CHICAGO WHITE SOX NOTES:
WHITE SOX AT A GLANCE
The Chicago White Sox have lost five of the last six games, seven of nine and 18 of 27 as they begin the second half of the schedule tonight at MLB-best Atlanta.
RHP Michael Kopech, who was reinstated from the injured list prior to tonight’s game, is scheduled to start.
The Sox went 1-5 on their final homestand of the first half, losing two of three to St. Louis and being swept by Toronto.
The White Sox are in fourth place in the American League Central, 8.0 games behind division-leading Cleveland (45-45).
Following this weekend’s series at the Braves and Monday’s off day, the Sox will continue this nine-game, 10-day trip at the Mets (7/18-20) and Minnesota (7/21-23).
Chicago went 3-4 on its last trip from 6/26-7/2 at Los Angeles-AL (2-2) and Oakland (1-2).
TODAY’S STORYLINES
Chicago is looking for its first road series victory since winning two of three from 6/6-8 at Yankee Stadium.
The White Sox have scored 58 runs over the last 11 games (5.3 R/G), compared to 32 in their previous 11 contests (2.9 R/G).
The Sox own a 3.68 ERA (191 ER/466.2 IP) in 52 games since 5/13, but they have posted a 5.17 mark (63 ER/109.2 IP) over the last 12 contests.
Chicago is 1-7 in its last eight series openers.
Michael Kopech has allowed three earned runs or less in each of his last five starts since 6/4, going 0-2 with a 2.96 ERA (8 ER/24.1 IP), 27 strikeouts and just three home runs allowed.
Luis Robert Jr. has hit safely in 15 of his last 17 games, going 21-68 (.309) with eight homers, 13 RBI and a 1.074 OPS.
Eloy Jiménez is 17-53 (.321) with three home runs, 10 RBI, an .874 OPS and six multi-hit eff orts in his last 13 games.
ROSTER MOVES
Chicago today reinstated RHP Michael Kopech from the 15-day IL … Kopech, who has not pitched since 6/27 at the Angels, has been on the IL since 6/29 with right shoulder inflammation.
3B Yoán Moncada is scheduled to begin an injury rehab assignment tonight with Class AAA Charlotte … he has been on the 10-day IL (retroactive to 6/14) with lower back inflammation.
LAST SUNDAY’S RECAP
Tim Anderson struck out with the tying and winning runs on base in the 10th inning as St. Louis held on for a 4-3 win.
The Cardinals forced extra innings with a run off Kendall Graveman in the ninth, and took the lead on Paul DeJong’s RBI double to lead off the 10th.
The Sox were held hitless with a walk in the ninth and 10th.
Lucas Giolito received a ND despite allowing just two runs on two hits with five strikeouts in 7.0 IP, lowering his season ERA to 3.45 … Graveman suffered his third blown save and Keynan Middleton was charged with his first loss.
Elvis Andrus recorded the White Sox only multi-hit effort… Chicago struck out 15 times and walked just twice.
SIMPLY THE BEST
Chicago is opening the second half against the team with the best record in MLB for just the third time in club history (Elias).
The White Sox split two games at Cleveland after the first All-Star Game of the 1959 season, and were swept in a four-game series at Baltimore after the break in 1969.
GRAB SOME BENCH
The Sox lead MLB with 885 strikeouts and 9.73 per 9.0 IP … the 9.73 mark would be second-best in club history (10.18, 2021).
White Sox pitchers have struck out 10-plus batters 47 times in 2023, including 14 or more nine times (0-9 record).
Lance Lynn ranks fourth in the American League with 127 strikeouts, Dylan Cease is tied for sixth (123) and Lucas Giolito is tied for eighth (117) … Lynn (4th, 11.10), Cease (5th, 10.78) and Giolito (12th, 9.37) rank among the AL leaders in SO/9.0 IP.
Lynn matched the franchise record (second time) with a career-high 16 strikeouts on 6/18 at Seattle (Sox lost, 5-1).
WHITE SOX VS. ATLANTA BRAVES
The White Sox are 8-10 all-time vs. Atlanta, going 8-4 at Guaranteed Rate Field and 0-6 on the road.
The Braves swept a three-game series in the last meeting from 8/30-9/1/19 at Truist Park, outscoring the Sox by a 26-15 margin.
Chicago is looking for its fi rst series win since 7/19-21/13.
