Munetaka Murakami belted a go-ahead three-run home run and Miguel Vargas followed with a solo shot to key a seven-run seventh inning and lift the host Chicago White Sox to an 8-7 victory against the skidding Los Angeles Angels on Monday.

Chicago regrouped from a sluggish start to send the Angels to their fourth straight loss and eighth defeat in nine games.

Grant Taylor allowed two runs in the ninth, including a Nolan Schanuel bloop double with two outs that brought the Angels within the final margin. Bryan Hudson retired Adam Frazier on a groundout to second with two runs in scoring position to earn his first save.

The White Sox trailed by four runs entering the seventh. Tristan Peters started the rally with an RBI single and Andrew Benintendi added a two-run double to put two men aboard for Murakami, who greeted reliever Drew Pomeranz with his major league-leading 12th home run.

Vargas connected one batter later.

Showing little hesitation in a game that began after a three-hour rain delay, the Angels scored a run in the first inning, two in the second and another in the fourth.

Jorge Soler opened the scoring against White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay with a sacrifice fly. Bryce Teodosio doubled home a run in the second before Zach Neto followed with an RBI single.

Vaughn Grissom sent a run-scoring sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to make it 4-0 in the fourth.

Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz was sharp behind the early run support. After yielding first-inning singles to Murakami and Colson Montgomery, he allowed just one baserunner over the next three innings.

Benintendi’s RBI forceout in the fifth drew Chicago to within 4-1 but the Angels got the run back on Soler’s solo home run in the seventh.

Mike Trout, Grissom, Schanuel and Teodosio had two hits apiece for Los Angeles while Soler contributed three RBIs. Murakami had two hits and three RBIs, Benintendi drove in three runs and Peters had two hits.

Kay scattered four runs and seven hits in four innings with two walks and two strikeouts.

Kochanowicz spaced three runs, two earned, and five hits in six-plus innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Osvaldo Bido (2-0) allowed one run and two hits over three innings.

Nick Sandlin (0-1) allowed three runs in the seventh without recording an out.

–Field Level Media

Kyle Tucker delivered a game-ending two-run single to cap a three-run bottom of the ninth as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 5-4 victory over the visiting Miami Marlins on Monday to open a three-game series.

Shohei Ohtani (3-for-5) added an RBI ground-rule double in the ninth and scored the decisive run as the Dodgers won their third consecutive game and prevailed for the sixth time in their past seven home contests.

Teoscar Hernandez had a two-run single and four Los Angeles relievers held Miami scoreless over the final four innings. Jake Eder (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first major league win.

Liam Hicks hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning for the Marlins. Right-hander Pete Fairbanks (0-2) was charged with three runs in the ninth, and he departed with a thumb injury. Miami manager Clayton McCullough said Fairbanks would be re-evaluated before the team decides on his status.

Jakob Marsee had two hits for Miami.

The Dodgers opened the ninth inning with consecutive walks from Andy Pages and pinch hitter Dalton Rushing against Fairbanks. Miguel Rojas popped up a bunt attempt before Ohtani delivered a ground-rule double to right to pull Los Angeles within 4-3.

After an intentional walk to Freddie Freeman loaded the bases, Fairbanks departed. Right-hander Tyler Phillips struck out Will Smith before Tucker hit an 0-1 splitter into center field for the game-winning runs.

Los Angeles got off to a fast start when Ohtani and Freeman opened the bottom of the first inning with consecutive singles. Hernandez came through with a two-out two-run single for the early lead.

The Marlins cut the deficit in half in the fourth inning when Dodgers shortstop Hyeseong Kim committed an error on a ground ball from Javier Sanoja that allowed Otto Lopez to score.

After Los Angeles starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto walked both Marsee and Xavier Edwards in the fifth, Hicks hit a two-strike splitter for a three-run homer down the right-field line for a 4-2 lead.

The Dodgers threatened in the seventh by loading the bases with two outs against right-hander Michael Petersen and then left-hander Andrew Nardi before Smith grounded out to second base to end the inning.

Ohtani had three hits for his second consecutive game after collecting just three total hits over his previous six contests.

–Field Level Media

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 31 points and eight assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder finished off a four-game first-round playoff sweep with a 131-122 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Monday night.

Chet Holmgren added 24 points and 12 rebounds and Ajay Mitchell had 22 points and six assists as the top-seeded Thunder swept their opening Western Conference series for the third straight season.

Isaiah Hartenstein produced 18 points and 12 rebounds and Alex Caruso added 14 points off the bench for Oklahoma City. Mitchell and Caruso each made four 3-pointers for the Thunder, who will face either the Los Angeles Lakers or Houston Rockets in the second round.

Devin Booker scored 24 points and Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green added 23 apiece for the Suns, who were swept in the first round for the second straight playoff appearance, the other occurring in 2024. Phoenix has lost 10 consecutive playoff games dating back to 2023.

Nuggets 125, Timberwolves 113

Nikola Jokic recorded 27 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds as host Denver stayed alive with a win over Minnesota in Game 5 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Jamal Murray scored 24 points, Spencer Jones posted a playoff career-high 20 points and Cameron Johnson finished with 18 for third-seeded Denver, which had lost three straight following a Game 1 home victory.

Julius Randle led Minnesota with 27 points and nine rebounds. Bones Hyland and Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 15 apiece. Jaden McDaniels, loudly booed whenever he possessed the ball, added 13 points for the Timberwolves, who committed 25 turnovers.

Magic 94, Pistons 88

Desmond Bane scored 22 points and made one of his five 3-pointers with 1:16 left as Orlando beat visiting Detroit to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

Orlando forward Franz Wagner had 19 points before exiting late in the third period due to right calf soreness. Paolo Banchero scored 18 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The top-seeded Pistons were held without a field goal in the final five minutes before Isaiah Stewart scored at the buzzer. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 25 points, nine rebounds, six assists and eight turnovers.

–Field Level Media