Home Opener Gamethread: Giants at White Sox

A reminder right off, if any of you bother to read gamethreads: The game was moved up an hour, to 2:10 p.m., due to approaching weather fronts this evening, so adjust your pregaming and watch schedules wisely!

Hello, South Side Sox readers and White Sox fans! We’re back home in potentially soggy Chicago, hoping to squeeze in this afternoon’s Home Opener and sneak back better than .500 on the young season.

It’s my sixth Home Opener covered for South Side Sox, which might, possibly, now slate me as second all-time in SSS longevity. Not sure how/if The Cheat coverage games the way we do, though I don’t think so. It’s also my last scheduled recap of the year, so it’s hello-goodbye for me.

The White Sox enter a series with their sisters in .500, the San Francisco Giants, with advantages across the board — or, certainly in the starting staff and offense. So let’s punch the Oddest Home Opener Opponent ever right in the mouth and take two of three, or sweep. The Sox head right back out on the road by the weekend, playing nine of 12 games to start the season on the road. Gotta fatten up a bit now.

The offense has been inefficient, but potent, but if you have to have the former, is sure is sweet to have the latter. Our guys have been MASHING, and the rotation has been doing well enough on a first run through — even if you subtract Cy Cease’s stellar start.

Michael Kopech gets the ball for the opener, and Tommy Barbee said it well on the pregame podcast: It feels like Kopech is the most all-or-nothing starter on this staff. Between possible weather, the pitch clock, nerves, a lot can go south today. But we can also marinate in the fact that he’s healthy, and started like gangbusters in 2022 — pointing toward a very strong five innings today. The pen? Hey, I’ll let another gamethread take care of that this week.

Here’s your White Sox for Home Opener 2023:

Gotta love this lineup. Be willing to move YoYo up, Pedro.

And, the Giants:

Neither this lineup nor the starter inspires fear. Let’s grab a big W, White Sox.

Ballgame is on ... well, let’s face it, they’ve probably been pregaming over at NBCSC for hours already, so keep a hot pot of black coffee on for Ozzie. Tons of pregame (intros, etc) beforehand, but we should be good to go at 2:10 p.m. CT. Want radio? ESPN-AM 1000 has got it.

I’ll have your postgame recap, up immediately after last out. Kristina Airdo takes the Six Pack, and Allie Wesel, from the ballpark, is on the Bird App. Immediately after the game, I’ll assemble the Sox Populi team and record a postgame podcast, which we plan to have on-site within a couple hours of game’s end. See you then!