Gamethread: Tigers at White Sox

Today is a picture-perfect day in the Chicagoland area: Temperatures dancing around in the high seventies, and clear blue skies as far as the eye can see. My windows are open, my house is clean, and my cup is filled with rum and Dr Pepper.

All I’m asking is for the Chicago White Sox to try their best not to ruin anything today.

It’s not a big ask. The White Sox are taking on the Detroit Tigers, who are currently somehow worse than in the AL Central. As we saw in last night’s 8-0 victory, these games can be downright enjoyable, which is something the South Siders have struggled to be this season.

The White Sox will send big righthander Michael Kopech to the mound for today’s matinee mid-off. Kopech hasn’t been quite right since his June 12 start against the Texas Rangers, when a knee injury forced him to leave the game after facing only two batters. Since then, the physically limited Kopech hasn’t won a single game and has watched his ERA climb from 1.92 to 3.34. Clearly, the knee injury is an issue, but without many other options, the White Sox are choosing to shrug it (and Kopech having already passed his career high in MLB innings) off and hope that the Universe will do us a solid and recognize that he’s due for a win.

I really don’t know what to tell you about the rest of the lineup. Yoán Moncada is leading off, Leury García is at short, and I’m shaking my head.

White Sox killer Javier Báez and the rest of the Tigers line up like this:

First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 pm CT, and the game is being televised and broadcast in the usual places.