GLENDALE, Ariz. -- White Sox ace Lucas Giolito allowed one run over two innings during his 2021 Cactus League debut in a 5-5 tie played over six with the Rangers at Camelback Ranch on Tuesday.
The projected White Sox Opening Day starter for a second straight season struck out four, including Joey Gallo, Khris Davis and Nick Solak consecutively to end the first and start the second. Giolito went 3-0 on Davis before coming back to get him.
“Today, the focus was just getting acclimated again with game speed,” said Giolito during a postgame Zoom. “The adrenaline was definitely up there a little bit. Being able to control my breathing, control the pace of the game, those were my main focuses. I feel like I did pretty well, especially the one AB, I go 3-0, and then I come back with some competitive pitches to get the strikeout.
“That shows me that I'm kind of right where I need to be, and I'm just going to keep building off of that. Definitely some focus, threw a good amount of sliders today. The way my changeup was working, maybe during the season I'd probably throw more changeups. But we're here in Spring Training to work on things, so I definitely wanted to get some sliders in.”
Giolito felt a different energy with 1,781 fans in the stands. He also praised catcher Jonathan Lucroy for his targets and pitch-calling Tuesday, adding he looks forward to working with him more. The 26-year-old says he knows himself better as a pitcher now.
“I know what I'm capable of. I know what I need to do to be successful, whereas in the past I was searching, ‘How am I going to get guys out? How am I going to navigate where I'll end up?’” Giolito said. “Whereas now, I have full confidence in all my pitches.
“The biggest thing is the focus on the preparation so when it comes to my start day, I just kind of let it happen. I felt like today was a good start, for sure, for this year. I'm just going to keep working, keep putting the work in Days 1 through 4 and just let Day 5 be all about fun and competing.”
Avoiding the roll over
There were five half-innings rolled over during Tuesday’s contest, with one coming from the Rangers with the bases loaded, two outs and José Abreu ready to hit in the second. The procedure is in place as part of COVID-19 protocols, with the defensive team having the option to end the half-inning after a pitcher has thrown at least 20 pitches.
Fans were not happy and very vocal concerning many of the moves, done twice by Chicago. After the game, White Sox manager Tony La Russa made a special Zoom appearance to discuss his team avoiding these roll overs for the rest of Cactus League action.
“MLB is concerned about the health of the arms, and that’s why they shortened the games, and you can only have so many pitchers and players in camp,” La Russa said. “There’s all kinds of professional reasons why it makes sense.
“But fans are paying to come in games. I know they were disappointed, they voiced it several times, so from the White Sox side, we’re going to do everything we can to avoid doing it.”
La Russa will try to get enough pitching protection where they can bring somebody, possibly from the Minor League mini-camp, so they can finish the inning.
“It’s purely the correct thing to do for fans,” La Russa said. “I do not question anything that happened today. We had a 20-pitch [frame], and a couple of guys went to 25. Unless it’s absolutely impossible, I do not intend to flip another inning the rest of the spring.”
Third to first
• Center fielder Adam Engel was scratched from Tuesday’s starting lineup with mild inflammation in his right ankle. The team called it a precautionary move.
• Right-hander Kade McClure will start Wednesday’s contest against the Royals in Surprise, Ariz. Mike Wright, who started Sunday’s opener and had been scheduled to start Wednesday, will work in relief.
• Garrett Crochet is scheduled to pitch Saturday out of the bullpen in the first career Cactus League appearance for the No. 4 White Sox prospect.
• Catcher Yasmani Grandal continues to make progress with the right knee he twisted last Wednesday during running drills. La Russa still had no timetable for game action.
“If you set a deadline, he may rush to get there,” La Russa said. “The smartest thing is just go step by step, but he is improving.”
He said it
“I'm not afraid to tell you guys I did call that homer. Before he even stepped in the box I said, 'Vaughnie is going deep,' and then he did.” -- Giolito, on Andrew Vaughn’s first-inning, three-run homer
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