SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rookie Munetaka Murakami hit a bases-clearing, bases-loaded double in his second plate appearance of a wild nine-run fourth inning, Andrew Benintendi doubled in two runs earlier in the frame to help back Davis Martin's latest strong outing, and the Chicago White Sox beat the San Francisco Giants 9-4 on Friday night.
Giants right-hander Trevor McDonald (2-1) retired the first nine Chicago hitters in order then didn't make it out of the fourth. He plunked leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci then followed by hitting Murakami. Colson Montgomery hit a single for Chicago's first hit one out later to load the bases and Chase Meidroth drew walk to force home the first run before Benintendi's double.
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San Francisco Giants center fielder Harrison Bader (9) catches a fly ball hit by Chicago White Sox's Andrew Benintendi next to right fielder Drew Gilbert, left, during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Fans at Oracle Park go "tarps off" during the eighth inning of a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
San Francisco Giants' Jung Hoo Lee stands in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami (5) and Colson Montgomery (12) celebrate after both scored on Andrew Benintendi's two-run double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami, left, stands at first base with first base coach Jose Leger after Murakami was hit by a pitch during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
The nine runs allowed by the Giants in the fourth were their most in any inning since surrendering nine to the Athletics in the fifth inning on Aug. 16, 2020.
Martin (7-1) struck out seven and walked two over 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. He is 11-2 over his 19 outings since Aug. 10 last year while allowing three earned runs or fewer 18 of those appearances until Friday. The right-hander struck out seven or more batters for the sixth straight start.
Chicago won for the ninth time in 12 games, improving its interleague record in the Giants' ballpark to 9-3.
Hundreds of fans at Oracle Park removed their shirts and twirled them in the eighth inning in the trending “tarps off” phenomenon taking place in ballparks everywhere.
A couple of hours before first pitch, the Giants placed right fielder Jung Hoo Lee on the 10-day injured list with a mid-back strain and called up outfield prospect Victor Bericoto from Triple-A Sacramento.
The 24-year-old Venezuelan made his major league as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the eighth and struck out swinging then stayed in the game to play right field.
RHP Erick Fedde (0-4, 4.30 ERA) was set to take the mound for the White Sox in the middle game of the series opposite Giants RHP Adrian Houser (2-4, 5.25).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
San Francisco Giants center fielder Harrison Bader (9) catches a fly ball hit by Chicago White Sox's Andrew Benintendi next to right fielder Drew Gilbert, left, during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Fans at Oracle Park go "tarps off" during the eighth inning of a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
San Francisco Giants' Jung Hoo Lee stands in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami (5) and Colson Montgomery (12) celebrate after both scored on Andrew Benintendi's two-run double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami, left, stands at first base with first base coach Jose Leger after Murakami was hit by a pitch during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Friday, May 22, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Avalanche, the NHL's best team during the regular season, are in serious danger thanks to a Vegas squad that's on a run after a late-season coaching change.
“I don’t think people had this on their bingo card,” Golden Knights defenseman Dylan Coghlan said. “We knew we could do it.”
Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev scored in a 2:07 span in the third period and the Golden Knights stunned the Avalanche 3-1 on Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Final.
Eichel tied it, then set up Barbashev for the go-ahead goal with 8:38 remaining. Barbashev added an empty-netter with 1:03 left. The comeback stunned the capacity crowd and wiped out the top-seeded Avalanche's 1-0 lead.
By winning twice at Ball Arena, the Golden Knights put the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche in a huge hole. Since 1982, road teams that started 2-0 in the conference finals have a 13-0 series record.
“They understand the situation,” said Vegas coach John Tortorella, who has watched his team go 17-4-1 since he took over on March 29. “I’m not sure where the series goes. I’m not sure where Game 3 goes. But I know I’m not going to have to worry about that, because they get it."
Carter Hart had another stellar performance, stopping 29 shots. He made 36 saves in a 4-2 win on Wednesday.
Colorado was cruising after Ross Colton opened the scoring in the first period. But things unraveled for the Avalanche in the third. Eichel lined a shot past Scott Wedgewood for his first goal in 11 games to get Vegas on the board.
“I haven’t scored in a million days,” he cracked.
The Golden Knights then took advantage of a miscue — Devon Toews and Brock Nelson struggled to clear the puck along the boards in the Avalanche end — as Eichel sent a pass to Barbashev, who rang in a shot off the post.
This was the fourth third-period comeback by the Golden Knights in this postseason, the most in a single playoffs in team history, according to NHL Stats.
“Just resiliency,” Hart said. “That’s the key word for our group here — we’ve just stuck in games and just grinded it out, and just battled. Resiliency, that’s a term that describes our group really well. We’re never out of the fight, and we’re always grinding in games.”
Game 3 is Sunday night in Las Vegas. The Avalanche are hoping to have star defenseman Cale Makar back in the lineup. He has missed the last two games because of an upper-body injury.
“There's urgency to get him back since he got hurt,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “He's doing all the work he can possibly do to get back as fast as he can.”
Before the Golden Knights' rally, the Avalanche were 45-0-0 when leading after two periods in the regular season and playoffs combined.
“It stings for sure right now,” Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “But tomorrow we’ll wake up, have a meeting, fly to Vegas and regroup. That’s all you can do.”
Vegas struggled on the power play, going 0 of 4. The team also saw defenseman Brayden McNabb limp to the locker room in the first period soon after taking a check along the boards. He returned for the third period. The hard-checking Golden Knights finished with 32 hits and 16 blocked shots.
“We know how hard it is to win,” Eichel said. “A lot of that falls on playing hard defensively.”
Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson briefly left late in the second period after delivering a check on Barbashev and then ramming his face into the boards.
Wedgewood had 22 saves.
“We can't ride the emotional roller-coaster like fans,” Bednar said. “If you lose Game 1, you're getting swept. If you win Game 1, we're sweeping them. That's not reality. You have to deal with the task at hand and what's to come. We're not going to try and win four games the next night in Vegas. We're going to try to win one game.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood prepares for the second period in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Vegas Golden Knights left wing Ivan Barbashev, front, falls after being tripped by Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) during the second period in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Friday, May 22, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) drives with the puck as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brett Kulak (27) and center Martin Necas (88) defend while Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin (15) trails the play during the second period in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Friday, May 22, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Vegas Golden Knights center Nic Dowd, left, puts a shot on Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood during the first period in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Friday, May 22, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Vegas Golden Knights left wing Ivan Barbashev, center, is congratulated by Vegas Golden Knights defensemen Rasmus Andersson, left, and Noah Hanifin during the third period in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche Friday, May 22, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
