WASHINGTON - Lucas Giolito returned to Nationals Park where it all began for the 24-year-old right-hander, riding high after winning the AL Pitcher of the Month award for May.
“It’s cool. It’s a bit of satisfaction,” Giolito told the Sun-Times after drawing a crowd of media at his locker. “I knew I was going to be this good, it was just like, ‘When’s it going to happen?’ I just had to work through some things last year, put some things together in the offseason, and now I’m playing the baseball I know I can play.”
Giolito went 5-0 with a 1.74 ERA over six starts in May. He and Tim Anderson are the first Sox tandem to win Player and Pitcher honors in consecutive months since Frank Thomas (August) and left-hander Wilson Alvarez (September) in 1993.
Anderson and Giolito -- who was drafted in the first round in 2012 and developed by the Nationals – visited the World War II and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials Tuesday morning.
“It’s great to be back. I love this city,” Giolito said. “I just wish I was pitching. “I was 21, 22 then, up and down and really could nt find a rhythm and confidence at this level. But I learned a lot. Now I feel like I’m in a much better place mentally and physically.’’
Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez – who started against the Nationals Tuesday – and Dane Dunning were acquired for Adam Eaton in Dec. 2016.
Sizing up a top-heavy draft lacking depth, the Sox leaned toward high-upside high school talent in rounds two through four after taking Cal first baseman Andrew Vaughn with the No. 3 overall pick.
The draft, Day 2
After selecting right-hander Matthew Thompson of Cypress Ranch High (Houston) in round 2 Monday, the Sox picked two more preps -- Redondo Union (Calif.) right-hander Andrew Dalquist and super-fast outfielder James Beard of Loyd Star (Brookhaven, Miss.) on Tuesday. Then they selected six college seniors in a row.
“We decided to be very aggressive with the high school player early on and back-end it with some college guys later,” scouting director Nick Hostetler said.
The Sox picked six pitchers, a catcher and one outfielder in rounds three through 10. Rounds 11-40 are Wednesday.
Delmonico out for season
Outfielder Nicky Delmonico, who appeared in 26 games for the Sox this season, underwent season-ending surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder last week.
Delmonico, who bats left and throws right, batted .206/.265/.286 before being optioned to Class AAA Charlotte on May 19. The surgery was elective for an issue that had been lingering.
Delmonico played in 17 games for Charlotte this season. He played in 43 games for the Sox in 2017 and 88 games last season and has produced a .227/.315/.393 career average.
