In the rubber match of a three-game series, Micheel Kopech took the mound for the White Sox. Kopech threw the ball very well, and the offense showed up in a big way giving the Sox the 10-1 win.
Today was Kopech’s first start of the season, and he was terrific. Kopech went 4 innings, only allowing 2 hits on 1 run, with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. That makes it three straight solid starts from White Sox starters. Kyle Crick, Matt Foster, Kendall Graveman, and Tanner Banks all threw scoreless innings out the pen today, with Crick getting the win.
The bats were smoking hot today in Motown. Tim Anderson returned to the lineup today after serving his two-game suspension. Anderson was back in the leadoff spot, and had a monster day at the plate today going 3-for-5 with 2 runs scored. Luis Robert went 1-for-5 today, with a stolen base. Jose Abreu also had a great day at the plate. Abreu went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Eloy Jimenez also drove in 2, and Danny Mendick drove in 1 run. Josh Harrison drove in a run with a 2-out RBI. Then in the 7th, Andrew Vaughn hit a three-run homer, giving his 4 RBIs on the day. That was the one big swing the White Sox were looking for all day. After a lot of loud contact today for Chicago, Andrew Vaughn’s second homer of the year sealed the deal on this one.
W: Kyle Crick (1-0) | L: Tarik Skubal (0-1)
Statcast Breakdown
Box Score
Offensive Recap:
Pitching Recap:
White Sox Scoring Recap:
Top 1st: Jose Abreu grounds out to second, scoring Tim Anderson. 1-0 White Sox
Top 1st: Eloy Jimenez hits a sacrifice fly to RF, scoring Luis Robert. 2-0 White Sox
Top 3rd: Jose Abreu doubles to CF, scoring Luis Robert. 3-1 White Sox
Top 3rd: Josh Harrison singles on a ground ball to 3B, scoring Jose Abreu. 4-1 White Sox
Top 4th: Danny Mendick doubles to LF, scoring Reese McGuire. 5-1 White Sox
Top 7th: Eloy Jimenez singles to LF, scoring Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu. 6-1 White Sox
Top 7th: Andrew Vaughn homers to LF, scoring Jose Abreu and Eloy Jimenez. 9-1 White Sox
Top 9th: Andrew Vaughn singles to CF, scoring Jose Abreu. 10-1 White Sox
Notable Performances
Michael Kopech: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
In his first start of the season, Michael Kopech threw 4 solid innings for the Sox. He only allowed 1 run in 2nd inning. Kopech was sharp all day. The Sox will lean on Kopech more with the injuries to Giolito and Lynn.
Tim Anderson: 5 AB, 3 H, 2 R
Welcome back TA! Anderson gave the Sox a huge lift in this one. He opened the game with a first pitch leadoff double. Anderson will be the spark at the top of that White Sox lineup all season, as he aims at another batting crown.
Luis Robert: 5 AB, 3 H, 2 R, 1 SB
Luis Robert, in only his third game of the year, shows what he can do. He stole a bag in this one, his second stolen base of the year, and also tallied 3 hits. A healthy Luis Robert for a full 162 has MVP written all over it!
Jose Abreu: 4 AB, 2 H, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
The White Sox leader Jose Abreu led the charge today. Abreu had a RBI in the top of the 1st and he hit a RBI double in the top of the 3rd.
Andrew Vaughn: 4 AB, 2 H, 1 R, 4 RBI, 1 RBI
Vaughn also contributed in a big way, hitting his second homer of the year. Andrew Vaughn is developing into a professional hitter right in front of our eyes, and it is a thing of beauty. For someone who only played one season in the minors, he is developing quickly and becoming a great hitter at the highest level, and it is great to watch!
Tanner Banks: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Welcome to the show Tanner Banks! An excellent job out of the pen in this one for Banks, tossing 2 no-hit innings while tallying 4 strikeouts. Another guy who made the team out of Spring Training, Banks is making the most of his opportunities. At age 30, he is making his debut in the show. After 743.1 innings in the minors over 168 appearances, he finally got his shot!
Next Matchup
Baseball will be back on 35th and Shields on Tuesday when the White Sox take on the Seattle Mariners. Vince Velasquez will take the mound in the homer opener on Tuesday.
The game will start at 3:10 PM on NBC Sports Chicago.
Follow us @SoxOn35th for more updates!