Braves pitcher Collin McHugh is a native of Naperville, Ill. … assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes managed Class AA Birmingham from 2011-12.
INTERLEAGUE INSIGHT
Chicago is 8-13 vs. the National League this season (1-6 series mark), going 4-8 at Guaranteed Rate Field and 4-5 on the road … their only series win came from 5/5-7 at Cincinnati (2-1).
The White Sox have lost six of the last nine and 10 of the last 16 interleague games … each of the last nine games have been decided by four runs or less (three of the last four by one run).
Luis Robert Jr. is hitting .364/.412/.792 (28-77) with eight homers, 22 RBI and a 1.204 OPS in 20 games vs. the N.L.
ROBERT’S REMARKABLE RUN
Luis Robert Jr. was named to his first American League All-Star team … he is the first Sox center fi elder (primary position) to make the AL All-Star team since Chet Lemon from 1978-79.
Below is additional information from his season to date.
His 26 home runs tied for the fourth-most by a White Sox prior to the All-Star break, and were the most since 29 by José Abreu in 2014
On pace for 46 homers, 90 RBI, 109 runs, 86 XBH and 340 total bases … 46 homers would rank second in club history behind Albert Belle (49, 1998), and 86 XBH would tie Magglio Ordoñez (2002) for third
Joins the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts as the only players in MLB with 20- plus doubles, 25-plus home runs and 50-plus RBI this season
Is hitting .291/.363/.649 (68-228) with 17 doubles, 21 homers, 38 RBI and 48 runs scored in 60 games since 5/1 … hitting .320/.393/.640 (24-75) with six home runs and a 1.033 OPS vs. LHP in 2023
Ranks sixth in MLB with 15 home runs of 400-plus feet in 2023
One of five players in franchise history (8x) to record 20-plus doubles and homers before the All-Star break, joining Frank Thomas (1993-94, 2003), Abreu (2014, ’19), Jermaine Dye (2008) and Ordóñez (2000)
CLOSE CALLS
Sixty-one of Chicago’s 92 games (66.3 pct.) have been decided by three runs or less (26-35) … the Sox are 14-16 in one-run games and 5-8 in two-run games … 33 of the last 34 games since 6/2 at Detroit have been decided by four runs or less.
ARMS RACE
White Sox pitchers have recorded a 3.68 ERA (191 ER/466.2 IP) in 52 games since 5/13, the best mark in the AL and fifth-best in MLB … the Sox lead MLB with a .225 average, rank fifth with a .691 opp. OPS and eighth with a 1.24 WHIP during that span.
A breakdown of White Sox pitching through their first 40 games of the season and last 52 contests:
Games W-L ERA QS IP H R ER HR BB SO AVG OPS WHIP
Last 52 25-27 3.68 21 466.2 394 208 191 60 179 500 .225 .690 1.24
First 40 13-27 5.66 12 351.2 366 241 221 65 167 385 .263 .817 1.52
ROTATION SENSATION
Sox starters own a 3.67 ERA and .234 opp. average in 52 games since 5/13 … during that span, they lead MLB with 10.05 strikeouts per 9.0 IP and rank third in ERA and average.
During the 52-game stretch, Sox starters have made nine scoreless outings, allowed one earned run or less 19 times and two earned runs or less 32 times … the rotation since 5/13:
W-L ERA WHIP QS IP H R ER HR BB SO SO/9.0 AVG OPS
12-14 3.67 1.26 21 279.1 247 122 114 39 105 312 10.05 .234 .720
LONG BALL LOGISTICS
The Sox rank eighth in the AL with 103 homers, including 33 in the last 23 games (27 solo shots; nine multi-homer efforts).
The White Sox this season are 30-32 when homering, 15-11 in multi-homer games and 8-22 when homerless.
Luis Robert Jr. (2nd, 26) and Jake Burger (T5th, 19) rank among the AL leaders this season … Robert Jr. (14) ranks fifth and Burger (13) ranks sixth in MLB in home homers.
PROSPECTING FOR GOLD
INF Colson Montgomery ranks 30th and LHP Noah Schultz ranks 44th in Baseball America’s updated Top 100 Prospects list.
Montgomery is hitting .429/.576/.694 (21-49) with five doubles, two home runs, 11 RBI, 16 walks and a 1.270 OPS over 14 games with Class A Winston-Salem (4 G) and the ACL Sox (10 G).
