White Sox’ Lucas Giolito gets revenge on ex-Cub Jorge Soler in his 1st 2018 win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lucas Giolito was a determined pitcher heading into his fifth start of the season.

“It’s about going out there with confidence no matter what’s going on,” he said.

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White Sox manager Rick Renteria wasn’t dismayed by Giolito’s 0-3 record and 9.00 ERA.

“Our expectations are that he has a solid ballgame for us today,” Renteria said.

Maybe they both knew something the rest of us didn’t, because Giolito’s performance in a 6-3 victory over the Royals was just what he and Renteria saw coming. The 23-year-old right-hander got two key outs in the sixth, allowed two runs in all and buckled down repeatedly on a night when the ball was really carrying.

The key inning was the sixth. With runners at the corners and no one out, Giolito fooled Lucas Duda with a changeup and popped him up right in front of home plate. Next came a revenge match with former Cub Jorge Soler, who’d drilled a two-run homer in the fourth for the Royals’ only runs. Giolito caught him looking with a slider for strike three. Giolito’s night over, Luis Avilan came on and retired Alex Gordon for the third out.

“Yeah, I definitely wanted to get [Soler],” Giolito said. “On the home run, the fastball ran up and in. That happens. It’s baseball; guys are going to hit homers. I was able to bounce back.”

Will one good start beget another? That’s what Giolito is thinking.

“A big step in the right direction, being able to throw most of my pitches for strikes,” he said. “It’s definitely something to build off for the next one.”

Making moves

The Sox outrighted Class AAA Charlotte first baseman Casey Gillaspie on Thursday, decreasing the 40-man roster to 39. Gillaspie, a switch-hitter, has struggled at Charlotte, batting .214/.263/.229 with 29 strikeouts in 76 plate appearances. The 2014 Rays first-round draft pick was acquired by the Sox last summer in trade for left-hander Dan Jennings. The Sox will likely call up a pitcher for their doubleheader here on Saturday, and the move opens room on the 40-man roster.

The team also acquired Class AAA outfielder Todd Cunningham from the Pirates for a player to be named later, according to reports. A career .207 hitter in parts of three seasons with the Angels and Braves, Cunningham, 29, batted .130 in 29 plate appearances.

No waiting

Yoan Moncada led off Thursday’s game with a line-drive home run off Royals right-hander Jakob Junis. It was the second straight leadoff homer for the 22-year-old second baseman, making him the fourth player in Sox history to accomplish the feat in back-to-back games. Adam Eaton did it in 2015, Alejandro De Aza in 2013 and Kenny Lofton in 2002.

Contributing: Daryl Van Schouwen