Colson Montgomery’s grand slam, another Murakami homer can’t save White Sox from bullpen meltdown

MILWAUKEE — It looked like a Colson Montgomery grand slam and yet another home run from Munetaka Murakami on Sunday might cure what had ailed the White Sox on a nauseating opening weekend.

But a revamped Sox bullpen showed the same leaks it has for years as a six-run eighth-inning meltdown gave way to a deflating 9-7 loss to the Brewers, capped by Christian Yelich’s go-ahead three-run blast off newly signed Sox closer Seranthony Dominguez.

It all but snuffed out any positive takeaways for the Sox, who led by five runs but still got swept by last year’s NLCS contenders.

“Certainly some things that we have to work on,” manager Will Venable said of his squad’s ugly first series. “Some of the things that we emphasized in spring training that we got exposed with, to be honest.”

The Sox were shoddy in all phases in their first two blowout losses, but their bats came alive early in the finale.

Montgomery launched the second grand slam of his young career after the Sox flooded the bases to lead off the game with walks drawn by second baseman Chase Meidroth and Murakami, followed by third baseman Miguel Vargas’ bloop single.

There was no doubt about the 104-mph blast Montgomery launched 405 feet over the center field wall for his first homer of the season after a whacking 21 his rookie year.

Milwaukee bounced back against Sox starter Anthony Kay with a two-run homer from Gary Sanchez in the bottom of the inning, but Murakami responded with his third dinger in his third career game, glancing off Milwaukee right fielder Sal Frelick’s glove to escape American Family Field.

The usually stoic Murakami pumped a fist as he rounded the bases, becoming just the fourth player in MLB history to go yard in each of his first three career games.

“I’m truly grateful and happy that I was able to keep that kind of record, but like I said before, there’s still a long way to go and a lot of ways to improve,” Murakami said through a translator.

Montgomery tabbed his fifth RBI of the game later that inning with a base knock to score Vargas, who had singled and stolen second on a brutal afternoon for Brewers starter Brandon Sproat.

Sox right fielder Everson Pereira, who had a forgettable first two games, spanked one 403 feet the next inning off Sproat, who was rocked for seven runs on four walks and six hits.

Kay bent but didn’t break in 4 ⅔ innings of two-run ball, giving up three hits and four walks to go with five strikeouts in his Sox debut after signing a two-year, $12 million deal following a stint in Japan.

Offseason arrival Chris Murphy dug the Sox’ eighth inning hole and left a one-out, bases-loaded jam for the closer Dominguez, who drew a popout and was a strike away from escaping, till Luis Rengifo dribbled a two-run single up the middle. Then Yelich delivered the dagger with a 421-foot, pinch-hit bomb to the upper deck.

“I was so close to getting out of that inning and just made a big mistake right down the middle,” Dominguez said.

Outscored 29-10 in their first series, a deflated Sox squad heads to Miami in search of their first win — and any hint that this rebuild can take a serious step forward in 2026.

“You are going to take your lumps like any team does,” general manager Chris Getz said before the Sox took three big ones to start the year. “I do think that as the season progresses, much like the second half last year, there will be stretches where we are really starting to be competitive on a regular basis and winning series against clubs that are at the top of the division or the top of the league.”