This past Sunday, Michael Kopech became a Rorschach test for White Sox fans.
The 26-year-old Texas native went six innings against the much-feared Yankees, giving up only one hit. On paper, that looks great.
But the eventual 5-1 White Sox loss was partially the result of a catastrophic collapse in the second inning, where Kopech lost total pitching control and gave up three runs on a combination of walks and wild pitches, all with two outs. The mood in the ballpark was, let’s just say, less than jubilant. And with the South Side bullpen already weary from a workout the previous evening, it was up to Kopech to pull himself together from the brink of disaster.