Sean Burke delivered six strong innings. New manager Will Venable celebrated his first major league victory as the Chicago White Sox opened the 2025 season with an emphatic 8-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.
Andrew Benintendi, Lenyn Sosa, and Austin Slater each homered, helping Chicago kick off the season on a high note after a historically rough 2024 campaign in which they went 41-121, setting a modern-era record for most losses.
Venable, 42, takes the helm amid a full-scale rebuild. The former MLB outfielder was previously the associate manager for the Texas Rangers and now begins his first year leading a big-league club.
Yusei Kikuchi (0-1) debuted for the Angels, allowing three runs over six innings. The veteran lefty from Japan signed a three-year, $63 million deal in the offseason. The loss marked Los Angeles’s 11th opening-day defeat in the past 12 seasons, and their fourth straight.
Burke (1-0) scattered three hits, struck out three, and didn’t issue a walk over six scoreless innings. The White Sox bullpen followed with three clean innings from Penn Murfee, Jordan Leasure, and Mike Clevinger, before Cam Booser allowed a solo homer to Logan O’Hoppe in the ninth for the Angels’ lone run.
Rookie pitcher Ryan Johnson struggled in his MLB debut for the Angels, giving up several late runs. Utility infielder Nicky Lopez took the mound to record the final out of the eighth — his first pitching appearance for Los Angeles.
Key Moment
With Chicago ahead 3-0 in the eighth and runners on the corners, Clevinger entered and walked Mike Trout, bringing the tying run to the plate. But he struck out Jorge Soler on a breaking ball to escape the jam.
Key Stat
Kikuchi was one of three Japanese-born pitchers to start on Opening Day in 2025, joining Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers) and Shota Imanaga (Cubs), marking a new MLB record.
Up Next
After an off day Friday, the series continues Saturday with right-handers José Soriano and Jonathan Cannon set to face off. Soriano went 6-7 with a 3.42 ERA for the Angels in 2024, while Cannon posted a 4.49 ERA in his rookie year for the White Sox.
