Lucas Giolito pitched like the ace the White Sox need Thursday, striking out 13 Tigers over seven scoreless and helping his team complete a four-game series sweep in a 9-0 victory, the Sox’ fifth in a row.
Tying his career high for strikeouts, Giolito finished strong, striking out the side in the seventh and fanning five of the last six Tigers he faced. He allowed three hits, all singles, and struck out one.
Giolito needed the seven innings to lower his ERA to 3.89. He was coming off a bad start Saturday against the Cardinals who jumped on him for four runs on four hits, two hit batters and a walk in the first inning Saturday. Giolito also gave up four runs in the first inning on Opening Day against the Twins.
But the 2019 All-Star was sharp from the get-go Thursday, striking out Jeimer Candelario and JaCoby Jones to start the game. Going almost exclusively with his fastball and changeup, Giolito threw a season high 110 pitches, 70 for strikes, and got 21 swinging strikes. It was his eighth career game with 10 or more strikeouts.
Giolito’s fastball averaged 94.5 mph, up one tick from his start against the Cardinals, and his last pitch was 97 mph.
He threw that one past Cameron Maybin on a 3-2 count, and left with a 5-0 lead. Jimmy Cordero finished up with two scoreless innings.
Tim Anderson homered for the fourth time in the series and the sixth time this season, Danny Mendick doubled in a run and Edwin Encarnacion (bases loaded walk against Spencer Turnbull), Nomar Mazara and catcher James McCann drove in runs in a three-run first, helping the Sox (15-11) build a 5-0 lead.
Anderson singled and scored in the eighth on Jose Abreu’s second double, and Eloy Jimenez drove in Abreu with his team leading eighth homer against Joe Jimenez.
Giolito (2-2) was 0-7 with a 6.04 ERA and 12 homers allowed in his last 10 games at home.
