All reliever Michael Kopech could do was watch with his right hand on his hip as his fastball traveled in the air for a solo home run by Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg in the eighth inning.
After the homer, fans grew restless. They had watched the White Sox’ three-run lead evaporate Saturday in a 5-3 loss.
It was the second home run Kopech allowed in Baltimore’s five-run eighth.
The second blast off Kopech sealed the loss for the Sox (15-38) after the first one he allowed had given the Orioles a 4-3 lead.
Facing designated hitter Anthony Santander, Kopech threw a slider up in the zone, almost precisely where he threw a fastball on the previous pitch.
“Santander was a little bit tardy on that first fastball, and you know he’s a smart hitter,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “He knows how to release that barrel. And the slider that [Kopech] threw was left over the plate, so it kind of sped him up a little bit.
‘‘I’m sure that’s not where Michael wanted to throw it or [catcher Martin Maldonado] wanted it. But that’s where it ended up.”
Kopech said he flew open on the pitch, which allowed it to stay on the “outer half of the plate.”
The Sox entered the inning nursing a three-run lead with reliever Jordan Leasure on the mound. After getting the first out, he walked catcher Adley Rutschman, then allowed a homer to right fielder Ryan O’Hearn.
“I thought Leasure did a really good job [in the seventh inning] of getting us out of that jam [with runners on first and second with one out, Leasure struck out two to end the inning],” Grifol said. “He got out of there with minimal pitches. I sent him back out for the eighth. Got that first guy out, then a walk and obviously a homer, and we brought in Michael.”
Starter Erick Fedde delivered another standout performance, throwing 6„ scoreless innings, striking out six and allowing three hits. First baseman Gavin Sheets had a bases-clearing triple in the fifth inning, but the bullpen simply couldn’t shut it down.
Fedde and Garrett Crochet have been the Sox’ most reliable starters. And before this blip against the Orioles, Leasure (2.91 ERA) and Kopech (4.18) had been formidable out of the bullpen.
“They’ve been amazing,” Fedde said. “It’s easy to look at right this second, but if you look at the big picture, they’ve been amazing. Those are guys I enjoy handing the ball off to.”
Kopech hadn’t allowed an earned run in May before this outing. Leasure had allowed one in 8⅔ innings. With a rotation near the bottom of the league in ERA, the Sox have to take advantage when one of their two reliable starters is on the mound.
“I don’t expect to be scoreless every single time,” Kopech said. “If I was, it’d be a perfect career, which is unheard of. That being said, there’d be a more ideal time to give up a run than the ones I have. It’s a tough one.
‘‘Sorry that Fedde didn’t get the win there. He pitched a great game. But, yeah, I’ve got to wear that one for a little bit.”
