Jun 19, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa (22) watches action from the dugout against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago White Sox surrendered a home run to Houston Astros designated hitter J.J. Matijevic on June 19 that would only count in a small number of ballparks.
The Chicago White Sox won four of their previous five games entering Sunday Night Baseball on June 19. They faced off against the Houston Astros looking to take the series. They seemingly had an advantage, as Yordan Alvarez was not in the lineup as he dealt with a hand injury.
But in the bottom of the fourth inning, White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech surrendered a solo home run to J.J. Matijevic, who filled in for the game as designated hitter. It was Matijevic’s first career home run.
White Sox fans will not like stats of J.J. Matijevic’s first career home run
Chicago fans will not like the numbers on Matijevic’s home run. It had an exit velocity of 95-mph and measured at 343 feet to left field. That would have been a home run in exactly two MLB ballparks.
Things will not get any better for the White Sox fanbase. In the bottom of the fifth, Kopech surrendered a homer to Mauricio Dubon to extend Houston’s lead to 4-1. This was Dubon’s first home run recorded as a member of the Astros.
That homer hit by Dubon would only have counted in four ballparks.
Chicago did pull within one run on an RBI triple by AJ Pollock, who would then score on a ground out by Jaker Burger in the bottom of the eighth inning. Houston went on to win 4-3 to take the series.
The White Sox will now return home, away from Minute Maid Park, to take on the Toronto Blue Jays.