Dominant, nine-pitch immaculate inning shows how good Michael Kopech can be

Nine pitches. Nine strikes. Three strikeouts. Game over.

It’s hard to say with authority that Michael Kopech has never had a better moment in a Chicago White Sox uniform. After all, he pitched in a big relief moment in the Field of Dreams game and took a perfecto bid deep into a game at Yankee Stadium.

But undoubtedly, this was Kopech’s best moment as the White Sox’ closer, an immaculate inning against the division-rival Twins that had him looking like the most unhittable hurler on the planet.

[MORE SOX: In his own words: How Garrett Crochet became an All Star]

It was electrifying, as Kopech’s exaggerated Liam Hendriks-esque screaming leap off the mound on the final pitch illustrated. And not even a week removed from what was one of several low points this year — coughing up a ninth-inning lead and surrendering a walk-off homer to Jake Burger on Sunday in Miami — the moment brought a mix of emotions for the man with the unmatchable right arm, relief, appropriately, among them.

“You could definitely say I needed that,” he said after the game, a 3-1 win in the first half of Wednesday’s doubleheader. “I’m trying not to lie about it, I was thinking about (an immaculate inning) from Pitch 4. As soon as I realized there were no balls on the board, I wanted to finish that feat off. It feels good.”

While this moment stands out among the rest, it’s not the first time Kopech has looked dominant in the ninth inning this season, which has made his season such a frustrating watch for fans and an at times frustrating experience for Kopech himself. He’s ping-ponged back and forth between overpowering success and catastrophic failure, scoreless ninths and run-filled ones.

While teammate Garrett Crochet has made the transition from bullpen to rotation look easy, Kopech hasn’t had as smooth a go in his move from starting to closing. It’s been a season-long evolution, and it might continue to take time.

“It’s been a learning curve,” he said. “You’re in big moments all the time as a starter. When I was in the bullpen before, there was plenty of big moments. Ninth inning, game on the line, it’s a little bit different in that situation. And anyone that’s been in that situation can tell you it does feel different.

”Doing the job feels incredible. And not doing it is one of the worst feelings in the game. But that’s kind of the beauty of that role is either way you have to wash it and be ready again the next day. It’s been a lot of lessons along the way. I hope I can continue to grow in this role.”

Time will tell whether Wednesday was another peak in a roller-coaster ride of a campaign or if it was a breakthrough of sorts. Kopech credited his success against the Twins to finally leaning into the team’s game plan for him, which called for throwing more breaking balls. He dazzled with a cutter, a pitch new to him this season that he hasn’t always had the greatest trust in. But it’s working now, and he’s built confidence in that pitch, the latest weapon for a guy whose stuff has always appeared elite.

“We finally leaned into it the last couple days. Korey (Lee)’s done a great job of sticking with me through that, and to see it pay off was extremely rewarding,” Kopech said. “I didn’t expect it to be in that manner, but it was pretty fun.

“I think I leaned a little too heavily on being a hard-thrower in this game, and that kind of distanced me from being as much of a complete pitcher. And I had spent the past two years starting trying to become a complete pitcher, and to not be able to go out there and do what I’ve worked on for so long was really disheartening.

“At this point, that’s where my focus is, to continue building on myself as a pitcher and being able to get the job done whenever I’m called on to do so.”

He’s going to keep getting that call.

While quick-trigger fans sitting through Kopech’s bad nights this season might have come to their own conclusion that he’s not the guy to pitch in the closer’s role, the White Sox’ feelings are quite the opposite. Earlier this year, Ethan Katz was adamant that Kopech has what it takes to be a dominant closer. Pedro Grifol remains insistent that moments like Wednesday’s — an overwhelming display of Kopech’s ability — are evidence that where Kopech ends up will be worth any bumps along the way.

“That’s what he’s capable of doing, and we’re not going to give up on that, ever,” Grifol said after the game. “That’s the talent that he’s got, and that’s what he can bring to the table. … We’re going to continue to throw him out there.

“He’s going to continue to go through his lumps. It’s feast or famine for him, that’s the problem. … He’s been thrown into a closer’s role after being a starter for a couple of years. ‘Go get ‘em.’ And it’s hard to do. Guys evolve into that job. That’s not an easy job. Getting the last out of the game is not an easy job. We’ve seen him take his lumps, and we’ve seen him do what he’s done the last two ballgames.

“We’re never going to give up on Michael, never. There’s too much talent, too much heart, too much character to even think about moving him down. ‘Hey, you’re going to pitch the seventh or eighth.’ That didn’t even cross my mind. What crossed my mind is, ‘How are we going to get him to do what he did today consistently?’”

Certainly, it’s tantalizing for folks to imagine Kopech doing this kind of thing in the ninth inning on a regular basis, especially for a team with a lot of wins to close out. Of course, the White Sox aren’t that team, Wednesday’s Game 1 victory bringing them back to a whopping 40 games below .500.

And so is Kopech going to remain with the team long enough for him to become their dominant closer? Or will he be part of what’s expected to be a mass exodus before this month’s trade deadline? Pitching is always a hot commodity this time of year, and though Crochet and Erick Fedde might command bigger return packages and controllable, All-Star caliber starting pitchers, Kopech could certainly be on the list of White Sox arms who get Chris Getz’s phone ringing.

One inning, however immaculate, is unlikely to be enough to grow a return package, but Kopech’s talent remains undeniable and other teams could certainly view him as potentially impactful as the White Sox do.

If he remains a South Sider, though, the evolution will continue, and we’ll see if it can take Kopech to remarkable, electric moments like Wednesday’s on a consistent basis or not. That talent, though, isn’t expected to go anywhere, providing a constant tease of just how good he can be.

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