2020 OOTP sim: White Sox rally, upend Padres, 5-3
SAN DIEGO — After a frustrating run of losses with absent offense, inconsistent pitching, and even the occasional lost fly ball to spur an extra-innings defeat, things finally broke Chicago's way in a come-from-behind, 5-3 win at MLB-best San Diego.
The Sox struck for four runs in the eight inning, the first on a Craig Stammen wild pitch (after loading the bases on a Yasmani Grandal walk and singles from Leury García and Yoán Moncada), and the three decisive ones arriving later in the at-bat, when Eloy Jiménez clocked a three-run homer to right field.
Early on, things were looking much darker, as eminently-hittable Padres starter Joey Lucchesi brought his 7.31 ERA into the game and promptly threw six innings of one-run, four-hit, one-walk, eight-K ball. The White Sox, García solo shot in the third aside, simply handed Lucchesi a 67 game score.
On the White Sox pitching end, well, it was a mixed bag, mostly OK. Michael Kopech had his first bad outing of the season, needing 76 pitches to record eight outs. While his first two starts were a short four innings based on limiting pitch count more than performance, in his last two the young fireballer has been inefficient. After the game, manager Ricky Renteria indicated there's a chance that Kopech works out of the bullpen for a bit while Reynaldo López returns to the rotation.
For his part López, scheduled as the "second starter" all along in relief of Kopech based on some pitch count limitations, did well. Entering the game in the third inning to clean up Kopech's mess (runners at the corners, two out), López cajoled a ground out to keep the White Sox in what was then a 3-1 game.
All told, López threw 3 ⅓ innings and notched four Ks against a walk and two hits. But the righty had to leave during the seventh inning after developing a blister on his right thumb. Listed as day-to-day, López is unlikely to miss much time.
Tony Watson came into the game in the seventh cold and induced two long fly outs to escape the seventh, and was thereby the recipient of a vultured, ⅔-inning win when the White Sox rallied. Aaron Bummer pitched a clean and efficient eighth and ninth to earn his third save of the season.
