Giolito says clock might help him
GLENDALE, Ariz. — After pitching in a game for the first time with the pitch clock Sunday, right-hander Lucas Giolito said he can see it helping him in 2023.
‘‘When I get to a really good rhythm, I go quicker,’’ Giolito said. ‘‘The pitch clock forces you into that faster pace, which can be a good thing. Like, ‘Boom, get the ball, pitch, pitch, pitch.’ It doesn’t give you too much time to think or overanalyze.’’
Giolito’s analysis of Dodgers star Mookie Betts’ home run leading off the first inning was that Betts hit a welllocated pitch. Giolito allowed two runs and three hits, walked no one and struck out three in two innings in the Dodgers’ 8-4 victory.
‘‘Velocity doesn’t matter too much right now, but I was pleased with it,’’ Giolito said. ‘‘The differential with the fastball around 92 or 93 [mph] and changeup down to, like, 79 or 80, that’s always good. The changeup was getting a lot of swingsand-misses.’’
Clevinger’s first outing
Matched up against Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw in a ‘‘B’’ game, right-hander Mike Clevinger also pitched two innings in his first game action of spring training.
The results were mixed. Clevinger elevated a slider and allowed a homer to minor-leaguer Yusniel Diaz, walked one and struck out three. He threw 43 pitches and allowed two runs.
‘‘I feel more prepared in this camp than I have my whole time playing,’’ he said.
The outing was about ‘‘getting into the flow of sequencing’’ and ‘‘getting back into the flow of the game,’’ Clevinger said.
Great start, but work to be done
Cuban prospect Oscar Colas is playing every day and making the most of it as he tries to win the right-field job. Colas entered the game against the Dodgers with seven hits in 18 at-bats and a stolen base.
Six of his first seven hits were singles, spread to all fields.
‘‘If they throw me inside, I’m going to keep my hands inside of the ball and pull the ball,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m just going to take advantage of the whole field.’’
Playing every day ‘‘means they are giving me the chance to earn a spot in the majorleague roster, and that’s what I want,’’ Colas said. ‘‘That’s what I’m here for.’’
He is far from a finished product, however.
‘‘He’s got a lot of work to do on the bases,’’ manager Pedro Grifol said. ‘‘I’ve spoken to him about it. We’ve had our meetings.
‘‘He’s one guy that we talk about daily on the fundamentals and the details of the game. The bat is the bat, right? Everybody
sees that part of it. We want to refine everything else to his game.’’
Ex-Sox pregame, postgame host dies
Rays broadcaster Dave Wills, a native of Oak Lawn who worked 11 seasons on the White Sox Radio Network with John Rooney and Ed Farmer as a pregame and postgame host, died at 58. He had served as a Rays broadcaster since 2005.