NEW YORK — Michael Kopech got the best of Jose Quintana on “flashback to the rebuild day” for the White Sox at Citi Field.
It was a close call, but Kopech pitched 52⁄3 innings of one-run ball, bouncing back nicely from a disastrous start in Atlanta when he failed to finish the first inning on the first day after the All-Star break. Quintana was good, too, allowing two runs on six hits with no walks over five innings in his first start as a Met, his Gotham debut delayed by a left rib fracture.
Kopech and Yoan Moncada came to the Sox from the Red Sox at the winter meetings in 2016 in exchange for starter Chris Sale. Quintana went to the Cubs from the Sox for Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease the following July.
General manager Rick Hahn would receive executive of the year and person of the year honors for his work that helped mobilize a fanbase that, like Hahn, grew tired of the organization’s state of “mediocrity” as he put it.
The Quintana trade was a clear win, but the Sale trade is viewed as a loss because Sale helped bring a World Series to Boston and Moncada and Kopech, seven years later, have yet to meet expectations.
There is still time for those two, but the Sox rebuild that netted postseason appearances (void of triumph) in 2020 and ‘21 has skidded to a state of 81-81 mediocrity in 2022 and much worse than that in 2023.
The Sox’ 6-2 win over the Mets Thursday, which salvaged one in their three-game series, was their fourth in the last 12 games. They are 41-57 and will be selling, not buying as most everyone would have expected at this point in their contention window, before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
A fanbase is voicing everything from disenchantment with ownership and the front office to a shrug of the shoulders for new manager Pedro Grifol to — and this might be the worst thing of all — to caring very little after waiting patiently through the rebuilds for “multiple championships” consistency touted by Hahn.
Here are the Sox’ records since the Sale trade (that was followed by the Adam Eaton trade with the Nationals for Lucas Giolito, Reyaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning):
2017: 67-95, fourth place in AL Central
2018: 62-100, fourth place
2019: 72-89 third place
2020: 35-25, Wild Card
2021: 92-70, first place
2022: 81-81, second place
2023: 41-57, fourth place
The Sox entered Thursday trailing the first-place Twins by 10 games. They had designs on cutting the margin leading to this weekend’s series in Minnesota and give some meaning to the three-game set. But the next three games won’t mean much and, barring a minor miracle, there won’t be meaningful games in September for the first time since 2019.
Grifol was asked Thursday about not getting the necessary winning streak needed to have a glimmer of hope.
“You’re always thinking about the future, regardless of where you’re at,” he said. “This is not a one stop shop ... we want to win this year, regardless of where you’re at, you’re always thinking about winning this year, setting yourself up for next year and the following year.”
The Sox did set themselves up for a win Thursday with the pitching of Kopech, who lowered his ERA to 4.29 in his longest start since June 4 when he pitched seven innings against the Tigers. It marked the seventh time Kopech has allowed two or fewer hits.
“You have to flush one and get to the next,” Kopech said.
Kopech attacked early, getting first-pitch strikes on the first six batters he faced.
“Getting ahead of guys was the game plan all along,” said Kopech, who struck out five but walked four, tossing 89 pitches. “Today I was able to execute that. Still a few too many free bases but I let the offense do what they did today.”
Yasmani Grandal doubled in two runs and Elvis Andrus tripled one home in the Sox’ four-run sixth. Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez and Zach Remillard had two hits each.
