BALTIMORE — Efficiency will get you places in short order.
Inefficiency — when it comes to throwing strikes, racking up high pitch counts and failing to get past five innings — will get you where the White Sox are, enduring a long, never ending season as one of the bottom feeders in baseball.
The latest example was the latest start for the talented but wild Michael Kopech, who needed 95 pitches to get through four innings in the Sox’ 9-0 loss to the Orioles Monday. Kopech walked four and bounced a wild pitch that scored one of the Orioles’ four runs against him. He gave up seven hits, and to remind — as his three stars this season in which he carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning — of what his arm brings to the table, got nine swings and misses and struck out five batters.
But Sox manager Pedro Grifol and pitching coaches Ethan Katz and Curt Hasler are trying to pound the idea of pounding the strike zone. In other words, more attacking, less nibbling on the corners.
“I want to economize pitches,” Grifol said. “I want guys to pitch to contact when you have good stuff. Why not pitch to contact, that’s why we have seven behind you and one in front of you. It’s the name of the game. Just let other guys play and try to see if he can stay on the mound until the seventh inning.”
The loss dropped the Sox to 52-80. The Orioles are 82-49.
Kopech also had three bases stolen on him, which has been an issue this season as well. He was coming off an abbreviated four-inning start — due to leg cramps in high heat — in which he didn’t allow a run but walked four Mariners.
The Sox are figuring on Kopech manning an important place in their 2024 starting rotation, but in his last 12 starts, Kopech has allowed 51 walks covering 50 1⁄3 innings. That’s an average of 4 1⁄3 innings.
“Every good pitching staff attacks the strike zone,” Grifol said. “And why would you want to do it any other way than that? Stand on the mound and attack, if they beat you, they beat you.”
Kopech (5-12, 5.08 ERA) entered the game tied with Blake Snell with 84 walks allowed, but in 124 innings, 21 fewer than Snell.
Rodriguez dominates
Grayson Rodriguez, who entered with a 5.38 ERA, handcuffed the Sox on one hit and one walk over six scoreless innings. Rodriguez, touching 100 mph multiple times, struck out six. The Sox were hitting .291/.328/.483 in their last nine games.
Luis Robert Jr. had both Sox hits, including a double, and made a diving catch in the left-center field gap.
In the books
Tim Anderson needs three hits to become the 19th player to record his first 1,000 in a Sox uniform and first since Jose Abreu in 2019.
*Bryan Shaw (19 appearances this season) needs 28 to become the 55th player to reach 800. He has appeared in in 60-plus games in 10 consecutive seasons.