Vorstellung » Michael Kopech might be nervous to check the weather forec

ast Wednesday night.The 22-year-old’s reluctance would be understandable. His first two starts on Chicago’s South Side have been interrupted because of rain — after two innings against the Minnesota Twins and after three against the Boston Red Sox.“I’m going to say a little prayer to Mother Nature and see if we can figure things out http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey ,” Kopech joked after his last start.Article continues below ...Chicago (56-83) will hope for dry skies in the rubber match of a three-game series against Detroit (56-83). The finale’s winner will move into sole possession of third place in the American League Central.Kopech (1-0, 0.82 ERA) is scheduled to make his fourth start of the season for the White Sox. He has allowed one run in his first 11 innings while walking one and striking out nine.This marks Kopech’s second career start against Detroit. He limited the Tigers to one run on seven hits in six innings when he faced them Aug. 26 in Detroit. The performance yielded his first big-league victory.The Tigers will counter with right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (6-6, 4.22 ERA), who is slated to make his 21st start of the year. The 32-year-old has thrown four quality starts in his last six outings, going 2-3 with a 3.79 ERA during that time.In 12 career starts against the White Sox, Zimmermann is 5-4 with a 6.26 ERA. He has given up 45 earned runs in 64 2/3 innings, allowing 12 walks and striking out 43. That includes 20 earned runs allowed in 20 1/3 innings this year.Zimmermann took a no-hitter through five innings against the New York Yankees in his most recent performance, but he surrendered three home runs in the sixth.“It’s a tough situation to be in,” Zimmermann said to the Detroit News after a recent start. “My mentality my whole career has been to fill up the zone and get guys out in three pitches or less.“But it seems like on a lot of guys, I get 0-2 and 1-2, and I tell myself Reggie Jackson Jersey , ‘All right, let’s get this over with and make a quality pitch here.’ But there will be a broken bat and or a jam shot and, boom — two bloops and a blast.”The White Sox have tagged Zimmermann for 30 hits in his 20 1/3 innings.“It’s not like I’ve pitched horribly,” Zimmermann said to the Detroit News. “I am just around the zone too much and they swing at everything.”Outfielder Daniel Palka, who has homered in each of his past two contests, is one of the White Sox’ most confident hitters. The slugger has 21 home runs in his rookie campaign.Chicago has won eight of 12 and 14 of 21.“I think we’re all pulling in the same direction, and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of right now,” Kopech said. “Since I’ve been here, we’ve been a winning team, and hopefully it stays that way for a long time.” NEW YORK (AP) — Jim Palmer cut across the Baltimore clubhouse, headed over to young left-handers John Means and Paul Fry http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , and reached out for handshakes.“Nice job, boys,” the Hall of Fame pitcher and longtime Orioles announcer praised.Same goes for all the Orioles right now after they won their season-opening series at Yankee Stadium, beating New York 7-5 in a game delayed more than three hours by rain.Coming off a 115-loss season under Buck Showalter, the Orioles and new manager Brandon Hyde started by taking two of three from the 100-win Yankees. Baltimore hadn’t won two in a row since August.“This is how you grow as a team, playing games like these,” the first-time skipper said. “Against teams like this, in this environment.”Renato Nunez, Trey Mancini and Joey Rickard hit Baltimore’s first home runs of the year and that was enough, albeit things got dicey for them at the end.DJ LeMahieu hit an RBI single with two outs in the Yankees ninth off Mychal Givens. Fry relieved with two on and two outs and struck out pinch-hitter Troy Tulowitzki for his first save.Means (1-0) replaced shaky starter Dylan Bundy and got the win in his second major league game. The 25-year-old struck out five in 3 1/3 innings and had the Yankees guessing with an impressive changeup.Means kept a ball from the victory and said he’d probably send it to his parents for framing.“Nice to get it out of the way and not have it linger,” he said.Nunez hit a three-run drive into the bleachers in the first inning and Mancini made it 4-0 in the third. J.A. Happ (0-1) never settled in — the first pitch was held up by rain for 3 hours Glenn Hubbard Jersey , 17 minutes, and it was 47 degrees and windy when the game began.Happ said the conditions didn’t bother him much. The early setbacks, those did.“It’s not ideal. We got to turn the page,” he said. “Not the start we wanted, but we can bounce back. We can play a lot better than we’ve played, I know that.”After Gary Sanchez homered off Means in the seventh to pull the Yankees within 5-4, Rickard connected for a two-run homer in the eighth off Stephen Tarpley.Givens made a throwing error that helped the Yankees load the bases in the eighth, but retired Luke Voit on a grounder to escape.Bundy had an uneven outing a year after he tied for the most losses in the majors (16) and set a franchise record by serving up a big league-high 41 home runs. He struck out seven, walked five and gave up two hits in 3 2/3 innings.Means relieved with the bases loaded and walked Brett Gardner in an 11-pitch at-bat, making it 4-1. Aaron Judge followed with a two-run single before Means, hit hard at Fenway Park last September in his only previous major league appearance Rickey Henderson Jersey , found his rhythm.Bundy said he likes the look of this club.“We play with a lot of energy,” he said. “It’s a fun place to be.”NOT HAPP-YHapp had been 7-0 in his first 11 regular-season starts for the Yankees since being acquired last summer from Toronto. Joe Cowley (1983-84) is the last pitcher to go unbeaten in his first 12 starts for the Yankees.WEATHERING ITA decent number of fans waited out the delay and stuck around for the start. Their biggest cheers in the early innings came when the sun broke through while Judge batted and after Gleyber Torres captured a plastic bag that was blowing around the infield.Only a couple thousand fans were left in the seats when it ended almost four hours later.TRAINER’S ROOMOrioles: Chris Davis was back in the lineup, a day after sitting out vs. LHP James Paxton. The slumping slugger went 0 for 3 after striking out in all three at-bats in the opener.Yankees: RHP Dellin Betances (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Saturday and will throw one more before facing hitters on the side.UP NEXTOrioles: RHP David Hess makes his first start of the season, facing LHP Clayton Richard at Toronto on Monday night. Hess threw two scoreless innings in relief on opening day. The 25-year-old was 3-10 with a 4.88 ERA as a rookie last year.Yankees: RHP Domingo German (2-6, 5.57) will pitch at some point vs. Detroit at home Monday night, but manager Aaron Boone isn’t quite sure when. A reliever might start with an inning or two, or it could be German from the first pitch. RHP Tyson Ross starts for the Tigers.