The White Sox avoided a series sweep today through a strong offensive and defensive output. Michael Kopech rebounded nicely after his struggles in Atlanta, tossing 5.2 innings of one-run ball, and the offense performed to back him up.
The South Siders got out on the front foot in this one with an RBI single by Eloy Jimenez in the first. They tacked on another in the second with an Elvis Andrus sacrifice fly to score Zach Remillard. These were the only runs given up by former White Sox Jose Quintana in his first start for the Mets.
A solo home run by another former White Sox, Omar Narvaez, drew the game within one run in the fifth. Thankfully, the White Sox pieced together a strong sixth inning, kicked off by a Pete Alonso error, Jimenez single, and Jake Burger walk. This left the bases loaded for Yasmani Grandal, who, after falling behind 0-2, hammered an inside fastball to the right field wall to score two. Oscar Colas would continue the scoring with a sacrifice fly, followed up by an Elvis Andrus RBI triple, to make the lead much more comfortable at 6-1.
The bullpen took over from there, with Aaron Bummer ceding one run in 1.2 innings. Gregory Santos and Kendall Graveman covered the final 1.2 innings without conceding a run, and the White Sox came away with a 6-2 victory, making them 41-57 on the year.
W: Michael Kopech (4-8), L: Jose Quintana (0-1)
Statcast Breakdown
Box Score
Offensive Recap:
Pitching Recap:
White Sox Scoring Recap:
- Top 1st: Jimenez singles to center. Anderson scores. 1-0 White Sox
- Top 2nd: Andrus hits a sacrifice fly to center. Remillard scores. 2-0 White Sox
- Top 6th: Grandal doubles to right. Robert Jr. and Jimenez score. 4-1 White Sox
- Top 6th: Colas hits a sacrifice fly to left. Burger scores. 5-1 White Sox
- Top 6th: Andrus triples to center. Grandal scores. 6-1 White Sox
Notable Performances
Michael Kopech: 5.2 IP, 2 H, ER, 4 BB, 5 K
This was a nice bounce-back game for Kopech after his rough outing against the Braves where he did not escape the first inning. It was also positive to see Kopech pitch into the sixth inning, something he had not done in his previous five starts. Kopech’s control could have been better, but only ceding two hits and one run in 5.2 innings is a strong outing.
Tim Anderson: 2-for-3, R, BB
Today Anderson continued his solid post-All-Star break form, now batting .375 in the last six games. It will take more time to see if this is a true resurgence for Anderson, but this run of games is at least something positive to focus on moving forward.
Yasmani Grandal: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R
While Grandal only had one hit today, it may have been the biggest of the game. The White Sox needed to get some runs from their bases loaded, no out situation in the sixth when Grandal came to the plate. He saw the count get to 0-2 before belting an inside fastball to the right field wall, driving in two and keeping the inning going, making for a much more comfortable lead.
Eloy Jimenez: 2-for-4, R, RBI
A pair of nice at-bats for Jimenez today were both integral to White Sox scoring opportunities. He started off the scoring in the first with an RBI single. Then, in the 6th, his single kept the line moving before Grandal’s big hit tore things open.
Next Matchup
The White Sox head to Minnesota tomorrow to finish their nine-game road trip. The 7:10 CST start will feature Lance Lynn on the mound for the White Sox, while Joe Ryan will take the hill for the Twins.
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Featured Image: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
All of the above commending the White Sox performance is great! I’m taking nothing away from them, but by now we know that from day to day the question is “Which version of the White Sox will show up today?” There is a reason why they have only played .500 or worse since the 2021 All Star Break! That won’t change until they can put together performances like yesterday on a consistent basis!