White Sox Minor League Update: Sept. 1, 2017

Michael Kopech made his third start with Charlotte on Friday, which also served as his last start of the 2017 season.

It’s hard to quibble with the results on the evening, whether you’re looking at the run-prevention (two runs over five innings) or peripherals (seven strikeouts, zero walks). He gave up three straight singles to open the second, then a leadoff triple came around to score in the fourth.

It’s even more difficult to find a problem with Kopech’s body of work over the 2017 season. He finished the year with a 2.88 ERA over 134 ¹⁄₃ innings, all but 15 coming with the Birmingham Barons. That workload more than doubles his previous professional high of 65 innings back in 2015. He also struck out 172 batters to 65 walks, and the control problems dissipated in the second half.

He won’t be called up in September since he already increased his workload considerably, and also because an excellent September would make it harder to keep him off the Opening Day roster.

Norfolk 8, Charlotte 2 (8½ innings, rain)

• Jake Peter went 1-for-4 with a homer and a strikeout.
• Jacob May was 0-for-4 with a K.
• Rymer Liriano was 2-for-3.
• Danny Hayes struck out all three times.
• Casey Gillaspie was ejected after striking out for the second time in as many trips to the plate.
• D.J. Peterson went 0-for-3.
• Eddy Alvarez singled twice and struck out once.
• Michael Kopech: 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Mississippi 3, Birmingham 0 (Game 1, 7 innings)

• Nick Basto went 0-for-3 with a K.
• Courtney Hawkins and Danny Mendick were both 0-for-2.
• Trey Michalczewski went 0-for-2 with a strikeout.
• Jordan Guerrero: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HR

Mississippi 4, Birmingham 3 (Game 2, 13 innings)

• Nick Basto went 1-for-5 with a double, walk and two strikeouts.
• Courtney Hawkins was 0-for-5 with a walk and three strikeouts.
• Zack Collins and Trey Michalczewski were both 1-for-4 with a double, walk and two strikeouts.
• Danny Mendick went 1-for-5 with a strikeout.
• Spencer Adams: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R< 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 1 WP

More:

*Adams departed the game with some sort of hand issue — maybe a blister? — as he was shaking it between his final pitches.

*Eloy Jimenez missed the doubleheader with an illness, making him unable to follow up on his hype reel.

Lakewood 1, Kannapolis 0

• Joel Booker went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
• Luis Gonzalez was 0-for-2 with two walks and a strikeout.
• Blake Rutherford went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
• Jake Burger went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
• Alex Call had the only two hits, striking out and bunting in his other two PAs.

AZL Padres2 5, AZL White Sox 4 (Game 1, 8 innings)

• Ramon Beltre went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
• Lenyn Sosa, 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
• Jhoandro Alfaro singled twice and struck out once.
• Anthony Coronado went 0-for-3 with a K.

AZL White Sox 2, AZL Padres2 0 (Game 2, 7 innings)

• Ramon Beltre went 1-for-2 with a walk.
• Lenyn Sosa, 0-for-2 with a walk.
• Sam Abbott, 1-for-3.
• Maiker Feliz was 0-for-2 with an HBP and a strikeout.
• Anthony Coronado walked once and struck out twice.

Helena 4, Great Falls 0

• Craig Dedelow went 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Justin Yurchak was 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
• Will Kincanon: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Winston-Salem at Salem PPD