White Sox’ Giolito shuts out Astros

HOUSTON — Lucas Giolito continued a run of strong starts with a brilliant complete-game shutout. Eloy Jimenez hit another home run.

Yoan Moncada doubled in a run and scored another and Tim Anderson reached base three times, drove in a run and scored one.

It was a good night to be a fan of the White Sox rebuild.

Those four young key pieces of the future led the Sox to a 4-0 victory over the Astros (33-18), one of the best franchises in baseball, and one of its hottest teams. The Sox (23-26) slowed Houston down by winning the third and fourth games of a series at Minute Maid Park.

At the same time, top pitching prospect Dylan Cease was allowing one run over six innings with seven strikeouts (and four walks) for Class AAA Charlotte.

The brightest of the bright on this night, though, was Giolito, who tossed the first complete-game shutout for the Sox since Chris Sale against the Royals on Sept. 16, 2016. Giolito, 24, also became the youngest Sox pitcher to throw a complete game shutout since Sale on May 12, 2013, against the Angels.

“Fantastic, excellent, superior,” manager Rick Renteria said. “He executed and maintained poise throughout the ballgame.”

Giolito (6-1, 2.77 ERA) needed 107 pitches — 82 for strikes — to record a four-hit, nine-strikeout, one-walk masterpiece. He relied more on sliders than usual, and worked at a faster pace after the success he had in rapidly finishing a five-inning complete game in the rain against the Jays his last time out at Guaranteed Rate Field.

“Just the rhythm, the tempo,” Giolito said. “I said why not do that every time? Get into attack mode early, filling up the zone. Luckily I had my good stuff, we mixed sequences really well and I was throwing off-speed pitches for strikes.”

Giolito, whose previous longest game was 7⅓ innings, has allowed two earned runs in his last four starts.

“It was a special night,” catcher James McCann said. “But for one rough patch in the third inning, he was in control the whole game.”

Giolito has been one of the best pitchers in baseball in May.

The Astros entered the series averaging six runs a game at home with an OPS of .909.

Jimenez, who was 0-for-7 in the first two games of the series since coming off the injured list, followed his pair of homers Wednesday with a liner to left against Astros right-hander Corbin Martin in the fourth inning that gave the Sox a 4-0 lead.

“This [win] means a lot to us because this is one of the best teams in the business,” Jimenez said. “They have a lot of stars. To get two games against them is really good. It gives us more confidence.”

Anderson moves on up

Manager Rick Renteria seems ready to give Anderson an extended run higher in the order after using the AL player of the month for April in the seventh spot 17 times. Yoan Moncada, who led off most of last season, might be getting more time in the leadoff spot as well.

That tandem at the top worked well Thursday, combining to reach base four times.

“We’ll see, I’ve been talking about it for a little bit,” manager Renteria said. “We’ll run it out there and see how it goes. We’re going to take advantage of where [Anderson is] at (.322/.352/.491 going in) swinging the bat.”

This and that

Left-hander Manny Banuelos felt fine a day after his bullpen session and all signs are “pointing in that direction” of him coming off the injured list to start against the Twins Saturday, Renteria said.

• The Astros were without George Springer (back) and Jose Altuve (hamstring) the entire series.