CHICAGO WHITE SOX NOTES:
WHITE SOX AT A GLANCE
The Chicago White Sox have won three of their last five games as they open a seven-game homestand tonight at Baltimore, owners of the best record in the American League. RHP Michael Kopech, who is 2-4 with a 7.15 ERA in eight starts after the break, is scheduled to start for the White Sox. The Sox are coming off a 3-4 homestand vs. Seattle (1-2) and Oakland (2-2), which ended yesterday with a 6-1 win vs. the A’s. Following this series and a day off on Thursday, the White Sox are home for three games vs. Detroit (9/1-3) before taking a six-game, seven-day trip to Kansas City (9/4-6) and Detroit (9/8-10). The Sox went 2-3 on their last trip to the Cubs (1-1) and Colorado (1-2) from 8/15-20.
TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
The White Sox are hitting .291/.328/.483 (94-323) with 23 doubles, 13 home runs and 46 runs scored (5.1 R/G) over the last nine games. Tim Anderson needs three hits to become the 19th player in history to record his first 1,000 career in a White Sox uniform (STATS) … Anderson is 9-23 (.375) with four doubles and a .542 slugging percentage in four games since completing his five-game suspension. Andrew Benintendi is batting .400/.455/.733 (12-30) with three home runs and five RBI over his last eight games … Benintendi has homered three times in his last six games, compared to two in his first 117. Yoán Moncada is hitting .339/.369/.565 (21-62) with eight doubles, two home runs and 12 RBI over his last 17 games. Baltimore-area native Gavin Sheets is 12-20 (.600) with one home run and five RBI over his last six games against Baltimore.
WHITE SOX VS. BALTIMORE ORIOLES
The Orioles lead the season series, 2-1, after winning two of three games in Chicago from 4/14-16 … the White Sox were unable to hold three-plus run leads in their two losses. The Sox are hitting .252/.316/.437 (26-103) with a 5.46 ERA (17 ER/28.0 IP) and have been outscored, 20-14 … they have issued 26 walks in the three games. The Orioles won the 2022 season series, 5-2, taking three of four games in Chicago from 6/23-26 and two of three at Camden Yards from 8/23-25. Chicago’s 7-0 record against Baltimore in 2021 marked the fiRst time in franchise history it swept a season series of seven-plus games.
STARTING PITCHER – #34 MICHAEL KOPECH RHP
KOPECH AT A GLANCE
Is scheduled to make his 25th start of the season, 12th on the road and second against the Baltimore Orioles. Is 2-6 with a 5.79 ERA (33 ER/51.1 IP), 1.91 WHIP,
.256 (50-195) opponents average and 43 strikeouts in his last 12 starts … has given up 48 walks in that span And has not pitched more than 5.2 IP (just once). Is the only White Sox starter this season to carry a hitless game into the six inning in three different outings. Has recorded 5.0-plus IP in 14 of his 24 starts this
season and 6.0-plus IP six times … has allowed one run or less in eight outings. Went 3-7 with a 4.08 ERA (39 ER/86.0 IP), .217 (68-313) opponents average and 97 strikeouts over 16 Starts in the first half of the season … his 86.0 IP and 97 strikeouts were the highest first-half totals in his career. His 6.00 BB/9 is the highest in baseball this season minimum 100.0 IP) … has issued 31 walks in his last Light starts (34.0 IP). Is receiving 4.58 runs of support this season (61
RS/120.0 IP) … the Sox have scored six-plus runs in four of his starts and two runs or less in 17. Has gone 12-21 with 4.17 ERA (125 ER/267.2 IP), .216 (211-979) opponents average and 265 strikeouts in 57 career starts and 3-3 with 3.90 ERA (24 ER/55.1 IP), .225 (47-209) opponents average and 80 strikeouts in 40 career relief appearances. Has recorded 100-plus strikeouts in each of his last three seasons (2021-23).