Schultz has worked 12.0 scoreless IP with just one hit and one walk allowed (0.17 WHIP) and 16 strikeouts in five starts with Class A Kannapolis this season.
STARTING PITCHER – #34 MICHAEL KOPECH RHP
KOPECH AT A GLANCE
Is scheduled to make his 17th start of the season, eighth on the road and fifth during interleague.
Was reinstated from the 15-day injured list prior to tonight’s game … was placed on the IL on 7/2 (retroactive to 6/29) with right shoulder inflammation.
Owns a 2-3 record, 2.47 ERA (10 ER/39.2 IP), 1.01 WHIP, .175 (26-142) opponents average and 53 strikeouts in his last seven starts, including two 10-strikeout performances during that span.
Has recorded 5.0-plus IP in 10 of his 16 starts this season and 6.0-plus IP six times, allowing just one run in four of those 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.
Is receiving 4.4 runs of support this season (42 RS/86.0 IP) … the Sox have scored six-plus runs in three of his starts and two runs or less in 13.
Has gone 10-17 with 3.74 ERA (97 ER/233.2 IP), .212 (180-851) opponents average and 240 strikeouts in 49 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 two seasons (2021-22).
Spent his first full season in the major leagues in 2021, pitching out of the bullpen (40 games) while making four starts … opted out of the 2020 season for personal reasons … missed the entire 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery (performed on 9/18/18).
LAST START
Suffered the loss on 6/27 vs. the Los Angeles Angels, allowing two runs on four hits with a career-high seven walks and three strikeouts over 4.0 IP … allowed a solo home run to Shohei Ohtani in the first inning.
Departed the game in the fifth inning with the White Sox trailing, 2-0 … threw 102 pitches (53 strikes) … the Sox went on to lose, 4-2.
Owned a 47.6 first-strike percentage and 12.7 swinging-strike percentage (15 swing and misses) vs. 21 batters … threw 65 four-seam fastballs (94.7 mph avg; 98.3 mph max), 26 sliders (85.2 avg; 89.1 max), seven curveballs (81.7 mph avg; 85.1 max) and four changeups (87.7 avg; 90.5 max).
ON THE ROAD
Is 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA (7 ER/21.1 IP) and 18 strikeouts over his last four starts on the road
Has gone 6-7 with a 3.91 ERA (43 ER/99.0 IP) and 97 strikeouts over 22 career road starts.
DAMAGE CONTROL
Opponents are batting .184 (14-76) with RISP, .267 (12-45) with RISP/two outs and .000 (0-3) with the bases loaded against him this season.
His .184 opponents average with RISP is the seventh-lowest mark in the major leagues in 2023.
Has limited opponents to a.185 (39-206) average with RISP, .202 (23-114) with RISP/two outs and .182 (2-11) with the bases loaded in his career.
HEATER ON AND RELIABLE
His four-seam fastball has held the opposition to a .200 (84-421) batting average, the sixth-lowest in Major League Baseball since 2022 (min. 1,500 fastballs thrown) … opponents own a .213 (38-178) average on his fastball this season, fourth-lowest in MLB (min. 750 fastballs thrown).
Owns the second-highest four-seam fastball usage (62.5%) among pitchers this season (min. 80.0 IP) … led MLB starters with at least 2,000 pitches thrown in four-seam fastball usage (61.6%) last season.
Owns a 29.5 swing-and-miss percentage with his four-seam fastball, the fifth-highest percentage in the majors this season among pitchers with at least 150 opponent plate appearances … his 57 strikeouts via his four-seamer are the seventh-most in baseball in 2023.
VS. ATLANTA BRAVES || INTERLEAGUE
Is scheduled to make his first career appearance against Atlanta and 18th (ninth start) during interleague play … marks just his second career start vs. a National League East opponent.
Is 1-2 with a 4.98 ERA (12 ER/21.2 IP), .267 (23-86) opponents average and 18 strikeouts over four interleague starts this season … did not factor in his last interleague start on 6/10 vs. Miami, allowing five hits with one walk and six strikeouts over 5.0 scoreless IP … the Sox lost, 5-1 … Miami scored all its runs in the ninth.
Has gone 5-2 with a 2.32 ERA (14 ER/54.1 IP), .219 (44-201) opponents average and 53 strikeouts over 17 career interleague appearances (eight starts).
ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:
Second Half
Atlanta (60-29, .674) tonight opens the proverbial second half of the 2023 season after entering the All-Star break with baseball’s best record. Over the last two seasons, 2021-22, the Braves have played to a winning percentage 90 points higher following the All-Star break than they did before the Midsummer Classic.
Atlanta compiled a combined record of 100-83 (.546) before the break in those two seasons, the 11th-best record in the majors. Following the break, however, the Braves’ 89-51 (.636) record is behind just the Dodgers for the best in baseball.
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Braves and White Sox are set to open a three-game weekend series tonight in what is the only scheduled meetings between the two teams this season…Atlanta and Chicago are playing for the first time since 2019.
- The Braves and White Sox have played just 18 times since the introduction of Interleague Play in 1997, with Atlanta going 10-8 (.556) all-time versus Chicago…The teams have split six total series between the two clubs, 3-3.
- Atlanta swept all three games the last time these clubs met, here at Truist Park in 2019…That is Chicago’s only visit to Truist Park since the stadium opened in 2017, and the White Sox are one of just three teams to play here and never collect a victory… Oakland is 0-2, while Minnesota is also 0-3.
- Chicago has actually never won a game in the city of Atlanta, going 0-6 all-time against the Braves on the road…The White Sox were swept in three games at Turner Field in 2002, and in three more here at Truist Park in 2019…Atlanta has outscored Chicago, 53-15 (+38), in six games in its home stadium, scoring at least nine runs in four of the six games.
- RH Charlie Morton has never lost to Chicago, going 3-0 with a 3.57 ERA (7 ER/17.2 IP) in three career starts versus the White Sox…The 6-foot-5, 215-pound right-hander last faced Chicago in 2019 while with Tampa Bay, and allowed three hits and just two runs over 5.0 innings in the victory…Morton has made 17 starts for Atlanta this season, going 9-6 with a 3.43 ERA (37 ER/97.0 IP) and 111 strikeouts.
- RH Michael Kopech has never faced the Braves, but has pitched against three members of Atlanta’s current roster…1B Matt Olson has homered in his only career plate appearance against him…The 6-foot-3, 210-pound native of Longview, TX, was activated off the injured list (right shoulder inflammation) prior to tonight’s start.
FIRST-HALF PACES: Atlanta played to a 60-29 (.674) record prior to the All-Star break, and is on pace for a single-season franchise record of 109 wins this season…The 1998 club holds the current mark with 106 wins.
- The Braves have hit 169 homers on the season, 20 more than any other team in baseball…Atlanta is on pace for 307 home runs on the season, which would tie the single-season major league record (Minnesota in 2019).
- 1B Matt Olson leads the National League with 29 homers and 72 RBI…No Braves player has led the league in homers or RBI in a full 162-game season since Andruw Jones in 2005…At his current pace, Olson would finish the season with a single-season franchise record of 53 home runs.
- RHP Spencer Strider leads the majors with 166 strikeouts on the season, and his current pace of 306 strikeouts would pass John Smoltz (276 strikeouts in 1996) for the most strikeouts in a single season in franchise history.
HOMER STREAK: Atlanta homered in 26 consecutive games heading into the All-Star break, the longest homer streak in the franchise’s modern era…The club has hit
64 total homers during these 26 games (2.5 per game).
- Atlanta’s run is the longest active homer streak in baseball, and stands as the longest such run this season…Tampa Bay homered in 22 straight to open the season, while Cincinnati homered in 22 straight until the final game of the first half.
- Atlanta passed the modern-era franchise record set by the 1998 club, which did so in 25 straight games…This is just the fifth 20-game run for the club since 1900…The 2006 club homered also homered in 23 straight, the 1956 Milwaukee Braves had a 22-game run, and the 1973 team did so in 20 consecutive games.
- Atlanta’s 64 homers during its streak are 17 more than any other club has totaled since June 10, and just 13 teams have as many as half (32) of the Braves’ total in that span…Cleveland has just 60 homers on the entire season.
HARD HIT: The Braves produced an average exit velocity of 91.2 mph before the All-Star break, highest in baseball…No other team has averaged even 90.0 mph this season.
- Despite its majors-best exit velocity, Atlanta owns just a .302 batting average on balls in play, 12th highest in the majors…The Braves have 266 hard outs (outs with exit velos higher than 95.0), most in the National League and behind just Kansas City (268) for most in baseball.
