PHILADELPHIA — Lucas Giolito allowed one run on three hits over seven innings in his last start against the Mets and declared he was back on track.
For the Sox, it was good to have the right-hander back. Giolito’s All-Star first half was one of the highlights of a Sox season that has gone South since the All-Star break, and it would mean plenty for the Sox to have Giolito be the guy who wowed all of baseball after his poor 2018 season.
Giolito, 0-3 with a 5.65 ERA over his last four starts, will open the Sox’ four game series against the Tigers Monday in Detroit believing he knows where it got off the rails.
“The biggest adjustment was my pace and rhythm and tempo,” Giolito said Sunday. “I got away from that, how I like to control the game. I started missing on a few pitches I usually make. In my last start, I made adjustments, got my rhythm where I wanted it. Just make sure I stay in that lane.”
It’s not unusual for pitchers to go through dead arm periods but Giolito said he’s managed to avoid one this year.
“The last few years it’s been early, spring training and April, but this year I haven’t really had a true dead arm phase where it gets achy and that stuff,” he said. “This year I’ve been much more healthy when it comes to that. I’ve had a couple starts where the velocity is a tick down but I haven’t had that same [dead arm] sensation I’ve had in years past.”
