Giolito, White Sox fall to Tigers 7-5

Compared to some of his recent starts, Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito minimized the mistakes in Saturday afternoon's outing against the Detroit Tigers.

"I felt good," Giolito said. "I felt like I was commanding some pitches today, doing a better job getting ahead of hitters."

The mistakes came with two outs in the third inning, when Giolito walked Leonys Martin, gave up a single to Jeimer Candelario and then threw a fastball down the middle that Nicholas Castellanos crushed for a 3-run homer.

Another two-out walk in the fifth set up another bad pitch (hanging slider) that Castellanos hit over the fence, and that put the White Sox in a 5-0 hole.

"Two bad pitches to a really good hitter," Giolito said. "It kind of did me in for the game right there. I've just got to lock in a little bit more, be able to execute."

The Sox managed to rally back from the deficit, tying the game on Tim Anderson's RBI double, Charlie Tilson's 2-run single and Trayce Thompson's sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and Jose Abreu's sac fly in the sixth.

The Tigers beat the White Sox 7-5 after scoring 2 runs in the eighth inning off relievers Jace Fry and Bruce Rondon.

With a 7.19 ERA, calls will likely continue for Giolito to work on his game at Class AAA Charlotte, but he's likely to stay in the White Sox's rotation for the time being.

"Getting out there and pitching," manager Rick Renteria said when asked how Giolito can improve. "There's no other way of doing it. You've got to be in the fire, you've got to experience that."

Comeback trail:

Out since mid-April with rotator cuff inflammation, White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez pitched a simulated game Saturday morning at Guaranteed Rate Field.

"It went great," Gonzalez said. "I was happy about going out there and being able to face a couple of our hitters. I'm feeling ready, so I'm excited."

Gonzalez is scheduled to throw two more times before going out on a minor-league rehab assignment.

When the veteran right-hander is ready to come off the disabled list, he's not sure if he'll go back into the Sox's rotation.

"That's something that's not in our control," Gonzalez said. "All we have to do is go out and do the best we can every time we get the ball."