For the third time in as many starts at Guaranteed Rate Field, a rain delay interrupted Michael Kopech's night.
This time, it was short enough that it didn't end his night. Instead, the Tigers took care of that part with five straight hits to start the fourth inning, including three homers on three kinds of pitches. Mikie Mahtook turned on an inside fastball and homered to left to start the inning. After James McCann singled, Ronny Rodriguez clobbered a hanging curve for a two-run shot, and JaCoby Jones then rode a high fastball the opposite way to make it back-to-back.
Dawel Lugo then shot a double to right, and while Kopech struck out Jeimer Candelario for one out, Jim Adduci's double scored Detroit's sixth and final run of the frame, ending Kopech's evening.
Kopech probably would've taken his first career loss if he hadn't returned from the delay, as he gave up a solo shot to Candelario to start the game. The Tigers seemed to be on his fastball, which topped out at just 96 mph. He was able to get some swings and misses on his breaking stuff, but he also hung his share of it. The 26-minute interruption probably didn't help, but it seems like he should get used to terrible weather.
This one had one other delay and one other struggling rookie pitcher, as Caleb Frare allowed four of the five batters he faced to reach, and three came around to score, including one on Jose Ruiz's watch.
Ruiz's allowed Frare's runner to cross, but he kept his own ERA pristine in his White Sox debut, working around two hits and a walk over 1 1/3 innings thanks in part to two strikeouts.
The White Sox, who had clobbered Jordan Zimmerman for more than a run an inning over their first four meetings, couldn't score anything on him through five. They could only scratch across two hits and a walk, as he and the Detroit bullpen induced plenty of grounders.
They might've been shut out if it weren't for Detroit's defense. With one out, Ronny Rodriguez snared Matt Davidson's grounder and had a chance to start a 5-4-3 double play, but he couldn't get a clean exchange and ended up firing the ball into foul territory in right field. Welington Castillo scored all the way from first, and Davidson reached third, scoring two batters later on Jose Rondon's flared single.
Bullet points:
*The White Sox went 7-12 against the Tigers in the season series. We'll see if this factors into the draft order at all.
*The Sox were also officially eliminated from postseason contention with this loss.
*The Tigers outhit the Sox 16-5.
*Yolmer Sanchez failed to reach base safely, ending his streak at 23 games.
*Ryan Cordell is still searching for his first hit, as Mahtook mah-stole one from him with a diving catch in center.
*The rain delays were 28 and 33 minutes long.
Record: 56-84 | Box score
