of ace Davis Martin’s only uneven starts of the season en route to a 9-4 victory Friday night to open their three-game set against the Giants.
The Sox went hitless outside their fourth-inning outburst, which came without any home runs — another rarity for this season’s homer-happy squad.
“It’s a little different for us, but that’s what the offense can do,” said Martin, whose ERA rose to a still-stellar 2.04, third-lowest in the American League. “We can win and do different things.”
Giants starter Trevor McDonald mowed down the Sox’ first run through the order but unraveled as he hit Sam Antonacci and Munetaka Murakami with pitches to open the fourth. A Colson Montgomery single, a Chase Meidroth walk and an Andrew Benintendi double later, and the Sox had three on the board.
The nightmare inning for San Fran dragged on with a run-scoring fielder’s choice by Edgar Quero and an RBI single for Derek Hill before Antonacci got hit again in the same inning by Giants reliever and Mundelein native Ryan Borucki to load the bases. Murakami cleared them with a double to the left-field corner to make it 8-0.
what a 4th inning! 👏 pic.twitter.com/zIzjp28yph
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 23, 2026
The Giants looked like they were finally about to escape the inning on Miguel Vargas’ grounder, but shortstop Willy Adames’ throw sailed down the first-base line to score Murakami. Borucki finally struck out Montgomery to end the inning, drawing sarcastic applause at Oracle Park.
The nine-spot marked the most the Sox had scored in an inning since their 11-run outburst against the Reds on May 7, 2023.
Antonacci’s double-plunking in a single inning was a franchise first, according to the team, and not since former Cub John Lackey hit Jose Abreu, Matt Davidson and Yoan Moncada in the fifth inning of their July 25, 2017, Crosstown matchup had three Sox been beaned in a frame.
“Sounds fitting for Sam,” manager Will Venable said. “That’s part of his game, which is rare for guys… He stands in there, doesn’t get out of the way sometimes. So credit for him for standing in there.”
The Giants loaded the bases against Martin in the fifth, plating two as Adames grounded into a forceout and Luis Arraez knocked an infield single through the left side. After a wild pitch from Martin, San Francisco left fielder Casey Schmitt’s groundout added another to make it 9-3.
Matt Chapman doubled off Martin to open San Francisco’s half of the sixth and came around on catcher Jesus Rodriguez’s groundout. When Montgomery fumbled a grounder that would’ve ended the inning, manager Will Venable called it a night for Martin at 5 ⅔ innings with four runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.
It was just the second start of 10 in Martin’s breakout season that he’s given up more than two runs, ending a six-start streak of one-run or shutout outings. He gave up three runs over five innings in his first outing of the year in Miami.
Relievers Tyler Davis, Brandon Eisert and Trevor Richards did the rest.
“It’s always good to have a bad day when your offense scores nine,” Davis said.