It was a game of the first for the White Sox Friday night in Anaheim, which began their first victory of 2021 with a 12-8 victory over the Angels at Angel Stadium.
Michael Kopech played in a regular match for the first time since September 5, 2018.
Tony La Russa has won a game as manager for the first time since the Cardinals claimed the 2011 series over the Rangers. And Yermin Mercedes, who had just one previous innings, scored his first major league start with not only his first hit of his career, but also his first five-hit game.
Mercedes joined Cecil Travis (5/16/1933) in Washington as the only MLB player in the modern era to start five hits in their first career.
“There were definitely smiles. Most of them are from Yerm, ”Kopech said of Mercedes’ big night. “It was really cool, man. I want everyone on our team to succeed and such a guy who has been wanting to debut for a very long time to show up and make history, that’s crazy. This is wonderful. ”
Kopech, who last appeared as an appetizer before undergoing surgery on Tommy John, protected a 7-6 lead by relieving a perfect sixth and seventh innings. The right-hander threw 21 of his 33 stands for attack, struck out three and passed with his fast ball at 99.4 mph per Statcast. He also mixed in 10 gliders. The right-hander left after walking Mike Trout to open the eighth, but Evan Marshall and Liam Hendriks finished pointless.
Friday’s effort was Kopech’s second win of his career in his fifth career.
“I did not even know I had won. I thought it was Foster’s, “said Kopech, referring to Matt Foster, who struck out almost from a fifth innings to lighten the Dallas Keuchel starter, but allowed two inherited runners to score on Adam. Eaton’s two-out-three-base error. in real field. “It’s great. I’m excited about it. ”
“The biggest reason he was there, we think he can help us,” said La Russa of Kopech. “The longer he pitched, the more it was clear we were going to ride with him.”
La Russa, meanwhile, won No. 2 729 as manager and his first at the White Sox since 1986. The White Sox built up a 7-1 lead behind José Abreu’s third career career – which put him in total 199 homers. – but watched as the English cut the deficit to one by scoring six runs (three earned) from Keuchel in four-plus overs.
Hendriks scored his first White Sox save by throwing 1 1/3 innings with two strokes and two runs on Shohei Ohtani’s ninth innings. He got in the eighth assist from Luis Robert when center player Jose Iglesias’ long drive to the right center field dragged with two runners on and two out.
It was therefore a rewarding experience for La Russa, who will handle the number 5,055 in the regular season 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 unleash it like we did, and for them to get close, they have a very good team there, and for us to hang on there, we got some of the heroics out. brought us relief, it’s well deserved. There was so much doubt that I was only just beginning to enjoy it. ”
After the White Sox played 14-0 against Southpaw frontrunners in 2020, he improved the first season with Andrew Heaney. The White Sox have not lost against a game started by a left-hander since September 28, 2019, when Tyler Alexander started for the Tigers, although he did not involve the final decision.
Ordinary suspects like Abreu and Tim Anderson, who won a ninth five-gait, contributed to the continued dominance of the south leg. But Mercedes, which added four RBIs to its five hits, was a new addition to offensive firepower.
“So I do not want to do too much,” said an ecstatic Mercedes. “Every victim I want to stay in my space, stay there. You have one or two hits, just stay there, do not do too much. This is what I’m thinking about. ”
“He made history,” Abreu said through interpreter Billy Russo. “We as the White Sox should be very proud of what he did today.”