The Chicago White Sox ended the weekend strong with a sweep over the Kansas City Royals. Dominant starts from Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito, and Lance Lynn highlight the dominant resurgence presented by the White Sox. This comes after taking two out of three against the division rival Cleveland Guardians. The White Sox are finally playing up to expectations, and it all starts with their starting pitching.
White Sox Weekend Sweep
Game One
A 2-0 White Sox victory, thanks to an absolute gem by Michael Kopech. The 27-year-old lasted eight innings allowing one hit, and zero runs while fanning 10. After a rough start to the season, Kopech can finally take a breath of fresh air. Out of nine total starts, this was his first allowing zero runs. The only runs for the White Sox came in the second inning, however, they proved enough to secure the win. A save by Kendall Graveman closed the door on game one.
Game Two
Game one was followed up by a 5-1 Chicago victory on Saturday. More dominant starting pitching, this time from Lucas Giolito. He went six innings, allowing six hits and one run, while striking out four. The win puts Giolito at 3-3 on the season. Three RBI from Jake Burger in the 6th inning helped put the game out of reach. Quality bullpen work from Garrett Crochet, Reynaldo Lopez, Joe Kelly, and Kendall Graveman helped close out the Royals. After not playing in 2022, flame-thrower Garrett Crochet is finally back on the bump for the White Sox. Even though Crochet first appeared for Chicago in 2020, he is only 23 years old. Crochet is a promising reliever hopefully for years to come.
Game Three
Victory Sunday! A 5-2 victory completed the sweep, as Lance Lynn improved to 3-5. He’s had two quality starts in a row. One against Cleveland and now one against Kansas City. Lynn pitched six innings allowing four hits and two runs while adding on six strikeouts. Similar to Kopech, Lynn has also been struggling this season, so this was a confidence booster for the veteran. Luis Robert Jr. extends his hot streak with his 13th homer of the season. Kenyan Middleton, Aaron Bummer, and Joe Kelly made quick work of the Royals as the White Sox have taken five out of their last six games.
Outlook for the White Sox
Dominant pitching performances and a surging Luis Robert Jr. have the Chicago White Sox forecast looking up. With the returns of Garrett Crochet and Yoan Moncada, the only question is when Liam Hendriks will be ready to come back. With a healthy roster and reliable pitching, there is no telling how far Pedro Grifol can take this team. A 2023 playoff berth is expected, but the White Sox still have a lot of work to do.
Photo Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Players Mentioned:
Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Kendall Graveman, Jake Burger, Garrett Crochet, Reynaldo Lopez, Joe Kelly, Luis Robert Jr., Aaron Bummer, Yoan Moncada, Liam Hendriks
