It was a game of firsts for the White Sox Friday night in Anaheim, starting with their maiden win of 2021 via a 12-8 win over the Angels at Angel Stadium.
Michael Kopech pitched for the first time since September 5, 2018 in a game for the regular season.
Tony La Russa won a game as manager for the first time since the Cardinals claimed the 2011 World Series over the Rangers. And Yermin Mercedes, who had only one previous at bat, interrupted his first big league-start not only with his first career hit, but also with his first game with five hits.
Mercedes joined Cecil Travis of Washington (5/16/1933) as the only MLB players in the modern era to score five hits in their first career start.
“There was definitely a smile all around. Most of them from Yerm, ”said Kopech of Mercedes’ big night. ‘It was really cool, man. I want everyone on our team to be successful and someone like that who’s been wanting to debut for a long time to come up and make history, it’s crazy. It is awesome.”
Kopech, who last appeared as a starter before being operated on by Tommy John, protected a 7-6 lead by throwing a perfect sixth and seventh inning in relief. The right-handed threw 21 of his 33 throws for strikes, fanned out three and reached a maximum of 99.4 mph with his fastball, according to Statcast. He also mixed in 10 sliders. The righthanded player took off after Mike Trout walked to open the eighth, but Evan Marshall and Liam Hendriks finished the frame scoreless.
Friday’s effort marked Kopech’s second win in his fifth career appearance.
“I didn’t even know I was winning. I thought that was Foster’s, ” said Kopech, referring to Matt Foster, who almost threw out the fifth inning as a relief for starter Dallas Keuchel, but allowed two hereditary runners to score on Adam Eaton’s two outs and three bases. in the correct field. “That’s great. I’m excited about that.”
“The main reason he was there is that he can help us,” said Kopech’s La Russa. “The longer he threw, the clearer it became that we were going to ride him.”
La Russa meanwhile took victory No. 2,729 as manager and his first with the White Sox since 1986. The White Sox built a 7-1 lead after José Abreu’s third grand slam in his career – which gave him a total of 199 homers. – but saw the Angels narrow the deficit to one by scoring six runs (three earned) off Keuchel in four-plus innings.
Hendriks picked up his first White Sox-save by throwing 1 1/3 innings with two strikeouts and two runs allowed off Shohei Ohtani’s ninth inning-homer. He was assisted by Luis Robert in the eighth, when the midfielder brought in Jose Iglesias’ long drive to right-midfield with two runners on and two out.
So it was a rewarding experience for La Russa, who will manage regular match No. 5.095 on Saturday. But it was not easy.
‘I’m excited. That’s why they keep score, ”said La Russa. “For the guys to come out today and let it go like we did, and for them to get close, they have a really good team there, and for us to hold on there, we made some of the exploits from our relievers, it is well deserved. There was so much doubt that I am only now starting to enjoy them. “
After 14-0 against left-handed starters in 2020, the White Sox improved to 1-0 against left-handed starters this season by beating Andrew Heaney. The White Sox have not lost to a match started by a left-hander since September 28, 2019, when Tyler Alexander started for the Tigers, although he did not consider the final decision.
Usual suspects like Abreu and Tim Anderson, who homered to start a ninth run of five runs, contributed to the left-hander’s continued dominance. But Mercedes, adding four RBIs to its five hits, was another addition of offensive firepower.
“So I don’t want to do too much,” said an ecstatic Mercedes. “Every at bat I want to stay in my space, stay there. You have a hit or two, just stay there, don’t do too much. That’s what I’m thinking about. “
“He wrote history,” said Abreu through interpreter Billy Russo. “We as the White Sox can be very proud of what he has done today.”