It was a tight one in Colorado, but the White Sox were able to do just enough to prevail thanks to some timely offense and sharp defense.
Michael Kopech got the start in this one, showing a bit more life in his velocity but still struggled with command. Though he had baserunners to battle against most of the night, he used some timely strikeouts and double plays to get himself through five-plus innings. He was relieved by Jimmy Lambert with a runner on in the sixth, but in a game of double plays, Lambert quickly induced another one to get out of the inning unscathed. Joe Kelly got a double play of his own, Kendall Graveman worked rather quickly through his inning, and Liam Hendriks overcame a leadoff home run by Ryan McMahon to complete a rocky save where it was clear he didn’t have his best stuff.
There wasn’t much offense to speak of in this one, and each time there was, it was quickly erased by a double play. There were a total of seven double plays in this game, three of which were hit by the White Sox. The South Siders scored their first run thanks to the fielder’s choice error by Garrett Hampson, while Yoan Moncada added a clutch RBI double in the top of the seventh inning to give the Sox what would be the game’s winning run. The offense was able to get nine hits in the effort, with three of them being doubles.
With the win, the White Sox are 49-48, over .500 for the first time since May 25 when they were 22-21. They also picked up a game on Minnesota and now sit 3.0 games back in the division.
W: Michael Kopech (4-6) | L: German Marquez (6-8) | S: Liam Hendriks (19)
StatCast Breakdown
Box Score
Offensive Recap:
Pitching Recap:
White Sox Scoring Recap:
Top 4th: AJ Pollock reaches on a fielder’s choice. Eloy Jimenez scores. 1-0 White Sox
Top 7th: Yoan Moncada doubles to RF. Adam Engel scores. 2-0 White Sox
Notable Performances
Michael Kopech: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
As evidenced by the three walks, Kopech wasn’t his sharpest in this one. However, he was able to battle through five-plus innings with the help of double plays. He lowered his ERA to 3.16 on the season – a testament to how he’s battled through his struggles.
Yoan Moncada: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB, K
Yoan Moncada has come up big in crucial situations for the White Sox this season, and this one was no different. His insurance run made a big difference as the Sox navigated the late innings.
Yasmani Grandal: 3-for-4, K
It wasn’t a flashy game for Grandal, but he turned in a three-hit effort, making him 7-for-15 since returning from the IL.
AJ Pollock: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB
Pollock had a better night than his 1-for-3 displays, as he roped balls all over the ballpark tonight – a positive sign for the struggling veteran.
The Next Game
The White Sox and Rockies are back in action tomorrow for the conclusion of their quick two-game series. Lucas Giolito will go up against Antonio Senzatela.
The game will begin at 2:10 PM CT on NBC Sports Chicago.
Follow us @SoxOn35th for more updates throughout the season!
Featured Image: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