- Atlanta also leads the majors in hard-hit percentage, putting 46.3% of its balls in play at a velo higher than 95.0 mph…No other team has done so more often than 44.0% (St. Louis).
- The Braves have 134 balls in play with an exit velocity higher than 110.0 mph, exactly double the closest team (Angels, 67)…For context, Kansas City, Detroit, Cleveland, Los Angeles-NL, San Francisco, Cincinnati and Washington have combined to produce just 116 such balls in play.
- Five players in the majors have at least 20 balls in play this season with exit velocities higer than 110.0, and three play for Atlanta…Ronald Acuña Jr. leads all of baseball with 40 such balls, while Austin Riley (27) and Matt Olson (23) round out the Top 5.
RONALD ACUÑA JR.: Batted .331/.408/.582 in the season’s first half, pacing the majors in runs (79), and leading the National League in OPS (.990), total bases (209) and steals (41).
- He is the only player in NL/AL history with 20+ home runs, 40+ stolen bases and 50+ RBI before the All-Star break.
- Acuña Jr. is on pace for 39 homers and 75 stolen bases…No player in history has ever recorded a season with even 35 home runs and 55 stolen bases.
- He leads all position players in baseball in both bWAR (5.0) and fWAR (4.8).
Tonight’s Starting Pitcher – #50 Charlie Morton RHP
2023 Record: 9-6, 3.43 ERA • 2022 Record: 9-6, 4.34 ERA
vs. RHB: .270 (53-196), 4 HR • vs. LHB: .239 (42-176), 6 HR
Home: 4-3, 4.12 ERA (20/43.2) • Away: 5-3, 2.87 ERA (17/53.1)
Today’s Game
- Set to make his 18th start of the season and first against Chicago (AL) since 2019.
- Morton is one six active pitchers with at least 15 starts in 13 different seasons.
- Trails only Zack Greinke (17), Clayton Kershaw (15), Justin Verlander (15), Max Scherzer (14), and Cole Hamels (14).
- Finished the first half of the season with a 3.43 ERA; the fifth lowest ERA prior to the All-Star break in a single season of his 15-year MLB career.
- Owns a 4.15 career ERA in the second half.
- Earned his ninth win of the season holding Tampa Bay to four hits over 6.1 innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts.
- Has won each of his last four outings, the third longest active streak of wins in consecutive outings in baseball…trails only Taijuan Walker and Spencer Strider.
- Morton has struck out 349 hitters with his curveball since the beginning of the 2020; the most in the majors.
- During that span hitters are missing on 52.9% of curveballs thrown, the second highest rate in the majors…The MLB average is 11.7% (among QS).
- Utilizing his curveball on 44.9% of pitches thrown this season.
- Morton’s 1015 strikeouts since the 2018 season are the fourth most in baseball.
- Prior to the 2018 season, Morton threw his curveball on 21.3% of pitches throughout his career.
- Since the beginning of 2018 he has thrown his curve on 36.4% of pitches.
- Hitters are registering a .335 batting average on balls in play against Morton in ’23.
- The MLB BABIP this season is .301 for qualified starters.
- Hitters are averaging a 7.90 launch angle against Morton; MLB average is 11.30.
- Fifth lowest rate in the National league.
- In his age 39 season, Morton is the sixth-oldest active pitcher in the majors.
2023 Recap
- Morton struck out Miami’s Bryan De La Cruz for 1,800 on his career.
- Is now one of 13 active pitchers in baseball with as many punchouts.
- Snapped a streak of 11 consecutive games with a decision in his last start against New York (NL); at the time it was the longest active streak in 2023.
- Became the sixth pitcher in franchise history to pitch at least 6.0 innings and strikeout nine or more in an outing at age 39 or older.
- Passed R.A. Dickey and Hall-of-Famer Cy Young with three such games.
- Trails Hall-of-Famers Phil Niekro (10), John Smoltz (8), and Warren Spahn (4).
- Struck out 10 hitters over 6.2 scoreless innings in his win against Texas on May 15.
- Has now struckout at least 10 hitters in six games since turning 38, passing Hall-of-Famer Cy Young for the ninth most such games dating to 1901.
- Morton is the first player with at least six games of 10 or more strikeouts at his age since Hall-of-Famers Randy Johnson and John Smoltz.
- Struck out Cincinnati’s Will Benson on June 25 to record his 1,800th career SO.
- Is one of 13 active pitchers in baseball with as many strikeouts.
