Last time Lucas Giolito pitched against the Cubs for the White Sox at Wrigley Field, he got the win. Didn’t pitch well, but got the W.
It was like that in 2018, when Giolito led the Sox with 10 wins. He was pretty bad at his craft but collected wins like wooden nickels, the statistic saying more about happenstance, offensive support and things out of his control than effectiveness.
Giolito will go for his 11th win (against one loss) against the Cubs Wednesday night at Wrigley, and it’s only June 19. The 10 wins on his record this season were legitimately earned with a 2.22 ERA worthy of not only All-Star consideration but possibly a start in the midsummer classic.
“I don’t want to walk seven, like I did last year here, [in a 5-3 Sox victory last May 13],’’ Giolito said Tuesday, a day before his start in the second of two Sox games at Wrigley Field. “I got the win somehow. The offense and defense bailed me out a ton. This year I’m much different. I’m all about filling up the zone, attacking hitters. That’s pretty much the MO.”
While the steps forward from Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez and Yoan Moncada are carving a large slice of Sox optimism for the everyday lineup, Giolito’s stunning turnaround from worst (he led the AL in ERA and walks per nine innings last season) to among the very best is carrying the flag for the starting rotation’s future. With Michael Kopech, Carlos Rodon and Dane Dunning mending from Tommy John surgeries and eyeing returns at various points of 2020, and top active pitching prospect Dylan Cease inching closer to the majors, it’s easy to see some depth falling in line behind Giolito.
But for now, the Sox pitching stage is all Giolito’s.
What a difference a year makes.
“It was survival mode,” Giolito said of his body of work over 32 starts in 2018. “Now I feel like I’m on the attack. When I take the ball I have full confidence in myself that I will come after you with really good stuff – changes in velocity and movement. Last year I went out not knowing what I had that day.”
It’s to the point of calling his starts “Lucas Giolito days,” days the Sox truly expect to win. Maybe even a day when fans might go out and buy a ticket.
“I want to give the fans a show as much as I can,” he said. “I like to see we’re filling up our ballpark with more White Sox fans, more people starting to pay attention. Just want to continue on that train.”
Over his last 11 starts, Giolito is 9-0 with a 1.67 ERA with wins in eight consecutive starts, the longest streak in the majors since Blake Snell won nine in a row in August and September last season.
“I want to continue to pitch the way I’ve been pitching,” Giolito said. “That means going deep, that means putting up as many zeroes as I can. I like that fans appreciate that, that they want to come out and see what I can do. That’s about it. Other than that, I’m playing to win the game. That’s all that matters to me.”
