First homer is nice reward for Vaughn
First baseman Andrew Vaughn finally got the zero out of the home-run column after a first-pitch blast in the eighth inning Friday in the White Sox’ 6-3 victory against the Guardians.
Despite the lack of homers, Vaughn has started to get under more pitches, hitting two doubles in the last three games. His approach has looked better lately, and the Sox have needed the production.
“He’s just getting more comfortable,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “He’s at that stage where he’s just, ‘Who cares? I’m just going to go play.’ But the one thing that’s happened here in the last three or four days — and it’s happened to [shortstop Paul DeJong], and it’s happened to Vaughn — is they’re playing the game.”
The Sox are last in the majors in runs, and Vaughn showing some better results at the plate could give the pitching staff more support. In the seventh inning, DeJong hit his third home run in May, equaling his total from April.
Grifol said the game is rewarding Vaughn and DeJong because of the quality of their atbats.
“Play to win every night, play the game the right way, and the game will reward you for playing it the right way and doing what the team needs you to do to win games,” Grifol said.
Lee’s offensive approach
Catcher Korey Lee unloaded on a sinker in the zone for a home run to left field in the seventh inning.
He has found his stride in May. He already has as many multihit games during the month as he did in April. Lee is striking out below the league average and providing some pop in the lineup. His work with hitting coach Marcus Thames on fine-tuning his approach is paying off.
“Last year, he tried to pull everything,” Thames said. “We’re trying to keep him in the big part of the field. He’s trying to eliminate the swing-and-miss, and from Day 1 in spring training, he’s embraced it. Sometimes, he’ll catch himself trying to get too big, and then it’s like, ‘Hey, go back home.’ Going back home means staying low in the middle of the big part of the field.”
Lee’s bat is becoming harder to keep out of the lineup. He’s working with catcher Martin Maldonado on improving the skills necessary to be a major-league catcher and command a pitching staff.
Kopech in the bullpen
When reliever Michael Kopech was told in spring training that he would be coming out of the bullpen, it was another curveball for the former top prospect.
Kopech didn’t expect to be a reliever entering his age-28 season after being a firstround
pick with the Red Sox. After being underwhelming as a starter, the move to the bullpen has given Kopech new life.
He entered the game third in the American League in strikeouts (26), 11th in innings (19‰) and 12th in saves (four) among relievers.
“It’s a do-or-die game out there, and the game’s on the line,” Kopech told the SunTimes. “Showing up to that moment each and every day is important. It’s kept me locked in the season and re-energized my excitement for pitching.” ✶