Will Venable made it back to where it all began on Friday night: San Diego.

His MLB career started with the Padres in 2008, and he spent 7 1/2 seasons there, then went to the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers before retirement. While he made plenty of memories playing in San Diego, Venable, 43, could start a new scrapbook there as Chicago’s manager.

The White Sox won 8-2 against the Padres on Friday, and the teams will meet again on Saturday in the second contest of a three-game serires.

The White Sox used their power to blow open Friday’s game early. MLB home run leader Munetaka Murakami blasted his 13th long ball of the season with two men aboard as part of a six-run second inning, and the lead grew to 8-0 before San Diego averted a shutout in the eighth.

Venable said his young team has embraced its underdog role as the White Sox seek their fifth straight victory.

“Obviously, these guys are getting some great results, and we’re changing that,” he said, “but we are still the underdogs, and that’s something I’m comfortable with, and like being in that role.”

Chicago went into Friday ranked ninth in the majors in homers. Most of that power comes from Murakami, Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas, who have combined for 28. Montgomery unloaded his ninth of the season in the fifth inning.

Lately, the team has gotten solid starting pitching, including six shutout innings from 6-foot-10 rookie left-hander Noah Schultz on Friday night. Right-hander Sean Burke (1-2, 3.21 ERA) will try to keep that run going in the series’ middle game.

Burke last worked on Sunday, firing 7 1/3 scoreless innings and allowing just three hits with no walks and four strikeouts in his team’s 2-1, 10-inning defeat to Washington. He’s faced the Padres twice in his career, going 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings.

Opposing Burke will be right-hander Michael King (3-1, 2.41 ERA), who hasn’t lost since April 3 in Boston, 5-2.

In his career against the White Sox, King is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in five games, one as a starter. That was Sept. 21, 2025, when he threw five shutout innings and struck out four in a 3-2 win.

The Padres would love a good outing from King. Their starters rank 22nd in MLB in ERA at 4.57 — nearly two full runs a game more than their biggest National League West rival, the Dodgers (2.95),

But San Diego manager Craig Stammen said he isn’t that concerned about the rotation.

“They’re hanging in there,” he said. “Some guys are pitching well and some guys are up and down. They’ve been able to pitch enough innings to keep the bullpen fresh.”

Reinforcements are on the way this month. Offseason signee Griffin Canning could join San Diego after one more rehab start in the minors, while former White Sox ace Lucas Giolito likely has two more minor league outings before he joins the rotation.

Giolito’s contract stipulates that he has to join the Padres by May 16.

–Field Level Media