Best White Sox single-game hitting displays

CHICAGO -- Here’s a look at the Top 5 single-game hitting performances in White Sox history, with a few more impressive displays that just missed the list.

1) Pat Seerey, July 18, 1948 (Game 1), at Philadelphia A's
The right-handed-hitting Seerey finished with 86 career home runs over 2,095 plate appearances, knocking out 18 in 99 games with the White Sox to close out his career. Four of those homers came in one game against the Philadelphia Athletics, with Seerey needing 11 innings to become the second American League player at the time to accomplish such a feat (Lou Gehrig was first on June 3, 1932). As of now, 18 players and six American Leaguers have hit four homers in a game.

Seerey homered once off Bob Savage and twice off Carl Scheib before punctuating the effort with a two-out, game-winning blast in the top of the 11th off Lou Brissie to provide a 12-11 victory for a bad White Sox team. Seerey drove in seven overall -- then went 0-for-2 with a run scored in the nightcap loss.

2) Robin Ventura, Sept. 4, 1995, at Texas
Ventura’s 18 career grand slams leave him tied with Hall of Famer Willie McCovey for fifth place all time, and two of those slams came from this game against the Rangers. Ventura connected on a 2-1 pitch to right-center in the top of the fourth against Dennis Cook with Lance Johnson, Tim Raines and Frank Thomas on base, and then found the same success in the fifth off a 2-1 pitch from Danny Darwin with Raines, Davey Martinez and Thomas on base during this 14-3 victory. Ventura had three hits and three runs scored to go with his eight RBIs, which tie him with Jim Spencer (May 14, 1977, vs. Cleveland and July 2, 1977, vs. Minnesota), Tommy McCraw (May 24, 1967, at Minnesota) and Carl Reynolds (July 2, 1930, at New York) for the single-game franchise mark.

3) Lance Johnson, Sept. 23, 1995, at Minnesota
The man known as “One Dog,” courtesy of the iconic Ken "Hawk" Harrelson’s broadcast nickname, joins Alex Rios (2013 at Detroit), Floyd Robinson (1962 at Boston), Hank Steinbacher (1938 vs. Washington) and Rip Radcliff (1936 at Philadelphia) as the only White Sox players to record six hits in a single game. The left-handed hitter finished 6-for-6 with four runs scored and four RBIs against Jose Parra, Erik Schullstrom and Oscar Munoz during a 14-4 White Sox shellacking at the Metrodome. But Johnson also knocked out three triples, remaining a single-game franchise record. Johnson topped the AL in triples on four occasions and produced a Major League-best 21 for the Mets in ’96.

4) José Abreu, Aug. 22, 2020, at Cubs
Abreu launched six home runs over three games and 14 plate appearances as part of this weekend series victory over the Cubs, and three of those home runs came in succession during a 7-4 victory in this Saturday night contest. Abreu gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead on a leadoff home run in the sixth down the right-field line against Kyle Hendricks. He followed with a two-run blast to left-center against Rowan Wick in the eighth and punctuated the evening with the second of back-to-back shots off Dwayne Underwood Jr. in the ninth, following Yasmani Grandal. The 2020 AL MVP finished with four hits and three runs scored -- then homered in his first at-bat against Yu Darvish on Sunday afternoon for a fourth straight long ball.

5) Tadahito Iguchi, June 25, 2006, vs. Astros
The White Sox trailed, 9-2, in the eighth when Iguchi connected for a three-run home run to left against Russ Springer. Iguchi followed with a game-tying grand slam against Brad Lidge with two outs in the ninth, giving him seven RBIs in two innings. The White Sox eventually lost this Sunday night contest in 13 innings.

Honorable mentions

A.J. Pierzynski, Oct. 4, 2005 (AL Division Series Game 1), vs. Red Sox
An 11-1 postseason run for the White Sox began with a 14-2 victory over the Red Sox, sparked by Pierzynski’s three hits, two home runs, four runs scored and four RBIs.

Paul Konerko, July 7, 2009, vs. Cleveland
Konerko, who had homered in the second, launched a one-out grand slam off Chris Perez in the sixth to erase a 3-1 deficit. Konerko also went deep in the seventh, giving him seven RBIs and the lone three-homer effort of his illustrious career.

Tim Raines, April 18, 1994, at Boston
Raines homered on the second pitch off the game from Danny Darwin, then followed up that blast with two more in a 12-1 victory. He scored five runs and had four hits and four RBIs.

Tommy McCraw, May 24, 1967, at Minnesota
The first baseman hit a career-high 11 home runs in ’67, and three came in this 14-1 victory. McCraw connected twice off Dean Chance and once off Jim Kaat, finishing with eight RBIs, and supporting Gary Peters’ complete-game performance. Peters also homered in this game to go with nine strikeouts.

Jim Spencer, May 14, 1977, vs. Cleveland and July 2, 1977, vs. Twins
Spencer had two home runs, eight RBIs and three hits in two separate games played less than two months apart.

Matt Davidson, March 29, 2018, at Kansas City
The White Sox hit six home runs during a 14-7 Opening Day victory. Three of them came from Davidson.

Frank Thomas, Sept. 15, 1996, at Boston
Thomas finished with 521 career home runs, and 448 with the White Sox, but this contest marked the Hall of Famer’s lone three-homer game with Chicago.

Bill Melton, June 24, 1969 (Game 2), vs. Seattle Pilots
Melton knocked three home runs among his four hits, while driving in three and scoring three.

Harold Baines, July 7, 1982, vs. Tigers
The Hall of Famer’s lone three-homer game came with six RBIs and three runs scored.

José Abreu, Sept 9, 2017, vs. Giants
The first baseman became one of six White Sox players to hit for the cycle and did so via a two-run triple in his last at-bat in the eighth inning.

Jack Brohamer, Sept. 24, 1977, at Seattle
Brohamer drove in four and had five hits as he hit for the cycle.

Chris Singleton, July 6, 1999, vs. Royals
As a rookie, Singleton also had five hits and four RBIs as he hit for the cycle.

Dan Johnson, Oct. 3, 2012, at Cleveland
Johnson’s final five plate appearances of 31 total with the White Sox resulted in three home runs and five RBIs.