Michael Kopech, White Sox blank Guardians

A five-run fourth inning gave pitcher Michael Kopech all the support he needed to get off to an outstanding start, and Chicago White Sox they avoided a divisional sweep with a 6-0 defeat of the host Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday

Kopech (3-4) earned his second win in as many starts and third in his last four appearances, going seven innings with nine strikeouts and just two hits. Kopech didn’t get his first hit until the fifth inning — and by then he already had a six-run cushion thanks to white socks‘s fourth inning deluge

Walks to leadoff hitter Yoan Moncada and Gavin Sheets plated Andrew Vaughn’s infield single. The sequence loaded the bases with no outs, capping Chicago’s key inning.

All three came aboard in the top of the fourth, and Moncada drove in a run on Jake Burger’s sacrifice fly. Clint Frazier then singled before Romy Gonzalez doubled to send home both Sheets and Vaughn.

A wild pitch scored Frazier and Seby Zavala’s sacrifice fly capped the big inning, sending Gonzalez home.

The five-run blast followed Tim Anderson’s RBI single that drove in Frazier and gave Chicago a 1-0 lead in the third.

All six white socks runs scored were credited to Cal Quantrill (2-3), a Guardians motive. Quantrill pitched four innings in which he walked three and allowed four hits — the only four hits in all of Chicago’s games

Cleveland relievers Eli Morgan — who struck out three in two innings — Nick Sandlin, Sam Hentges and James Karinchak all allowed a baserunner five times over five innings. THE Guardians A strong, collective effort from the bullpen was a bright spot in an otherwise tough series finale for Cleveland

Chicago relievers Reynaldo Lopez and Jimmy Lambert, meanwhile, pitched one inning each for the white socksSecond shutout win in six rounds. Chicago defeated American League Central Kansas City 2-0 on May 19 in Kopech’s last start.

Kopech has not allowed a run since May 12th.

— Field Level Media