Rookie Drew Thorpe pitched brilliantly, allowing just two hits over six innings to secure his second consecutive win as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on Friday night. The game marked the beginning of a series between two teams with the worst records in the majors.
Thorpe, now 2-1 in his young career, retired 16 consecutive batters after giving up a leadoff single to Brenton Doyle. He walked Sam Hilliard in the sixth inning before Doyle’s home run put the Rockies ahead 2-1 with a deep shot to left field.
Those were the only times Thorpe allowed Colorado to reach base. The 23-year-old right-hander had previously pitched six scoreless innings in his first major league win against Detroit last week.
“I had a good plan going into the game,” Thorpe said. “Korey Lee and I worked well together, mixing speeds and locating pitches effectively.”
Manager Pedro Grifol considered letting Thorpe pitch the seventh inning but decided to start Tanner Banks instead to avoid potential trouble with inherited runners.
“He has the potential to be a solid starter in this league,” Grifol said of Thorpe. “He’s physically strong and has the ability to log a lot of innings.”
The White Sox broke the game open with four runs in the sixth inning, forcing Rockies starter Dakota Hudson out of the game. Tommy Pham delivered a two-run single against Justin Lawrence to extend Chicago’s lead to 5-2.
Banks surrendered a solo home run to Michael Toglia in the seventh inning, and John Brebbia pitched around a walk in the eighth. Michael Kopech closed the game in the ninth inning, earning his seventh save in eleven opportunities.
The White Sox secured their second consecutive victory despite a rain delay of more than two hours at the start of the game.
