Gamethread: White Sox vs. Yankees

Before the Chicago White Sox began this four-game series with the New York Yankees, I might have told you that I’d be happy if the Sox didn’t get swept. As Steve Stone has smugly reminded us, the Yankees (24-9) are hot, and the White Sox (16-16) are not.

Having clawed their way to a 3-2 victory last night, the White Sox can exceed expectations and split the series with a win in today’s finale.

On the bump for the White Sox will be Michael Kopech, who will be looking to secure his first win of the season. Kopech is coming off a strong outing against the Cleveland Guardians, where he went six innings, only allowing two hits and striking out seven. It’ll be interesting to see how Kopech’s 0.97 WHIP will fare against the hard-hitting Yankees, who lead the American League with a slugging percentage of .426.

Tony La Russa gives the rest of the lineup his trademarked Sunday shake-up. Notably missing from today’s lineup are Yoán Moncada and Gavin Sheets, both of whom have been swinging a hot bat.

While the White Sox have decided to let the two players who have been hitting for the most power have the day off, the visiting Yankees are burdened by no such notion. In order to win today, the South Siders still will have to go through Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, and Giancarlo Staton, who comprise 60% of the league's Top 5 home run leaders.

Godspeed, Michael Kopech.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CT. You can watch the game locally on NBC Sports Chicago or listen to the call on ESPN 1000 AM.