White Sox Minor Keys: Aug. 16, 2018

At this point, it's really no longer worth covering Michael Kopech starts in depth, because he's already proven ready for a big-league debut.

Kopech struck out nine Louisville Bats over six innings of one-run ball on Thursday night. He now has a 1.84 ERA with 59 strikeouts to four walks over his last seven starts, which span 44 innings. Josh's Twitter feed is littered with highlights, but he can really only change his evaluations in negative ways from here.

For instance, flirting with a brawl in the fourth inning with this HBP.

Eventful 4th inning for Michael Kopech

*6-3 groundout
*HBP - benches emptied
*Picks off runner at first
*8th strikeout with a nasty slider@SoxMachine pic.twitter.com/Cr80KixJNf

— Josh Nelson - Sox Machine (@soxmachine_josh) August 17, 2018

The plunked batter was Brian O'Grady, who was the lone Bat who lived up to his team's name against Kopech. He dropped a bunt single on Kopech's first pitch of the second inning, stole second on the second pitch of the inning, then came around to score the lone run on Kopech's tab. The next time up he was plunked on the first pitch.

It might've gone unnoticed had Kopech not had an unusual reaction to fielding O'Grady's bunt.

Instead, he built up enough circumstantial evidence for benches to clear, and even Charlotte's broadcasters speculated that it looked intentional. The Knights did not make Kopech available after the game, which doesn't make him look less guilty.

Kopech picked off O'Grady and got out of the inning with no further drama, and then he later escaped a bases-loaded jam, so he regained his composure within the start. Still, when he's this close to the big leagues, it doesn't serve his purpose to give management these kinds of moments to point to.

I suppose it's better that he had this moment in the minors. After watching the aftermath of Jose Ureña intentional drilling of Ronald Acuña Jr., it's an especially poor time to make that kind of first impression.

Charlotte 9, Louisville 4

• Charlie Tilson went 0-for-3 with two walks and two strikeouts.
• Eloy Jimenez went 1-for-5.
• Jose Rondon fell a triple short of the cycle during a 3-for-4 night.
• Seby Zavala walked once, struck out thrice and was caught stealing.
• Michael Kopech: 6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 1 HBP
• Ian Hamilton: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Tennessee 11, Birmingham 1

• Luis Alexander Basabe went 2-for-4 with a double and a strikeout.
• Danny Mendick singled, walked and struck out twice.
• Alex Call went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Jameson Fisher, 0-for-3.
• Ian Clarkin started a bullpen day and survived control issues: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP
• Ian Hamilton: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Buies Creek 5, Winston-Salem 2

• Luis Gonzalez went 1-for-3.
• Nick Madrigal, 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Blake Rutherford was 2-for-4 with a strikeout, and was caught stealing.
• Luis Robert went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
• Gavin Sheets, 1-for-3 with a double, walk and strikeout.
• Lincoln Henzman: 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP
• Tyler Johnson: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Kannapolis 10, Augusta 1

• Luis Curbelo went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.
• Steele Walker had his first dynamic game: 2-for-4 with a walk and three stolen bases.
• Justin Yurchak went 2-for-4 with a double.

DSL White Sox 7, DSL Orioles 1

• Sidney Pimentel struck out in his only trip to the plate.
• Harold Diaz went 2-for-4 with two doubles.
• Jose Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with a triple and an HBP.