For the first time since June 21, the White Sox are at .500. And they’re knocking on the door of the AL Central lead.
Michael Kopech got the start for the White Sox in today’s game and battled his command throughout the night. He saw a return to his 95-97 mph that had gone missing over the last month of starts. While he did walk four in the game and struggled with swings-and misses, outside of a two-run double by Alex Kirilloff in the first inning, he was able to keep the Twins off the board through five innings. He was followed by scoreless outings by Joe Kelly, Reynaldo Lopez, Kendall Graveman, and Liam Hendriks. The biggest threat from the Twins came against Kendall Graveman in the eighth, but a double play off the bat of Alex Kirilloff ended the rally before it could get anywhere.
The offense continued to show signs of life, as throughout the lineup, the White Sox spent the entire night working counts. They chased Twins starter Devin Smeltzer after just three innings and were able to tack on four additional runs off the Twins bullpen. Andrew Vaughn got the scoring started in the first inning with a bases loaded single, scoring Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert. Tim Anderson would add his first home run since May 22 to the tally in the fourth inning, while Adam Engel would add his first homer since May 15 three innings later with a three-run shot of his own to put the Sox ahead for good. The top five hitters in the White Sox lineup (Anderson, Moncada, Robert/Engel, Abreu, Vaughn) had seven of their eight hits tonight, with only Reese McGuire adding a hit out of the ninth spot. Still, great at-bats all evening for the South Siders.
With the win, the White Sox are back at .500 at 45-45. They are now just three games back of Minnesota in the division.
In other news, Luis Robert left today’s game with lightheadedness. He is considered day-to-day.
W: Michael Kopech (3-6) | L: Emilio Pagan (3-4)
StatCast Breakdown
Box Score
Offensive Recap:
Pitching Recap:
White Sox Scoring Recap:
Top 1st: Andrew Vaughn singles to LF. Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert score. 2-0 White Sox
Top 4th: Tim Anderson homers (6) to CF. 3-2 White Sox
Top 7th: Adam Engel homers (2) to LF. 6-2 White Sox
Notable Performances
Michael Kopech: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
Michael Kopech’s velocity made a return to norms this evening, even if the movement on his pitches didn’t. While he likely continues to fight dead arm/knee issues, it’s a positive sign to see him make a step forward via his velocity. The next step will be to regain his command, but battled through five innings tonight.
Adam Engel:1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, R
Engel came on in relief of Luis Robert, who left tonight’s game early with lightheadedness. He responded by hitting his first home run since May 15, a three-run homer that gave the White Sox huge insurance runs in a game that had been tight all evening.
Andrew Vaughn: 2-for-4, 2 RBI
Vaughn got the scoring started early in this one, as his two-run single in the first inning with the bases loaded gave the White Sox an early lead. Vaughn has recently been moved to a run-producing spot lower in the order, but no matter where he hits, he continues to provide offense.
Other Game Highlights:
The Next Matchup
The White Sox will try to secure the series win with a win tomorrow afternoon. The club will send Lance Lynn to the mound for the effort, and he will be opposed by Dylan Bundy.
The game will begin at 2:00 PM CT over on NBC Sports Chicago. Pregame festivities for Jim Kaat begin at 1:10 PM CT.
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Featured Image: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
