The Boston Red Sox enjoyed an exciting win on Wednesday, with Ceddanne Rafaela hitting a comically short walk-off home run around the Pesky Pole to take down the Los Angeles Angels, 11-9. But they were only in need of those late-game heroics to begin with thanks to a particularly brutal start from Lucas Giolito.
Giolito, who was signed by the Red Sox in 2024 but didn't make his first start for Boston until this season due to UCL surgery, got absolutely rocked from the moment he stepped on the mound. He lasted 1.2 innings against the Angels and gave up eight hits along with seven runs in the process. The Red Sox have already been dealing with struggles from starters to go deep into ballgames recently, and were forced to lean on the bullpen for almost the entire game.
They won anyway, but Giolito was very unhappy with his showing, as evidenced by his postgame exchange with reporters.
"It was terrible," Giolito said of his start on Wednesday. "I'm super proud of the team. Everyone came to play today. Big-time. Bullpen was incredible. A lot's being asked of them. I put them in a terrible position. Guys that are down had to throw. But everybody came to play, we were able to get that win, that's huge."
When asked a follow-up, Giolito offered a blunt NSFW review of the situation.
"There's no excuse," the former All-Star said. "I mean, it's super poor. I gotta figure it the f--- out."
Lucas Giolito postgame after lasting less than 2 innings today:
— Tom Carroll (@yaboiTCfresh) June 4, 2025
“I gotta figure it the f*** out…”@WEEI @SoxBooth #RedSox pic.twitter.com/H9HGplSv0R
Giolito was an All-Star in 2019 and earned a placement in Cy Young award voting in three separate seasons with the Chicago White Sox. Now with Boston, he's had a tough go in his first few starts post-surgery; entering Wednesday Giolito had posted a 1-1 record with a 4.78 ERA in six starts in 2025.
The Red Sox themselves are floundering despite the improbable win, and currently sit fourth in the AL East with a 30-34 record. Giolito rediscovering his former form would go a long way towards turning the ship around.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lucas Giolito Had Brutally Honest, NSFW Review of His Terrible Start vs. Angels.
