/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72454244/usa_today_21038412.0.jpg)
Let’s see.
How to frame this?
How about: walk, HBP, walk, and then this little 430-footer:
That’s about all you really need to know.
Losing to the Braves isn’t exactly embarrassing, though losing this badly certainly is. The bad news long-term is that it took Michael Kopech, fresh off of the IL, 38 pitches (only 14 of them strikes) to get through two-thirds of an inning. That’s just less than half as many pitches as it took Atlanta starter Charlie Morton to get through seven (well, OK, he really needed 83, but that’s close to twice 38, and it is the numbers three and eight reversed).
The Braves had 10 batters come to the plate in the first inning. The White Sox had 29 ... in the game. On the bright side, the Sox did actually have one more hit than they hit into double plays, five to four. And they did manage to get one runner past first — but that was on a wild pitch.
Tim Anderson and Andrew Vaughn each had two of the five singles, so there is that. And Zach Remillard continued to be the spirit of the team, or what spirit there is, with a nice running grab.
Six Pack of Stats
By Chrystal O’Keefe
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24789641/Screenshot_2023_07_14_at_10.03.42_PM.png)
Pressure Play
Michael Kopech started off under pressure, topping at 1.97 LI. We all know walks will haunt us, and hit-by-pitches suck even more. But loading the bases for Matt Olson to hit a grand slam? Yikes.
Pressure Cooker
Again, Kopech faced the most pressure, ending his start before the first inning could even end, and with a 0.98 pLI to prove it.
Top Play
In a blowout, the big play comes early, and Matt Olson’s first-inning grand slam, snatching up a WPA of .157, was all Atlanta would need to win the game.
Top Performer
Charlie Morton takes home the prize by throwing seven shutout innings and collecting a .244 WPA.
Hardest Hit
Jake Burger’s ground out in the eighth came off of the bat at 112 mph.
Weakest Contact
Luis Robert Jr.’s little fielder’s choice dribble in the seventh left at just 54.3 mph.
Luckiest Hit
Orlando Arcia’s sixth-inning double only had an .080 xBA.
Toughest Out
Jake Burger is back again, this time with the fly out in the sixth with a .650 xBA.
Longest Hit
Matt Olson effectively ended the game in the first with a grand slam that traveled 430 feet.
Magic Number: 5.1
To end this on a somewhat positive note, let’s see what our friend SoxNerd had to say about Touki Toussaint.
The last #WhiteSox reliever to throw more than the 5.1 innings #ToukiToussaint threw tonight was #JoseQuintana, who went 5.2 innings in his #MLB debut of May 7, 2012 at Cleveland
— SoxNerd (@SoxNerd) July 15, 2023
The real bright spot was the relief effort of Touki Toussaint. who came in in the first and didn’t give up a run until he had totally run out of gas in the sixth, after going past 80 pitches. Why was a reliever, even a long reliever, left in for what turned out to be 97 pitches? Well, this is the White Sox — nothing we do makes sense. Maybe with a lot of luck, Touki’s arm won’t actually fall off.
Unfortunately, Toussaint eventually had to leave, and Bryan Shaw then showed why he was on the garbage heap Rick Hahn saved him from, giving up four runs in the seventh despite Remillard’s nifty play. Tanner Banks retired the last four Braves in order, so at least it wasn’t a double-figure loss. And the Braves, not known for patience, only drew nine walks, though two other batters did get hit by pitches.
The loss runs the Sox record to 38-55 and takes them a step closer to White Flag Sale day. They have two more games in Atlanta, tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon. You may wish to make sure impressionable youngsters don’t watch, either.
Poll
Who was the MVP of this 9-0 loss out of the gate to start the second half?
This poll is closed
-
40%
You. You were, for reading this far.
(46 votes) -
57%
Touki Toussaint: 5 1⁄3 innings, 3 H, ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 7.1% WPA
(66 votes) -
0%
Tim Anderson: 2-for-4, K, 1.4% WPA
(1 vote) -
0%
Eloy Jiménez: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 0.4% WPA
(0 votes) -
1%
Sox Pop Live: Podcasting during the game, to give you an option to not watch it.
(2 votes)
Poll
You can only choose one Cold Cat for this game, sorry.
This poll is closed
-
15%
You. You were, for reading this far.
(16 votes) -
61%
Michael Kopech: 2⁄3 IP, H, HR, 4 BB, 4 ER, -31.3% WPA, LOSS
(62 votes) -
21%
Major League Baseball: Making the White Sox play the final 70 games of the season.
(22 votes) -
0%
Sox Pop Live: Podcasting during the game, robbing you of the option of getting very angry at a game and then angry at a podcast.
(1 vote)
Loading comments...