CHICAGO _ As White Sox general manager Rick Hahn wrapped up speaking with the media Friday afternoon, a reporter asked about the pitcher Sox fans really wanted to see open the three-game series against the Astros at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Sox top pitching prospect Michael Kopech was on the mound 180 miles away in Indianapolis for Triple-A Charlotte on Friday. Didn't the Sox want to drive him up to take on the defending World Series champions instead?
"Kopech will be in Indianapolis tonight," Hahn said. "First pitch is 6:15. I don't know what his plans are postgame. You could probably check his Instagram if you want."
The consolation prize for Sox fans who didn't make the road trip to see Kopech strike out 10 over five innings was James Shields. Sorry, but that's the way it goes sometimes in a rebuild.
The Astros and Sox looked like teams on the opposite ends of such a process in the Astros' 10-0 victory Friday night.
Justin Verlander held the Sox hitless over the first four innings and scoreless through his six innings. He walked a pair in the fourth for his first baserunners of the night, and Tim Anderson singled into short left field for the first Sox hit with one out in the fifth.
Meanwhile, Shields gave up seven earned runs over 51/3 innings.
Shields threw 28 pitches in relief Wednesday in the Sox's 14-inning loss to the Athletics.
Because of the three snowed-out games in Minneapolis last weekend, right-hander Lucas Giolito hasn't thrown in eight days. Giolito is scheduled to pitch Saturday, so the Sox simply could have swapped the Friday and Saturday starters to give Shields an extra day of rest.
Renteria said the Sox considered the swap, but ultimately Shields swayed their decision.
"Really simple: (Shields) came to the front of the plane and said, 'I've got Friday,' " Renteria said. "He's been around the block a long time."
But Shields and the Sox defense ran into trouble in the fourth.
Alex Bregman and Brian McCann had RBI singles, and George Springer hit a two-run double to left field that turned into four runs scored when Anderson botched a relay throw home for an error.
Shields was saddled with two more earned runs in the sixth, when reliever Danny Farquhar gave up a ground-rule double to Springer that drove in a pair of inherited runners. Carlos Correa also hit a two-run homer off Farquhar in the sixth.
Farquhar passed out in the Sox dugout after completing the top of the sixth inning and was taken out by Sox medical staff and EMTs. He regained consciousness and was taken to Rush University Medical Center for further evaluation.
Hahn repeated Friday what he has said multiple times since embarking on the rebuild. It's not always going to be easy, and he suspects this year could be one of the toughest parts as they endure the waiting game of the minor-league prospects' development.
But they can at least draw some positives from keeping one eye on that growth.
Kopech gave up three earned runs on six hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts Friday as his ERA moved to 2.40 this season.
"Emotionally it's probably good that we are able to focus on that long-term picture and continuing to build through the minors and the amateur additions that may be coming in the coming weeks," Hahn said. "But it doesn't in the end take away from any disappointment you might feel on a nightly basis when you don't end up winning that ballgame."