LAST START
Received a no decision on 8/23 against Seattle, working 4.0 scoreless IP with one hit, four walks and five strikeouts before leaving in the fifth inning with leg cramps… threw 65 pitches (33 strikes). Chicago won, 5-4, in 10 innings with Tim Anderson scoring the winning run on a throwing error by Seattle’s shortstop J.P. Crawford. Owned a 58.8 first-strike percentage and 10.8 swinging-strike percentage (eight swing and misses) vs. 17 batters … threw 39 four-seam fastballs (94.2 mph avg; 97.6 mph max), 25 sliders (84.1 mph avg; 88.1 max) and one changeups (88.0 mph avg).
VS. BALTIMORE ORIOLES || A.L. EAST
Is scheduled to make his third career start (fifth appearance) against Baltimore and first (third) at Camden Yards. Received a no decision on 4/15 at Guaranteed Rate Field, allowing three runs on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts over 5.0 IP. Tossed 2.0 perfect IP over two relief appearances against Baltimore in 2021. Is 0-1 with 7.20 ERA (12 ER/15.0 IP) with .305 (18-59) opponents average against the American League East this season.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES NOTES:
SWEEPLESS IN BALTIMORE: The Orioles have gone 81 consecutive series of at least two decisions (no ties) without being swept…According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the most consecutive series without getting swept in O’s history, ahead of 46 consecutive sweepless series from 1971-72…It is the fifth-longest such streak in MLB history, trailing the 1942-44 St. Louis Cardinals (124), 1906-09 Chicago Cubs (115), 1903-05 New York Giants (105), and 1922-24 New York Yankees (83)…The Birds have not been swept in a series of at least two games since May 13-15, 2022 at Detroit (0-3), and not at home in a series of at least two games since August 27-29, 2021 vs. Tampa Bay (0-3).
WHAT’S TRENDING: The O’s have won four of their live five games, seven of nine, 10 of 14, 15 of 22, 18 of 26, 24 of 36, and 32 of 46…At 81-49 (.623), the Orioles have the best record in the AL and second-best in MLB (see box at right)…The Birds are 32-14 (.696) since July 5, tied for the best record in the AL with Seattle and tied for the second-best in MLB during that time behind the Dodgers (33-11, .750)…The team had a season-best eight-game winning streak from July 5-16, Baltimore’s longest since a 10-gamer from July 3-13, 2022…The O’s are 143-98 (.593) since June 2022, the second-best record in the AL and fourth-best in MLB during that time.
The O’s hold a 2.0-game lead over the Rays in the AL East.
FEELS GOOD TO BE HOME: The Orioles are in the midst of a nine-game homestand, having won two of three games against both the Blue Jays from August 22-24 and against the Rockies over the weekend…Baltimore hosts the White Sox tonight through Wednesday before embarking on a nine-game, 10-day road trip from September 1-10 with three games each at Arizona, Los Angeles-AL, and Boston…The team has scheduled off days the next two Thursdays. The Orioles are 40-25 (.615) at home this season, the third-best home record in the AL and the fifth-best in MLB.
AGAINST THE WHITE SOX: The O’s and White Sox are meeting for their second and final series of the season this week…Baltimore took two of three games at Guaranteed Rate Field from April 14-16…The Orioles are 7-3 against Chicago-AL since the start of 2022 after being swept in the season series (0-7) in 2021.
BIG TIME RUTSCH: Adley Rutschman has recorded multiple hits in five of the last 10 games since August 16…He has two three-hit efforts in that stretch…He’s batting .366/.422/.439 (15-for-41) with three doubles, eight runs scored, three RBI, four walks, and one stolen base during that time…He leads primary catchers with 34 multi-hit games this year and his 10 three-hit efforts are tied with Washington’s Keibert Ruiz for the most by a primary catcher. He’s slashing .294/.361/.413 (32-for-109) with five doubles, one triple, two home runs, 18 runs scored, 15 RBI, 11 walks, and one stolen base in 27 games since being moved to the leadoff spot on July 29, including .292/.370/.542 (7-for-24) with two walks as the first batter of the game; the team is 18-9 (.667) in those games. Rutschman’s 204 times on base are the most by an MLB primary catcher since Kansas City’s Salvador Perez reached safely 210 times in 2021, per STATS; his times on base this year are the fourth-most by a primary catcher in O’s history (since 1954) and four behind Chris Hoiles (1993) for the third-most.
