Prolific HR hitters face off as White Sox, Nationals open series

After winning both series on a six-game road trip, the Chicago White Sox will aim to stop a six-game home losing streak when they face the Washington Nationals on Friday night in the first contest of a three-game set.

Chicago swept the reigning American League champion Toronto Blue Jays in the first week of April but hasn't won at home since, absorbing sweeps from the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays.

A jelling attack helped the White Sox score at least four runs in every game of their recent trip, against the Athletics and Arizona Diamondbacks.

"Obviously, you go through spring and then the first few weeks here," Chicago outfielder Andrew Benintendi said. "The chemistry has been there from day one."

Benintendi delivered a go-ahead, three-run home run in the ninth inning Thursday to key a 4-1 victory in Phoenix.

Washington relied on the long ball during its home matinee against Atlanta earlier in the day, but solo homers from James Wood and CJ Abrams weren't enough in a 7-2 loss.

The Nationals didn't register a hit after Daylen Lile singled with two outs in the fourth inning as Washington dropped its third game of a four-game series against the Braves.

The Nationals will turn to right-hander Miles Mikolas (0-3, 9.15 ERA) against the White Sox on Friday.

Mikolas has worked in bulk relief in his past two outings after making three starts to begin his Washington career. He has had success against the White Sox, going 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts, with 12 strikeouts in 13 innings.

Washington is expected to promote prospect Riley Cornelio to pitch in relief, according to The Athletic. A seventh-round pick of the Nationals in 2022, Cornelio went 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in four starts for Triple-A Rochester.

White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami enters on a six-game hitting streak, with home runs in five of the past six contests.

"I'm just running out of things to say (about Murakami)," Chicago manager Will Venable said. "Obviously, he continues to put himself in a really good spot to take good swings on good pitches, making great swing decisions, and making a ton of contact. And when he hits it, he hits it really hard.

"Even the singles he's hitting, he's hitting hard, and obviously the damage is incredible, too. So, yeah, it's impressive to watch."

Murakami has 10 home runs this season, but just two have come at Rate Field, where he is batting .185 compared with .283 on the road.

Wood is doing the long-ball damage for the Nationals. His 10 home runs lead the National League.

"It's unbelievable. I wish I had his pop," Lile said about Wood. "Seeing James, and just seeing him go about his day and his routine, just the confidence is there."

Left-hander Bryan Hudson (0-0, 1.69 ERA) is scheduled to start for Chicago as an opener on Friday and give way to right-hander Erick Fedde (0-3, 3.92). Hudson has pitched in 11 games in relief this season. Fedde opened his career with the Nationals, who selected him in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft.

Fedde struggled with his command on Saturday when he took a no-decision in a 7-6 extra-innings loss to the host Athletics, walking a season-high four in 4 2/3 innings. He scattered three runs and two hits while striking out three and has yielded a home run in three consecutive appearances.

Fedde is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two career starts against Washington, with 14 strikeouts in 16 innings.

--Field Level Media