Clueless, Depressed

Last night in Anaheim, Michael Kopech failed to pitch five innings, again, while Tim Anderson failed to get a hit, again, all of which contributed to a 4-2 loss to the Angels. As ever, manager Pedro Grifol spoke gibber to reporters after the game, offering that his starter’s command “wasn’t typical Kopech.” Oh, yes, it was. Kopech threw 102 pitches in four-plus innings, striking out three and walking seven. This is who he is, a starter who has failed to go more than four innings in four of his last six starts. The question now becomes, will he ever change? As for Anderson, he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts (the same as Luis Robert Jr., whose anointing to true star status may be a little premature, at least when Shohei Ohtani pitches). In the bottom of a first inning that seemed to go on forever, pitching coach Ethan Katz came out for a mound visit, the Sox infield following their coach to the mound. Anderson stood off to the side, took off his cap and studied the insides, as if the answer to his troubles were written somewhere on the lining. I’m serious in saying he may be clinically depressed. At the very least, Anderson looks unable to do anything but go through the motions in the field and at the plate. Come to think of it, so do most of his teammates.