STARTING PITCHER – #30 GRAYSON RODRIGUEZ RHP
QUICK HITS: Slated to make make his 18th start of the season, 10th at home, and second career start against the White Sox tonight…Recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on July 17, his second stint with the O’s…Worked 5.0 shutout innings on April 23 vs. Detroit and April 29 (G2) at Detroit to become the youngest O’s pitcher (23-164) to toss 5.0-or-more scoreless innings in back-to-back games since Dave Ford (21-259) from September 2-14, 1978, and the youngest O’s starter to accomplish the feat since Jack Fisher (21-188) did so in three straight starts from August 29 to September 8, 1960…Made his MLB debut on April 5 at Texas, becoming the first Oriole to make his debut this season…Thirteen players (7 pitchers) made their debut for the O’s in 2022…Also became the first O’s pitcher to start his Major League debut since DL Hall on August 13, 2022, and the youngest O’s pitcher (23-140) to start his debut since Kevin Gausman (22-137) on May 23, 2013 at Toronto…Had his contract selected to the 40-man roster on November 15, 2022…Originally selected by the Orioles in the first round (No. 11 overall) of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft.
LAST TIME OUT: Did not factor into the decision in his last outing on August 22 vs. Toronto…Allowed three runs on eight hits (1 HR) with two walks and five punchouts in 6.0 innings…Retired each of the final eight batters he faced… Marked his third straight quality start and fourth of the season…Has surrendered
three earned-runs-or-fewer in each of his last six assignments since July 22… Threw 94 pitches, 65 strikes.
CAREER AGAINST THE WHITE SOX: In his lone career outing against the White Sox on April 16 at Guaranteed Rate Field, did not factor in the decision… Surrendered four runs on six hits (2 HR) with two walks and eight punchouts in 5.0 innings of work…Allowed all four runs in the first inning before shutting out the White Sox across his final 4.0 frames…Retired 13 of the final 17 batters he faced after allowing a one-out home run to Jake Burger…Threw 93 pitches, 63
strikes.
CAREER AGAINST AL CENTRAL: Slated to make his fifth start against the AL Central division…Last time out against the division on May 4 at Kansas City, did not factor in the decision…Allowed six runs on eight hits (3 HR) with one walk and three strikeouts in 3.2 innings…Left with one runner on, who later scored… Threw 77 pitches, 47 strikes…Sports a 1-0 record with a 4.82 ERA (10 ER/18.2 IP) in four career outings.
ROUNDING INTO FORM: Since being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on July 17, Rodriguez ranks among qualified AL rookies in opponent slugging (2nd, .293), on-base percentage (3rd, .284), OPS (3rd, .577), WHIP (3rd, 1.08), batting average (4th, .218), ERA (5th, 3.24), and strikeouts (9th, 35). LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN: Rodriguez tossed a career-high 7.0 innings on August 14 at San Diego, becoming the youngest O’s hurler (23-271) to complete 7.0 frames since Dylan Bundy (23-261) on August 2, 2016 vs. Texas (7.0 IP, H, BB, 7 K)…Has pitched to a 1-1 record with a 3.24 ERA (15 ER/41.2 IP), a 1.08 WHIP, and four quality starts in seven MLB outings since July 17.
THROWING GAS: Rodriguez threw the fastest strikeout pitch by an O’s starter in the Statcast era (since 2015) on July 28 vs. New York-AL, fanning Anthony Rizzo on a 100.2 mph fastball…Now owns each of the 25 fastest strikeout pitches by Orioles starters this season…His strikeout of Rizzo was tied for the eighth-fastest punchout pitch among MLB rookie starters this season.
