Gamethread: White Sox at Mets

The White Sox will be trying to avoid a sweep and falling to a season-worst 18 games under .500 this afternoon, and they’ll be doing it against an old friend who hasn’t pitched since last year. Michael Kopech will be on the mound for the Sox, trying to recover from a disastrous last outing, but the news will be the other pitcher.

The Mets signed José Quintana to a two-year contract in December, but a serious rib problem sidelined him until today. Q has had a varied career since the Sox traded him in 2017, but he was outstanding last year for the Pirates and Cardinals. Maybe that will continue, maybe the rust will dominate. Either way, it’s doubtful he’ll go deep into the game.

Since Quintana is a lefty, Pedro Grifol has a lineup with seven batters who will hit righty, including Eloy Jiménez in his first game back from a brief, non-IL injury break.

1. Andrew Benintendi (L) LF
2. Tim Anderson (R) SS
3. Luis Robert Jr. (R) CF
4. Eloy Jiménez (R) DH
5. Jake Burger (R) 1B
6. Yasmani Grandal (S) C
7. Zach Remillard (R) 3B
8. Oscar Colás (L) RF
9. Elvis Andrus (R) 2B

Last time out, Kopech started with BB-HBP-BB-HR and didn’t even make it through the first inning, throwing only 14 of 38 pitches for strikes. That wasn’t just an aberration — Kopech has had pretty much zilch control for a month. The Mets lineup he faces walks a little more often than the MLB average.

1. Brandon Nimmo (L) CF
2. Tommy Pham (R) LF
3. Francisco Lindor (S) SS
4. Pete Alonso (R) 1B
5. Jeff McNeil (L) 2B
6. Francisco Alvarez (R) DH
7. Brett Baty (L) 3B
8. Mark Canha (R) RF
9. Omar Narváez (L) C

First pitch is set for 12:10 p.m. Central, in 85° of sunshine and very little wind. Usual broadcast suspects.

.