Kopech flirts with perfection, K's 10 in 'unstoppable' start
Scott Merkin
@scottmerkinCHICAGO -- On the opening pitch of Michael Kopech¡¯s Friday night masterpiece against the Royals, the White Sox right-hander almost hit Bobby Witt Jr. in the head.
Fortunes decidedly improved over his next 97 pitches.
Kopech retired the first 16 Royals and allowed one hit over a career-high eight innings to lead the White Sox to a 2-0 victory at Guaranteed Rate Field. Kansas City's lone hit came with one out in the sixth, when Michael Massey lofted a broken bat single just over the head of first baseman Andrew Vaughn off a 2-2 four-seam fastball at 98.4. mph.
With 10 strikeouts and no walks, Kopech still faced the minimum 24 hitters.
It was just the 73rd time in AL/NL history (since 1900) that a team has faced the minimum 27 batters in a nine-inning game despite allowing a hit. The last time the White Sox did it was July 21, 2004 against Cleveland with Mark Buehrle tossing nine innings of two-hit ball.
Friday¡¯s performance marked Kopech¡¯s second longest perfect-game bid, following up his 5 2/3 innings thrown at Yankee Stadium on May 22, 2022 before a Rob Brantly double. Kendall Graveman (third save) retired the side in order in the ninth, making the White Sox (17-29) the first team to face the minimum in a 9-inning game since John Means¡¯ no-hitter for the Orioles on May 5, 2021.
¡°I knew that it was in the works,¡± said Kopech of the perfect game attempt. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really focused on it. I was able to go right back to work because I wasn¡¯t focused on it. I missed my location and he got a hit. That¡¯s part of the game. I wasn¡¯t perfect and it showed.¡±
¡°The fastball was jumping, getting on you for sure,¡± said Massey, who is a local product from Palos Park, Ill. ¡°And then he obviously paired it with his changeup and his slider. Just did a really good job attacking the top of the zone.¡±
At 98 pitches, Kopech bargained for the ninth inning, although White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said without hesitation that the ninth for Kopech was not a consideration. But would that thought process have changed if the perfect game was still going?
¡°Yes,¡± said Grifol directly.
¡°Almost just grabbed my glove and ran out there and waved off Graveman,¡± said a smiling Kopech.
Of course, Kopech (2-4) understood. He last pitched on May 12 against Houston, when he walked six over 4 2/3 innings. He had six days in between starts, with the White Sox targeting an extra day for Kopech, but he knows starts on regular rest await him after Friday.
¡°Working over 100 pitches is hard to bounce back from,¡± Kopech said. ¡°Definitely understood the move as much as I wanted it.¡±
¡°He¡¯s got a great fastball and when he¡¯s commanding it like the way he was tonight, he¡¯s unstoppable,¡± White Sox catcher Seby Zavala said. ¡°We always talk about how good his fastball is and tonight it showed.¡±
According to Statcast, Kopech threw his four-seamer on 66 of his 98 pitches. He mixed in 20 sliders, opting for his shorter slider rather than his sweeper, per Zavala¡¯s recommendation during pregame planning and also used seven changeups.
His fastball averaged 96.6 mph and topped out at 99.4, while producing a season-high 22 swings and misses. Kopech went to three-ball counts just four times all night against the Royals (14-32).
¡°It looked like he had good carry on the fastball,¡± Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. ¡°We just couldn't catch up to it.¡±
¡°That fastball just has another gear when it gets up close to you,¡± Grifol said. ¡°Felt strong. Felt good. Pounded the strike zone. He's got that kind of stuff. Today he showed us what he can be.¡±
Following that first pitch to Witt, the Royals didn¡¯t really have a chance. Actually, that entire first at-bat was a bit of a game-changer if a game can change before it really starts, as Kopech went to 2-0 and 3-1 counts before Witt chased out of the zone twice resulting in a groundout.
Getting through that opening sequence showed Kopech¡¯s mound composure, in a start potentially pointing his immense talent and this ¡®23 season in the right direction.
¡°I was able to find something that clicked tonight, both physically and mentally,¡± Kopech said. ¡°The main thing that I talk about with Pedro is being mentally in control out there. I felt like I was able to do that.
¡°Mechanical things are always going to be daily tweaks that I can work on. But the mentality has to be something that I work on away from the park, no matter where I'm at. I'm certainly hoping that I can take this one with me the rest of the season."