Michael Kopech felt a return to form before joining Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — It did not take long for Michel Kopech to realize he had a chance to become immaculate.

What the Dodgers’ new late-inning, high-leverage reliever did not realize, in the moment, was that he was about to become resurgent.

To say July 10 was unfolding just like any other day would be a lie. For starters, Kopech’s team at the time, the downtrodden Chicago White Sox, were about to win a game. The White Sox already have lost 100 games this season, all before Labor Day, so it was a rare opportunity indeed.

With three outs to go in the opening game of a doubleheader, then-White Sox manager Pedro Grifol handed the ball to Kopech as a victory was within reach against the visiting Minnesota Twins.

First came a three-pitch strikeout of Brooks Lee. The light-bulb moment of what was about to occur came on a tailing 98-mph fastball for the first strike to the second batter, Matt Wallner.

“I knew,” Kopech said. “I knew from strike four.”

Kopech struck out Wallner too and finished off the 114th immaculate inning in major league history with a three-pitch strikeout of pinch-hitter Max Kepler on an attempted check swing. The drama rose to a crescendo in the second it took for third base umpire John Libka to confirm the final strike on appeal.

Kopech wheeled off the mound on the first base side, looked over his left shoulder toward Libka and then pumped his right fist when his moment to savor was made official.

“It was just that a three-pitch punchout is hard enough to do in this league and to do that (against Lee) and then get ahead of the next guy, I felt like I was in command of the inning,” Kopech said of his fourth-pitch realization. “And then at that point, I wanted to stay in the zone and make guys beat me in the zone.”

Less than three weeks later, Kopech was a member of the Dodgers as something of an overlooked piece in a three-team deal with the White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. The swap seemed to draw more attention because players like right-hander Erick Fedde and outfielders Tommy Pham and Tommy Edman also were on the move.

Yet, Kopech was just the kind of guy who the Dodgers have been able to resurrect and turn into key components of their bullpen. Current relievers like Evan Phillips, Ryan Brasier, Anthony Banda and Alex Vesia all have followed the same path by reaching their potential upon their arrival in Los Angeles.

The difference with Kopech is that while he was having a middling season, carrying a 5.45 ERA into the second week of July, he was on an upward arc when he put on a Dodgers uniform for the first time. Call it the immaculate energization.

Kopech entered his dominating July 10 outing with a carefree mindset and a willingness to just keep it simple. Funny how stressing less allows you to achieve more.

“I had a little bit of – I’m trying to think of a PC way to say this – but I had a little bit of carefree to me, I guess you could say,” Kopech said.

It wasn’t as if Kopech didn’t give a hoot. He just made sure to unclutter his mind.

What did he have to lose? Three days earlier, he gave up four runs in two-thirds of an inning against the Miami Marlins at the end of a stretch of 12 appearances when he had an 8.74 ERA.

“I was just trying not to be too fine and not trying to necessarily shy away from guys,” Kopech said. “I think, for the most part, everybody that I face knows that I’m gonna come out there and try to attack, and when I start nibbling that’s usually when I start falling behind. If I can get ahead of guys, I feel like I’m in pretty good position.”

To their credit, the Dodgers’ coaching staff has left Kopech mostly alone since he arrived. The club did suggest a slight variation with his finger placement on the seams of the ball and it has provided a slight increase in spin rate, resulting in sharper breaking balls.

After four scoreless outings to close out his White Sox tenure, Kopech did not give up a run in his first 10 outings with the Dodgers. That run ended when he gave up a run to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, but even then, he showed how he can rise to the occasion.

The Rays loaded the bases with nobody out against Kopech on a single, a double and a walk, yet scored just one run, with a little assistance from a poor base-running decision.

Kopech even saved two wins in the team’s recent visit to St Louis. As of now, though, Manager Dave Roberts’ ideal plan has Kopech as a setup guy in front of Phillips, who they hope can regain his previous form after a dip in performance.

Phillips wobbled to an 11.74 ERA in 10 July outings with two blown saves. Since then, Phillips has a 0.96 ERA in 11 outings but did blow a save opportunity on Saturday.

While stepping away from a tough situation with the White Sox, who fired Grifol on Aug. 8, Kopech has appeared unfazed about jumping into a playoff chase with the team holding the best record in the major leagues.

“It’s been impressive; not easy” Roberts said. “I do think (a previous) starter role helped him. I think there is an experience part that has helped the transition. I think the culture of the guys here makes (the transition) easy.

“I think we have done a good job of progressing whatever role he has now and being mindful of his usage because he wasn’t used a ton (in Chicago).”

Kopech still has another year of club control, which makes him a valued piece of the 2025 roster. The Dodgers do like their versatile players and Kopech can transition back into a starter, if there is a need, or remain as a late-inning reliever next season.

Kopech says he just wants to help, but he has not given up hope of ever being a starter again, like he was in each of the last two seasons with the White Sox.

“I want to focus on what I have to do today and not really think too far ahead,” Kopech said. “If what I can do today is gonna help us get closer to a World Series, then I’m happy to throw in whatever role.

“I like to start and starting is something that I think is definitely in the realm of possibility for me in the future, but it’s not something I’ve talked to the team about. It’s not something they talked to me about. But if the opportunity arises, I’d embrace it.”