No Can Do

Jonathan Cannon is a major-league pitcher, Michael Kopech isn’t. It’s as simple as that. Yesterday in Miami, Cannon held the Marlins to one run on three hits over six innings; Kopech entered the ninth needing to protect a one-run lead. He walked the first batter; retired the next two; gave up a game-tying double; issued an intentional walk; balked the runners along; and served up a pitch that ex-White Sox Jake Burger hit for a 431-foot walk-off homerun. Cannon is sporting a 1.29 WHIP, which is pretty good for a rookie pitcher. In contrast, Kopech’s WHIP stands at 1.50. In case that number is too abstract, consider that the righthander has made 38 relief appearances this season. Only eight of them have been “clean,” where’s he’s retired every batter faced. All of which adds up to a 2-8 record, 5.45 ERA and five blown saves. Gosh, I wonder how Mickey and his brain trust will clean this problem up?