When you score one run in a game, you put your pitching staff in a tough spot.
For eight innings, it worked. Until it didn’t.
Sandy Alcantara needed just 86 pitches to dispatch the abysmal White Sox offense across seven innings, with Andrew Vaughn’s fourth inning solo home run the only blemish on his bounce-back afternoon. On the other side of the ball, Michael Kopech was effectively wild himself, finishing five innings of scoreless baseball before turning things over to the bullpen to cover the final 12 outs. Gregory Santos and Reynaldo Lopez combined to get the first nine outs, giving the ball to Joe Kelly with a 1-0 lead to preserve in the ninth. Given that Liam Hendriks and Kendall Graveman were both unavailable, it made the most sense to go to Kelly.
From there, two hits and a walk loaded the bases. Kelly proceeded to get a weak ground ball, but Tim Anderson booted the ball at shortstop for the team’s first error in 10 games, allowing the Marlins to tie the game. A walk and fielder’s choice allowed the next two runs to score before Garrett Crochet came into the game and allowed the final two runs to score on a two-RBI double to Jean Segura. The offense, much like the rest of the game, went down without much of a fight in the ninth, giving the White Sox a feeling that they let a game they should have won slip away.
With the loss, the club falls to 29-37 and will hope to not lose any ground in the AL Central.
W: Steven Okert (3-0) | L: Joe Kelly (1-3)
StatCast Breakdown
Box Score
Offensive Recap:
Pitching Recap:
White Sox Scoring Recap:
- Bottom 4th: Andrew Vaughn homers (8) to right center field. 1-0 White Sox.
Notable Performances
Michael Kopech: 5 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
It was an effectively wild afternoon for Kopech, who continued his string of recent excellent starts with another scoreless one here. He wasn’t his most efficient, but he certainly was effective.
Andrew Vaughn: 1-for-2, HR, RBI, R
Vaughn provided the only offense on the afternoon, depositing a sinker that got too much of the plate into the right field seats.
Next Matchup
The White Sox will try and bounce back to take the series tomorrow afternoon. Lucas Giolito will go to battle against Braxton Garrett for Miami.
The game will begin at 1:10 PM CT over on NBC Sports Chicago.
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Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
