Chase Meidroth, Munetaka Murakami mash — but Brewers smash White Sox’ Opening Day hopes 14-2

MILWAUKEE — Hopes are rarely higher than they are before first pitch on Opening Day.

Chase Meidroth sent the White Sox’ good vibes soaring to a new stratosphere Thursday with a 417-foot laser over the left-field wall at American Family Field, slugging the first Opening Day leadoff home run in franchise history — and stoking hope for a big step forward for his rebuilding squad.

But it didn’t take long for Jacob Misiorowski and last year’s NLCS-finalist Brewers to send the Sox crashing back down to earth, reminding them just how far they have to go to catch up with a contending franchise that seems to do all the little things right.

Big ones, too, as Misiorowski recovered to mow down 11 Sox hitters over five innings, while Shane Smith couldn’t escape the second in a slog of an Opening Day for the Sox, who were clobbered by Milwaukee 14-2.

A pair of walks and an interference call on second-year Sox catcher Edgar Quero led to an RBI single for Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz in the second inning, before William Contreras cleared a loaded set of bases with a double down the left-field line to end Smith’s day early. Smith’s first line following an All-Star rookie campaign included four runs, three earned, off three hits and two walks to go with two strikeouts over 1 ⅔ innings.

Milwaukee went on to get another pair of runs off free-agent arrival Sean Newcomb and then two more off lefty reliever Tyler Gilbert, who yielded a two-run bomb to Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick in the fifth inning.

The wheels fell off from there, with Milwaukee tagging another offseason addition, Jordan Hicks, for two runs, while Sox bats mustered nothing against the flame-throwing Misiorowski.

Not that there weren’t flashes of hope for the Sox’ future on display. The Sox’ biggest addition, Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, showed impressive discipline in his first two plate appearances, working full counts for two walks against Misiorowski.

Murakami's first official at-bat didn’t come until the seventh inning, when he grounded out to first base. And he saved his real welcome for the ninth inning with a 384-foot moonshot of a home run over the right-field fence for his first career hit.

Quero made Sox history behind the dish with the first successful challenge in team history under MLB’s new Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System. It happened on the first batter the Sox faced this season, with Quero correcting home plate umpire Mark Wegner on a changeup from Smith to Brewers second baseman Brice Turang.

Quero got two more bad calls overturned as well, but was overruled on his fourth challenge.

But it was a tough opening afternoon for other key components of general manager Chris Getz’ organizational overhaul. Shortstop Colson Montgomery and third baseman Miguel Vargas each went hitless with three strikeouts apiece.

The Sox threatened to get on the board once more with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, but newly signed left fielder Austin Hays struck out.