Just For One Day

If White Sox starter Dylan Covey likes David Bowie, so much the better.  If not, Covey still outpitched Chris Sale in Fenway Park last night.

When the Sox picked Sale in the first round of the 2010 draft (13^th overall), the Brewers took Covey with the next pick; things worked out better for Sale, who was pitching on the South Side by season’s end.  Before Covey could sign, it was discovered he had diabetes, so he decided to delay his professional career another three years.  The White Sox acquired him as a rule-five player from the A’s in 2016.

Last year, Covey had a way of falling apart in the fourth or fifth inning, which could explain his 0-7 record and 7.71 ERA.  Those numbers aren’t exactly career builders at age 25, but injuries gave Covey another chance this season, and he’s been surprisingly good at 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA.  He started last night putting the first two Boston hitters on before getting out of the jam on his way to six shutout innings.  Did I mention he was going against Chris Sale, who struck out 10 in eight innings and gave up all of one run?  The right Sox won, 1-0.

Sale, class act that he’s always been, told reporters after the game, “I’m not really surprised with ‘Coop’ [Sox pitching coach Don Cooper] getting a hold of somebody like that and getting him going in the right direction.”  Tell you what, Chris.  If Cooper gets Covey to sustain his performance over the entire season, as opposed to what he accomplished with Philip Humber, I’ll join the Coop fan club.  In the meantime, yes, it was nice, and fast.  

Somehow, the James Shields’ homerun-a-thon in Minnesota Thursday clocked in at 2:14; last night’s game took ten minutes longer.  I could get used to that, especially if tempest fugit comes with a win.