Colson Montgomery’s grand slam, another Murakami homer can’t save White Sox from bullpen meltdown

MILWAUKEE — It looked like a Colson Montgomery grand slam and yet another home run from Munetaka Murakami on Sunday might cure what had ailed the White Sox to start a putrid opening weekend.

But a revamped bullpen showed the same leaks it has for years en route to a deflating 9-7 loss capped by a go-ahead three-run Christian Yelich blast in the eighth inning off newly signed Sox closer Seranthony Dominguez.

Montgomery launched the second grand slam of his young career after the Sox flooded the bases to lead off the game with walks drawn by second baseman Chase Meidroth and Murakami, followed by third baseman Miguel Vargas’ bloop single.

There was no doubt about the 104-mph blast Montgomery launched 405 feet over the center field wall for his first homer of the season after a whacking 21 his rookie year.

Milwaukee bounced back against Sox starter Anthony Kay with a two-run homer from Gary Sanchez in the bottom of the inning, but the Sox bounced back as Murakami pulled his third dinger in his third career game, glancing off Milwaukee right fielder Sal Frelick’s glove to escape American Family Field.

The usually stoic Murakami pumped a fist as he rounded the bases, becoming just the fourth player in MLB history to go yard in each of his first three career games.

Montgomery tabbed his fifth RBI of the game later that inning with a base knock to score Vargas, who had singled and stole second on a brutal afternoon for Brewers starter Brandon Sproat.

Sox right fielder Everson Pereira, who had a forgettable first two games, spanked one 403 feet the next inning off Sproat, who was rocked for seven runs on four walks and six hits.

Kay bent but didn’t break in 4 ⅔ innings of two-run ball, giving up three hits and four walks to go with five strikeouts in his Sox debut after signing a two-year, $12 million deal following a stint in Japan.

Reliever Jordan Leasure got him out of a jam to close the fifth, as catcher Edgar Quero challenging a ball called by home plate umpire Carlos Torres to secure a strikeout of Sanchez to end the inning with runners on the corners.

The Brewers got one off Leasure the next inning when Frelick doubled and left fielder Brandon Lockridge knocked him in.

Reliever Chris Murphy gave up another and left a one-out, bases-loaded jam for the closer Dominguez in the eighth, who drew a popout and was a strike away from escaping till Luis Rengifo dribbled a two-run single up the middle.

Then Yelich delivered the dagger with a 421-foot, pinch-hit bomb to the upper deck at American Family Field.

After being outscored 20-3 in their first two games, a deflated Sox squad was bound for Miami still in search of their first win.

“You are going to take your lumps like any team does,” general manager Chris Getz said before the Sox took their first ones to start the year. “We are going to learn more about what these players are capable of doing. It’s a pretty strong group of players in a healthy clubhouse that we hope leads to good things this upcoming season.

“I do think that as the season progresses, much like the second half last year, there will be stretches where we are really starting to be competitive on a regular basis and winning series against clubs that are at the top of the division or the top of the league.”

At least one outsider agrees with that assessment.

“There’s some talent on the other side,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy told reporters. ”Mark my words right now: that Chicago White Sox team will be something to be reckoned with in that division.”