Michael Kopech continues May mastery in pivotal start for Chicago White Sox

CHICAGO — With all due respect to Justin Timberlake, perhaps no one was more excited to see the calendar turn to May than Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Michael Kopech.

While Timberlake may be all the rage with his song-inspired memes that hit social media like a flash flood at the start of the month, Kopech relishes May because it often translates to success for him and the White Sox on the mound.

After a flurry of roster moves started the day on the south side, Kopech went out and set the tone for the White Sox against the Minnesota Twins, holding the AL Central leaders hitless through 5.1 innings and allowing just one run on one hit in Chicago’s 3-2 walk-off, extra-inning win on Tuesday night.

Coming into the series opener against the Twins, White Sox starters had compiled a 5.36 ERA through the team’s first 29 games. Kopech lowered that number with an 89-pitch outing where his fastball (63 pitches, including 10 swings and misses) played a big role in his success.

However, Kopech and Chicago manager Pedro Grifol pointed to how it was Kopech’s other pitches that set up the fastball effectively against Minnesota.

“I felt a lot more comfortable with what I’ve called in the past my third and fourth pitches, so I was able to mix with a curveball and changeup that I’ve probably back pocketed more than I would like to in the past,” Kopech said. “Showing that I can use all four tonight I think is going to be big for me moving forward.”

“He accomplished what he set out to accomplish over the last four days, which was to mix his pitches up,” Grifol added. “You can’t just become a two-pitch guy. He was tremendous. He threw all of his pitches, which made his fastball a lot better.”

May is the month for Chicago White Sox starter Michael Kopech

It continued a trend of success for Kopech in his four-year career in Chicago in May. In 12 games (five starts) in May coming into Tuesday night, the right-hander had posted career monthly bests of a 1.40 ERA and .152 opponent batting average in 38.2 innings. In his four May starts last season, Kopech went 1-1 with a 1.17 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and held opponents to a .103 batting average.

Like the White Sox as a whole, Kopech was ready to put April behind him this year. Last month, in five starts, he posted an 0-3 record with a 7.01 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, and .280 opponents average. That 7.01 ERA represented the highest monthly ERA in his career.

“As a starting pitcher, in April, you’re starting to get your feel for things you’ve done and get back to competing. In May, there’s no more feeling it out. It’s the season,” Kopech told me after the game. “Not to say that the games in April don’t count, but you’re getting your feet wet and getting your legs back under you. There’s no more of that now.”

For both Kopech and the White Sox, Tuesday was a needed positive boost heading into a month where Chicago hopes to climb out of the AL Central cellar.