Giolito: Former ace in hole
CLEVELAND — Lucas Giolito doesn’t want to be the weakest link in the White Sox’ rotation.
Once the ace of the staff, a 2019 All-Star and three-time Opening Day starter since that season, Giolito is still gathering himself after allowing seven runs in three-plus innings in the Sox’ 21-5 slaughter at the hands of the Astros on Thursday. The loss gave the Sox a split of a four-game home series after they had won the first two.
“It’s obviously a tough year for me personally and for the team up until this point,” Giolito said. “It’s tough because that was a series we wanted to win. I took the ball the last day, and it’s my job to give us a chance to win. It didn’t happen, and I put us in a horrible hole for the rest of the game.”
Giolito is second in innings among Sox starters behind ace Dylan Cease with 116„, but he will take a 5.34 ERA into his next start at the Orioles on Tuesday. Lance Lynn has a 5.30 ERA in 71„ innings, but his ERA in his last six starts is 3.06. Giolito has a 7.39 ERA in his last six starts, allowing 42 hits and walking 12 in 28 innings.
“It’s been a lot of stuff this year I’m trying to work through,” Giolito said. “Mechanically, physically.”
Giolito and pitching coach Ethan Katz are close from their days when Katz coached him in high school. Giolito said he “feels bad” for Katz, knowing the amount of hours he has devoted to try to fix him.
“I feel fine,” Giolito said. “Ideally, I’d like for the ball to be coming out better. You deal with what you’ve got. Even when I’m not at my best stuff-wise, there are ways to navigate lineups and get outs.”
Grandal injures knee trying to score
Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal was helped off the field after an unsuccessful attempt to score from second on Elvis Andrus’ single in the seventh inning Saturday.
Grandal, one of the slowest runners in the game, was sent home by third-base coach Joe McEwing. Center fielder Myles Straw’s throw was off the mark, and catcher Luke Maile had to lunge to the infield side of the third-base line to tag Grandal, who was hurt trying to avoid the tag. He lay on the dirt clutching his left knee. The Sox said he felt “discomfort.”
Andrus advanced to second on the throw, stole third and scored on Josh Harrison’s short fly ball when right fielder Will Benson’s throw home bounced off Maile’s helmet.
Andrus didn’t attempt to tag up but alertly dashed home when the ball skipped away.
Robert returns to lineup
Luis Robert was in center field for the game Saturday, which was delayed at the start by rain. Robert had missed the previous seven starts with a sprained left wrist.
“It’s going to be sore, depends on how much it alters the swing,” manager Tony La Russa said. “You’re not damaging it by swinging with it. He wants to try it. I like the fact that he’s trying to make it work.”
Jimenez in there, too
Eloy Jimenez said he hurt his right knee over-swinging in the eighth inning of the Sox’ 5-2 loss Friday, prompting his exit. “But I feel really good, and I’m playing,” said Jimenez, who was the designated hitter Saturday.
Anderson gets some work
Shortstop Tim Anderson (finger surgery) did some work on the field, picking up balls barehanded and throwing across the infield. Anderson could return for the last two weeks of the regular season.
“Keep his arm ready, get his legs going, keep him in shape,” La Russa said. “Conditioning.”