Like he does many nights for the Los Angeles Angels, Shohei Ohtani stole the show on Tuesday night versus the Chicago White Sox. His 10 strikeouts across 6.1 innings (one earned run) stymied Chicago’s offense, and his two solo home runs were the difference in the ball game.
Michael Kopech took the bump for the Sox on Tuesday, looking to take advantage of an Angels lineup that was missing Mike Trout. However, he had minimal control all night, and his wayward ways led to an eye-opening seven free passes. While he limited the damage to two earned runs, he was only able to complete four frames. He required 102 pitches to finish the four innings, and desperately needs a quality start this weekend against the lowly Oakland Athletics to get back on track.
Chicago’s offensive output tonight of nine hits was highlighted by a three-hit night from Eloy Jimenez (two doubles) and RBI singles from Gavin Sheets (scoring Clint Frazier in the 7th) and Andrew Vaughn (scoring Jimenez in the 9th). After getting down early to a 2-0 deficit, the Sox were unable to rebound to tie the game or take the lead. Entering the 9th inning down 4-1, the Sox staged a rally and cut the lead to two, and loaded the bases. Unfortunately, a Seby Zavala strikeout and Elvis Andrus double-play eliminated any chance of forcing extra innings or taking the lead.
With the loss, the Sox fall to an unsightly 34-47 and now sit six games behind the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins.
W: Shohei Ohtani (7-3) | L: Michael Kopech (3-7) | SV: Carlos Estevez (20)
Statcast Breakdown
Box Score
Offensive Recap:
Pitching Recap:
White Sox Scoring Recap:
- Top of the 7th: Sheets singled to right. Frazier scored, Burger to third. 2-1 Angels.
- Top of the 9th: Vaughn singled to right. Jiménez scored. 4-2 Angels.
Notable Performances
Michael Kopech: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 7 BB, 2 ER, 3 K, 102 Pitches (53 Strikes)
The wheels are falling off the proverbial wagon for Michael. He’s now permitted a whopping 16 walks in his last three starts, failing to complete five innings in each of them.
Eloy Jimenez: 3-for-4, 2 2B, R
Eloy was scorching the ball all night, with all three of his hits having an exit velocity of over 108 mph. Unfortunately, it was not enough tonight.
Andrew Vaughn: 1-for-4, RBI, K
Andrew recorded his team-leading 46th RBI in the 9th inning.
Gavin Sheets: 1-for-3, RBI, K
Sheets smacked a face-high fastball for an RBI single in the top of the 7th inning to get the Sox on the board.
Next Matchup
The White Sox continue their four-game set with the Angels on Wednesday night. Los Angeles’ young right-hander Jaime Barria is slated to toe the rubber against Chicago’s fellow right-hander, Lucas Giolito. Both hurlers are enjoying strong campaigns, with ERAs of 2.14 and 3.41, respectively.
The game is slated to begin at 8:38 PM CST and can be viewed on NBC Sports Chicago.
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Featured Image: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
All of the above shows a continuation of the same old tired story for the White Sox! When you say the wheels are coming off for Kopech, the fact is they have already come off for the entire team! Chances to score down the drain! How often has this happened? By the way, I am tired of hearing people say the White Sox still have a chance because they are in a bad division! They are six games out! To get to first place, they have to go on a winning streak, which they haven’t done since the 2021 All Star Break! When you say the series continues tonight, I wish there were a way it could be discontinued!