Lucas Giolito continues to improve every time he steps on the mound during the 2019 season.
Overall, he’s having a stellar season, going 7-1 with a 2.85 ERA in 10 starts. Giolito, 24, has been especially dominant this month — winning in five of six starts with a 1.74 ERA and 46 strikeouts.
Giolito capped the month with back-to-back strong starts — a four-hit shutout against the Astros on May 23 before fanning a career-high 10 in eight innings against the Royals on Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Even brief mental lapses that might’ve slowed him last season aren’t impeding his performances this year.
Giolito didn’t pay attention to the start time of the Sox’ second Tuesday game against the Royals and was late getting on the mound. His tardiness effectively made the first inning a continuation of his warm ups.
The Royals capitalized, scoring three runs off two hits in the first, including Alex Gordon’s three-run homer to center field.
Unlike last season, Giolito wasn’t fazed by the poor start. He remained composed and retired 22 of the next 24 batters in a 4-3 Sox victory.
”I can’t say enough good things about him the way he’s handling himself on the mound,” Sox catcher James McCann said after Tuesday’s game. “The results are easy to see. Just the way he’s gone about his business.
”He gives up a three-run homer in the first and, next thing you know, you look up in the eighth and he has 10 strikeouts and hasn’t allowed another hit after that. His next hit was there in the eighth inning to Gallagher. His mental approach in between starts, during starts, you can’t say enough good things.”
To be clear, this isn’t the same Giolito from last season. He was statistically one of the worst pitchers in the majors in 2018, ranking last of all qualified pitchers in ERA and allowing league-highs of 118 earned runs and 90 walks in 173.1 innings.
The native of Santa Monica, California, needed last season’s struggles to become the pitcher he is today.
The confidence Giolito gained over the 32 games he played in last season with the Sox is helping him remain calm in stressful situations.
”Last year I was searching a lot, give up a few runs in the first or second inning and over-analyze,” Giolito said. “Overthink. ‘What am I doing wrong?’ Now, it’s in the past. I gave up a three-run homer in the first, all right. Time to put up zeroes. It’s a change in mentality.”
Giolito said he always knew he could execute this well. He’s pitching with more velocity and is using his full repertoire of pitches. Giolito has become better at making adjustments during games.
He’s living up to the expectations of a former No. 16 overall pick (a first-round selection by the Washington Nationals) and a player many thought could’ve been the top selection in the 2012 MLB Draft.
”It was the hope and expectation that he’s becoming now,” manager Rick Renteria said. “Everyone imagined at some point, scouts who saw him well before we got him and obviously, the guys who followed him before. He’s done a nice job of growing, maturing and making the adjustments and now executing and going and doing his thing. He’s very confident and maturing.”
