Garrett Crochet pitched seven sharp innings and Gavin Sheets, Paul DeJong and Andrew Vaughn drove in runs as the host Chicago White Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Tuesday for their first victory this season.
Relievers John Brebbia and Michael Kopech preserved the Chicago lead in a tight finish. Kopech navigated Marcell Ozuna’s ninth-inning home run, his second solo shot of the game, as well as two walks to notch a five-out save.
Vaughn delivered what stood up as the winning RBI — an eighth-inning bloop single against Pierce Johnson.
DeJong connected against Braves reliever A.J. Minter (0-1) with a go-ahead, pinch-hit solo shot leading off the seventh.
Crochet (1-1) limited a potent Braves lineup, which entered the night averaging nearly nine runs over its first four games. The Chicago left-hander, who shifted from the bullpen during spring training, gave up one run on three hits and one walk. He struck out eight, throwing 63 of his 93 pitches for strikes.
The White Sox had to exhale in the eighth. After a potential inning-ending strikeout/caught stealing double play was called Ball 4, Kopech walked the first hitter he faced before inducing Austin Riley on a double-play grounder to third baseman Yoan Moncada.
Chicago tallied the first run of the game in the sixth inning. Andrew Benintendi opened the inning with a bunt down the third-base line, advanced to second on a walk and went to third on Luis Robert Jr.’s sacrifice fly. Sheets blooped an RBI single to right field two batters later, making enough contact with Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez’s inside fastball.
Lopez recovered to retire Andrew Vaughn on an inning-ending double play to escape further damage.
Atlanta tied the game when Ozuna reached Crochet for a solo home run to left field with one out in the seventh.
Lopez handcuffed his former team over six strong innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks, with five strikeouts, in his Atlanta debut.
The save was the first of Kopech’s career. White Sox pitchers struck out nine while allowing just five hits.
Chicago outfielder/designated hitter Eloy Jimenez missed his second straight game with a strained left adductor.
–Field Level Media