Michael Kopech settles after a shaky first, helping the Chicago White Sox defeat Tampa Bay Flight 3-2 – Reading Eagles

The highlight of the first inning included two moves, a mistake and a deft move by Randy Arazarena to avoid being tagged off by Tim Anderson’s Chicago White Socks short stop near second base.

All of this could have gone from starter Michael Kopecha. But the right-hander limited the Tampa Bay Rays to one run in the half.

Kopech settled in, and the Sox received big hits from Jose Abreu and Jasmani Grandal and a hard job for a 3-2 victory over 27,113 subbotniks at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Kopech allowed to take another step forward in five innings with five strikeouts and two moves as a result of one hit. its second start of the season.

“I think that in the first couple of innings I went out there, not imagining anything, just thinking a little,” – said Kopech. “Then I was able to find my point and stay there and give the team at least a chance, and that’s all that bothered me. So I was happy with the afternoon.

“It sounds simple, but (it’s) just fixing the goal by focusing on it before something else.”

Kopech has left the last 10 beats he has faced, scoring two in the fourth and two in the fifth, including his last beating in the afternoon, Brandon Lowe.

“He’s getting better and better,” said manager Tony La Rousseau.

Kopech threw 75 fields, 45 on strikes. After spending most of last season as an entertainer, he enjoyed being able to settle for a few innings.

“If my first inning was as an unloading later in the game, I don’t think I would have finished serving,” he said. “But as a beginner, you get a chance to find your feet and find your feet, and go out and compete. I did it today, and we were able to go a little deeper than it might have looked at first. ”

Kopech was in a duel with Race Cory Kluber’s pitcher. The veteran, who won the Sai Young American League Award in 2014 and 2017 with Cleveland, entered Saturday with a 13-5 record and a 2.96 ERA in 25 career games (24 starts) against the Sox.

Kluber stepped out of the first nine bouncers before Tim Anderson scored on the backyard in the fourth. With one exit Abreu made his first home run of the season.

“It’s April, some of these balls need to be crushed to get them,” La Rousse said. “He put up a bunch of good swings today. A big hit. Tampa Bay is a tough club to score, to counter hits. Great respect, glory to them. “

Kopech left with an advantage, but did not take into account this decision, as “Race” tied the game with a score of 2, when in the sixth result went against the reelver Reynold Lopez.

The Sox regained the lead at the bottom of the half when Luis Robert made a mistake, stole second, moved to third place as a result of a flight to the center of Abreu and scored a goal when Grandal overcame the shift and distinguished himself between second and third.

“Good shot,” La Rousseau said.

With Aaron Bammer and Kendall Graveman unavailable after a serve in Friday’s 3-2 win, The Sox turned to Jose Ruiz and Bennett Souza for help. Both passed. Ruiz knocked out the side in the seventh, and Souza identified two in the perfect eighth.

“It was very useful for our club,” said La Rousseau. “It’s such a long season, and if we have a chance to win a bunch of games, this bullpen, everyone has to take some real-life situations that need to be done. Even (Lopez), he puts the hard part of the lineup and just refuses to run. It was a one-run game, and the bullpen is doing what it did. It was outstanding. “

Liam Hendrix added closer: “We are deep in the end, but we are also deep in the middle. This is why the league will learn. We have a few guys. It doesn’t matter who was going to throw in one game. We will be able to do it, and that is what we did today. “

Hendrix – on the day the team handed out fans to his grandmother – made a great defense game in the ninth, exposing to the ground and throwing in the third to cut runner Kevin Kirmaer in the first exit.

“I know he’s an aggressive baserunner,” Hendrix said. “Once I got the ball back, it was my first look to make sure to check. Luckily (third man from base Josh Harrison) was right at base and we were able to make that game. ”

The Rays loaded the base with two outings before Hendrix knocked out Taylor Wallace for his fourth save.

The Sox have won six of the top eight, despite omissions due to injuries to Lance Lynn and Lucas Jalit. All staff became more active.

“I want to be able to continue to increase and continue to deepen and apply, so that we can relieve stress from our medicines, especially since they were very much hoped for this first week,” Kopech said. “I was in that position and I know what it is. I want to be able to do my job for the rest of the team. ”

Update injuries

Harrison returned to the squad and played third base after missed two games with low back stiffness. Harrison shared time in second and third place as the starting third man from base John Mancada continues to recover from a sprained right suffered in the last week of spring training.

“He’s getting better, but he still feels uncomfortable when he takes certain steps,” La Rousse said before Saturday’s game. “He will need to be able to fully engage in swings, training and running before you can really say, hey, how about X days after that moment. As long as he feels uncomfortable, (I) don’t even think about it. ”

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