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GLENDALE, Ariz. — Michael Kopech had a breakthrough towards the end of his second start of the spring with the Chicago White Sox.
The right-hander started the third inning of Wednesday’s Cactus League game against the Los Angeles Dodgers by striking out Chris Taylor.
Max Muncy was next and Kopech hit him swinging. It was the last hit of the day for Kopech during the 12-9 defeat against Camelback Ranch.
“Just as my trip was about to end, I felt my feet starting to sink beneath me,” Kopech said. “You never want it to be the third (inning) before you feel that way. “This is a spring training trip and that’s fine, but of course I want to make an adjustment much earlier in the season than that.”
Kopech allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits in 2 2/3 innings. Facing a loaded Dodgers lineup that included Mookie Betts, he struck out three, walked three and struck out one. Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman top the rankings.
“You know what kind of squad you’re going to face,” Kopech said. “Obviously I would like to be a little more refined. But it’s still early. Go out there and try attacking with strikes instead of feeling like I’m falling behind, like I’m fighting myself. It’s a good squad and it shows what can happen when you don’t get ahead. “A good learning experience.”
Kopech said there was no problem with his belongings.
“I had a goal last season, I wanted to reshape my slider to play a little harder and play my fastball a little better,” he said. “He’s starting to do that. It was 83-87 mph today, I wish it was closer to 87.
“When I keep him down, he plays my fastball pretty well. I’m happy with the shape of my pitches, but I need to be a little more consistent.”
In his first start, Kopech pitched two scoreless innings and struck out five. March 1 vs. Cubs at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz.
Coming into his second start, Kopech focused on using all of his pitches for strikes.
“I did this with everything but the cutter,” he said. “The slider got backed up a few times, but I still threw some good ones. I threw some curveballs, the fastball was a little inconsistent today, and that’s going to be a big part of my game, my fastball handling.”
“Other than that, I was pretty happy with what I did. But I need to bat more.”
Kopech walked Betts to start the game and hit a wild pitch that struck out Ohtani. Ohtani then reached on an infield hit and Betts advanced to third. Betts scored on Freeman’s sacrifice fly to left field.
Kopech limited the damage with a strikeout and, after a walk, a nice defensive play catch by second baseman Nicky Lopez on a groundout by James Outman for the final out.
Kopech walked and struck out with a strikeout in the second. Ohtani had an RBI single during the two-run inning.
“It’s always fun to face him,” Kopech said. “He’s caught me a couple of times. I know he’s a pro, I just have to get ahead in the count so he can’t get any clout. Today, I pitched a pretty good 3-2 in the first inning and he still hit a good one. I walked another one out, and he shot one of them right in the middle.
“He is a good batsman, you have to take every advantage you can. It would be nice to do this with all hitters.
Manager Pedro Grifol said it’s too early to talk about a rotation, adding that the Sox continue to develop Kopech “to be one of our starters.”
“Everyone is just competing right now,” Grifol said. “We’re improving it.”
“I’ve had both roles, I’ve enjoyed doing both, I’d love to do that and be a part of that rotation and be a part of that rotation, but I want to be a part of the team no matter how I fit in,” Kopech said.
Kopech knows that one of the keys to any trip is efficiency.
“It’s a process right now; halfway through the spring, we’re figuring out the adjustments we need to make and hopefully incorporate into the season,” Kopech said.